This report explores the basics of a safety management systems (SMS); discusses the concept of a “just culture;” highlights efforts to implement SMS at airports and in other industries such as maritime, patient safety, and oil and gas; examines theories under which SMS could lead to increased liability for airports; and provides a review of select state sunshine laws and the federal Freedom of Information Act.

The digest also discusses certain available means of protecting SMS data from disclosure or discovery, and suggests potential strategies for managing legal issues that may arise due to implementation of SMS.  View Report