The FAA considers an SMS program implemented when the aviation organization has _____.

• A. The Plan Accepted/Approved
• B. All Employees Trained
• C. A Formal Safety Meeting
• D. A Risk Register

Answer: (A)

The main point is that an SMS is considered implemented when there is a formally approved plan in place. When management accepts and approves the plan, it signals a formal commitment to safety governance, assigns responsibilities, and establishes the policies and procedures that will guide safety activities. This approval marks the transition from planning to active implementation, enabling the organization to put the SMS into operation.

Training everyone, holding formal safety meetings, and maintaining a risk register are important parts of the SMS and support its functioning, but they don’t by themselves prove that the program has been officially implemented until the plan itself is approved.