Risk-based, Management-led, Audit-driven, Safety Management Systems, explains what a safety management system (SMS) is, and how it reduces risk in order to prevent accidental losses in an organization. It advocates the integration of safety and health into the day-to-day management of the enterprise as a value, rather than an add-on, and emphasizes that the safety movement must be initiated, led and maintained by management at all levels.

The concepts of safety authority, responsibility and accountability are described as the key ingredients to safety system success. Safety system audits are expounded in simple terms, and leading safety performance indicators are suggested as the most important measurements, in preference to lagging indicators. McKinnon highlights the importance of the identification and control of risk as a key basis for a SMS, with examples of a simple risk matrix and daily task risk assessment, as well as a simplified method of assessing, analyzing, and controlling risks.

The book refers to international Guidelines on SMS, as well as the proposed International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 45001, which could soon become the international safety benchmark for organizations worldwide. Using clear, approachable examples, the chapters give a complete overview of an SMS and its components. Confirming to most of the safety management system Guidelines published by leading world authorities, this volume will allow organizations to structure their own world-class SMS.