The Nimrod Review - Official Documents

The Safety Committees and Hazard Management Process
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Chapter 9 – Background to Safety Cases
The SMP provided that the review and endorsement of the platform safety issues managed by the IPT would
take place through a two-tier committee system, a high level PSWG and lower level Aircraft Safety Reviews
(ASR). 109 It mandated the following process for hazard management:
The SMP Hazard Management Process thus envisaged a tiered, three-stage process:
9.78.1 Stage 1: LOD holders were to give ‘proposed’ risk categorisations to draft hazards after advice from the
Engineering Heads of Branch (HOB) (with HOB being able to declare risks as ‘managed’ or ‘closed’ up
to Category ‘C’ and the PE/IPTL being able to declare risks up to Category ‘A’).
9.78.2 Stage 2: All risk categorisations and controls were to be reviewed by the ASR (with the ASR being able
to declare risks up to Category ‘C’, but passing all Category ‘A’ and ‘B’ and borderline ‘C’ risks up to the
PSWG).
9.78.3 Stage 3: All Category ‘A’ and ‘B’ and nominated ‘C’ risks were to be reviewed by the PSWG (with the
PSWG being able to declare risks up to Category ‘A’).
Risks of Category ‘C’ and above required more than simply a discussion between the instigating IPT member
and LOD holder. They required a formal Preliminary Hazard Analysis as directed by the Head of Air Vehicle or
the ASR, i.e. detailed discussion, ‘brainstorming’ sessions, structured HAZOP techniques, or assistance from
specialist industry. For risks of Category ‘A’ or ‘B’, risk classification of ‘Open’ and ‘Approved’ hazards/accidents
by NIM(ES)AV or the ASR was subject to endorsement by the IPTL/PE. As to which, it was contemplated by the
SMP that the PE/IPTL’s categorisation of risk could and would, on occasion, be done ex-committee. However,
it appears also to have been envisaged by the SMP that, in any event, all ‘A’ and ‘B’ and borderline ‘C’ risks
categorisations would nevertheless still require to be reviewed, first by the ASR and then by the PSWG. 110
109 Ibid, Appendix 1 to Annex A, paragraph 1.
110 Ibid, Appendix 1 to Annex A, paragraphs 6 and 10.
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