AACM held “Airport Safety Management Systems Course”

To cope with the rapid development of the Macao economy, the SAR government has been putting their endeavors to enhance the city infrastructure development and improve the transport network. In view of the recent major infrastructure projects in the airport and its adjacent area, the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) held the “Airport Safety Management Systems Course” on 12 October 2009 with the objective of conveying the importance of the airport safety management systems to the government departments in charge of these infrastructure projects, the airport concessionaire, the airport operators and the project contractors. The course speaker was the Director of Airport Infrastructure and Air Navigation of AACM, Mr. Kevin Lam. During the one-day course, Mr. Lam explained to the participants that the concept of safety management systems is to consider and assess the organization as a whole, focus on the interconnection between the different systems within the organization, analyse and control any risks contained in the systems and the effect thereupon. For this reason, he stated that the implementation of safety management systems is to shift the focus from the implementation of procedures and the behaviour of the personnel to the management of organization accidents which can affect safety to a bigger extent. This way will reinforce the responsibility of both the senior management and the working staff, and help them to integrate safety management concepts to the operation line and ultimately improve the overall safety management capability of the organization. Mr. Kevin Lam emphasized that the objective of implementing safety management systems is to build up an approach to identify, assess, handle, control and put on record any hazards, improve the communication channel for collecting hazard and false information, in order that resources can be allocated more reasonably, preventive measures be taken and safety work be managed from the passive and afterwards manner to the active and beforehand manner. Through organizing this course, AACM wished to let participants understand the safety culture advocated in safety management systems, who will then encourage their staff to be responsible and be proactive in reporting any hazards, with the ultimate goal of integrating the direction, policy and standards of safety management into the values and behaviours of the whole organization. The course was conducted in the multi-function room of AACM office, with the participation of 30 senior and middle management officers coming from the Fire Services Bureau, the Maritime Administration, the Office for the Development of Infrastructure, the Transportation Infrastructure Office, the Civil Engineering Laboratory, CAM-Macau International Airport Co. Ltd., Administration of Airports, Ltd., East Asia Airlines Ltd., Nam Kwong Petroleum and Chemicals Co. Ltd., Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau S.A.R.L.(CTM), and the respective contractors responsible for the infrastructure projects in the airport and the adjacent areas. Mr. Kevin Lam is a certified instructor of safety management systems of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). He has been invited by ICAO to teach the airport safety management systems course in Bangkok targeting at the aeronautical authorities and the airports in South East Asia. He is also a certified aviation security auditor by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Safety is the fundamental of aviation operation. To further create a safe and reliable aviation environment for the Macao residents, AACM holds training courses on a regular basis to introduce and promote Macao aviation laws and regulations to the industry so as to enhance their safety level and awareness. AACM conducted several courses in the aspect of safety management systems respectively in 2006 and 2008 for training the industry.