Where Do Quality and Safety Management Systems Intersect?

Quality and safety management are related but not the same: a Quality Management System (QMS) is designed to deliver consistent products or services that satisfy customers, while a Safety Management System (SMS) is designed to identify hazards, manage risk, and improve safety performance. For leaders and practitioners responsible for quality, safety, compliance, or operational systems—especially in aviation, construction, manufacturing, and other regulated environments—that distinction matters because a process can produce consistent results and still produce an unsafe outcome.

When organizations start talking about QMS and then the conversation moves into SMS, many will do a double-take and wonder “Hey… Wait a minute, aren't these the same thing?” This comparison explains where the two systems differ, where they overlap, how a QMS can support an SMS without replacing it, and why quality consistency alone does not guarantee safety. While there are some commonalities, the QMS and the SMS have very different objectives:

• QMS = Focused on delivering quality to satisfy the customer
• SMS = Is primarily focused on safety

Generally speaking, organizations are not required to have a QMS, yet many industries like airlines or automotive companies are required to have an SMS. Here's the rub: If they have an SMS, then the QMS must not conflict with it. But they can work together, a QMS can serve as the foundation for an SMS.

Confused? Steven C. McNeely of Jet Solutions, Inc. helps to explain:

There seems to be an underlying misunderstanding between a quality management system and a safety management system. You can have a quality product or service, as defined by the ISO standards, and still not have a safe product or service. Part of the confusion stems from the adoption of some of the same types of tools and techniques used in quality management, to manage the safety system. Trade association presidents and regulators state that SMS is a businesslike approach to managing safety; and this is correct. However, many people falsely assume this to mean that processes designed to produce a quality product, (repeatedly doing the same thing, without variation) equates to the same thing as repeatedly producing a safe product.

In other words, your processes might produce one identical product after another, but that doesn't mean that the product itself is inherently safe. Put another way, the quality may be consistent, but if it's consistently producing an unsafe product, clearly you have a problem. McNeely sheds more light on the differences between a QMS and an SMS:

It is how the tools and techniques are used, along with a focus on investigation of events, which makes the quality and safety management systems different. The quality systems do not investigate incidents or accidents for risk assessment. (QMS) audit output of a process only for variance, and makes adjustments. (Safety Management (SMS)) investigates events, looking for contributing factors from all influencing sources. One of the purposes of an SMS is to improve the safety performance, and therefore reduce the exposure to risk of having an accident (during production). It is not focused on the safety record per se. Quality systems are focused on continuous improvement also, but through improving the production record rate. This is another source of confusion between the two management system concepts; improving a safety record is not the same as improving safety performance. There are many aviation companies that have extremely good safety records, but are operating with risky behavior or inadequate organizational structures, and have just not had an accident yet. A good safety record, just like a good quality record, does not guarantee safety.

Steven C. McNeely, Manager, Safety Management Systems, Jet Solutions, L.L.C, published by “Flight Safety Information February 12, 2010 No.034”, Lessons Learned from Toyota – 2010-QMS vs SMS.

Quality Management: A QMS is the Foundation for an SMS

As mentioned earlier, a QMS is the foundation of the Safety Management System(SMS) within an organization. The QMS establishes many of the same processes and procedures that the SMS requires, and a Quality Management System for manufacturing organizations supports the Safety Management System's requirements through documented procedures, standardized workflows, management reviews, analysis of data, corrective actions, and internal audits aligned with ISO 9001, while quality assurance systems help maintain regulatory compliance.

Quality assurance helps identify risks early, prevent issues before they occur, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and safety regulations, while a clear understanding of the cost of quality in a QMS helps organizations balance prevention, appraisal, and failure costs to support safer operations.

This means that if there is a QMS present, it will need to be enhanced to meet SMS requirements. Since the SMS core is about hazard and risk identification, areas of enhancement would be centered around hazard identification, risk assessments, and measuring the effectiveness of the safety risk controls through a proactive approach to mitigate risks and address safety risks before they lead to incidents.

SMS Core Elements:

• Management Commitment: Leadership commitment from senior management makes safety a core value
• Accountability: Responsible for your decisions and any consequences
• Employee Involvement: Communication and engagement across all levels strengthen the program
• Hazard ID: Initial and ongoing assessment of anticipated hazards and risks
• Hazard Control: Select options for eliminating, preventing, or controlling hazards
• Incident and Accident Analysis: Use root cause analysis so incidents and defects do not recur
• Education: Training on safety and quality standards helps workers recognize hazards and apply controls
• Continuous Improvement: Periodically evaluate controls to improve performance
• Communication: Create a unified program across sites and organizational levels

Quality management and safety management are equally important, and integrating them is a systematic approach that helps maintain high standards, consistency, and overall performance.

The intent of an SMS is for organizations to analyze their unique operations, risks, and hazards. Documented policies, defined standards, and established standards help ensure processes remain consistent and audit-ready. With those identified, the next step is to develop a set of policies and procedures, regular training, and self-audit activities that are the most effective for the work being performed, including Management of Change so updates do not affect quality or safety outcomes. This should include quality standards, safety protocols, and quality assurance activities that ensure compliance through regular audits and evaluations against recognized standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and OHSAS 18001. This not only included risks to safety in vehicles or airplanes but also the risk to people in working environments.

Another facet of an SMS that may affect an organization is employee safety and health. An organization also needs to ensure employees are safe in things such as construction sites or other general industries, supporting workplace safety and well being, and compliance with safety regulations reduces workplace accidents.

Investing in employee training and safety awareness improves engagement, morale, and productivity.

Even though safety management and quality management have two different focuses they are highly complementary and work closely together to achieve the overall safety goals of an organization, supporting customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and better outcomes while helping avoid penalties and legal liabilities.