Safety Management System Overview  Section 1  2  1.1_SMSM_201509 Originally published September 2015 Uncontrolled copy when downloaded • Provide a common framework to proactively and reactively identify and address safety hazards and risks associated with NAS equipment, operations, and procedures; • Encourage intra-agency stakeholders to participate in solving the safety challenges of an increasingly complex NAS; • Reduce isolated analysis and decision-making using integrated safety management principles; • Improve accountability for safety through defined managerial roles and responsibilities and S afety  R isk  M anagement  processes; • Integrate Safety Assurance processes that enable the ATO to effectively measure safety performance; • Promote a continuous cycle of assessing, correcting/mitigating, and monitoring the safety of air navigation services; • Foster a positive safety culture that can help improve system safety; and • Measure the performance and support the improvement of the SMS. 1.1.4  SMS Benefits  ATO processes and tools that support the SMS help:  initiatives on significant causes, events, and hazards that necessitate remedial action, thus,  advancing risk-based decision-making initiatives. 