Drone SMS

We have developed a Safety Management System (SMS) "model" for small commercial drone operations. Whereas the Safety Case model presented in the Drone Safety Handbook is primarily aimed at the development of a "body of evidence" to prove that a new drone operation is safe enough to commence with operations (to obtain "initial approval" from a Regulator), the Safety Management System is required to ensure that the initial level of safety is maintained throughout the operational life of the System. It is therefore the equivalent of the systems in the manned aviation world to ensure that airworthiness of the Operation is maintained ("continued") to the highest levels possible. There is, of course, some overlap between the Safety Case and SMS models, as some evidence will be required for both models.

Due to the modest scale of most small commercial drone ventures, the SMS model developed for "small drone operations" has been tailored accordingly.

The model is presented here as a set of user-customisable templates, obtainabale on request. Once obtained from us you may edit to represent your operation - including the scale of your venture - and may, of course, even add to the set of documents recommended in this model. As an alternative, we can help you to create your SMS and SMM.

Safety Management System Document Set:

Safety Managment Manual - this is the main document

Safety Organisation Personnel Competence Profile
Flight Planning Checklist
Hardware Failure Assessment
Site Inspection Checklist
Pre-Flight Checklist
After-Flight Checklist
Hazard Reporting Card
Failure Recording Log
Preventive Maintenance Log
Corrective Maintenance Log
Upgrade & Modification Log
UAV Flight Folio
Site Evacuation Checklist
SMS Performance Log
Accident Recording Form