Safety Policy: More Than Just a Tick in the Box

Every operator has a Safety Policy. It is a requirement, after all. But in my experience at Glacier Aviation Consulting, when assisting operators, too many treat it as exactly that: a requirement to be checked off, a paragraph in a manual, or a nicely framed statement on a wall.

Is your Safety Policy alive?

The truth is: a Safety Policy is supposed to be a living part of your safety culture. And if it’s not actively shaping how your organisation thinks and acts, then it’s time to revisit how you use it.

Safety Policy from Paper to Practice

Regulations also require operators to have a Safety Review Board (SRB). Most meet twice a year. But how many use this opportunity to connect the Safety Policy with reality?

A practical approach is to:

• Open every SRB meeting by reintroducing the Safety Policy.

• Ask participants to keep it in mind as they review safety and compliance statistics.

• At the end of the meeting, conclude and record in the minutes, whether the company is living up to the commitments written in the policy.

This simple step moves the Safety Policy from words on paper to a tool that guides leadership discussions.

Visibility Matters

Of course, the Safety Policy belongs in the manual. But that is not enough. Staff must see it, recognize it, and slowly internalize it.

This can be as simple as:

• A framed copy on the wall in rooms and offices.

• Display on TV screens in common areas.

• Regular features in newsletters or intranet banners.

The goal is repetition and reinforcement. Over time, the Safety Policy becomes more than beautiful promises, it becomes a reminder of "who we are as an organisation".

Reassess and Renew

Safety culture is not static, and neither should your Safety Policy be. Every two or three years, the Accountable Manager and Nominated Persons, including Safety and Compliance, should sit down to evaluate the policy itself.

Here we recommend using the EASA Management System Assessment Tool (MSAT). It provides a structured way to ask:

• Is our policy still relevant?

• Does it match the way we operate today?

• Do we need to update it to reflect new risks or priorities?

This keeps the Safety Policy fresh, alive, and aligned with reality.

A Living Statement

A Safety Policy is not a decoration, nor a compliance formality. It is a living statement.

If it does not guide your meetings, your decisions, and your everyday actions, then it is time to bring it back to life.