Diploma in SMS Management Systems and Safety Culture
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in SMS management systems and safety culture. 8 modules covering safety management systems, hazard identification, risk assessment and control, occurrence investigation, safety culture, indicators and assurance, applying ICAO Annex 19, ICAO Doc 9859 and Q-Pulse, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the components of a safety management system.
Identify hazards from diverse sources.
Assess and control risks with recognised methods.
Investigate occurrences using systemic approaches.
Diagnose and improve safety culture.
Define indicators and assure the effectiveness of the system.
Promote safety through training and communication.
Who it's for
- SMS managers
- Occurrence investigators
- Operational safety analysts
- Safety auditors
- Safety culture consultants
- Health and safety officers
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into aviation
What you'll work with
- ICAO Annex 19 (safety management)
- ICAO Doc 9859 (Safety Management Manual)
- Regulation (EU) 2018/762 (rail SMS requirements)
- ISM Code (International Safety Management Code)
- ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management systems)
- ISO 31000 (risk management)
- Regulation (EU) 376/2014 (reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation)
- Q-Pulse
- BowTieXP
- Microsoft Power BI
- SafetyCulture
8 modules
1.1The SMS concept and its origins1.2SMS components according to ICAO1.3Safety policy and objectives1.4Management accountability1.5Safety risk management1.6Safety assurance1.7Safety promotion1.8SMS in aviation, rail and maritime1.9Integration with other management systems1.10Case study: diagnosis of an operator's SMS
2.1Sources for hazard identification2.2Occurrence reporting systems2.3Voluntary and confidential reporting2.4Audits and line observations2.5Analysis of operational data2.6Hazards in organisational change2.7Hazard register2.8Occurrence taxonomies2.9Information quality2.10Workshop: hazard register for an operation
3.1Probability and severity matrices3.2Tolerability and the ALARP criterion3.3Bow-tie analysis methodology3.4Preventive and mitigating barriers3.5Barrier effectiveness indicators3.6Management of change3.7Operational risk assessments3.8Follow-up of measures3.9Review of the risk profile3.10Practical exercise: bow-tie analysis of an occurrence
4.1Objectives of the investigation4.2Evidence collection4.3Interviews with those involved4.4Root cause analysis4.5Reason's Swiss cheese model4.6HFACS classification method4.7Systems analysis with STAMP4.8Safety recommendations4.9Follow-up of recommendations4.10Case study: investigation of an incident
5.1Definition of safety culture5.2Just culture and accountability5.3Reporting culture5.4Visible safety leadership5.5Hudson maturity models5.6Safety climate surveys5.7Human and organisational factors5.8Psychological safety in teams5.9Culture improvement programmes5.10Lab: safety climate survey
6.1Safety performance indicators6.2Leading and lagging indicators6.3Safety objectives and targets6.4Internal SMS audits6.5Management review6.6Trend analysis6.7Safety dashboards6.8Industry benchmarking6.9Continuous improvement of the system6.10Practical exercise: safety indicator dashboard
7.1Tiered SMS training7.2Communication of lessons learned7.3Safety bulletins and campaigns7.4Worker participation7.5Contractor management7.6Safety in the supply chain7.7Emergency preparedness7.8SMS documentation7.9Authority requirements7.10Case study: safety promotion campaign
8.1Selection of the organisation8.2Initial diagnosis of the system8.3Preparation of the hazard register8.4Risk assessment8.5Proposal of safety indicators8.6Culture improvement plan8.7Implementation plan8.8Project conclusions8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Q-Pulse, BowTieXP, Microsoft Power BI and SafetyCulture, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: bow-tie analysis of occurrences, incident investigation with systemic methods and safety climate surveys. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final project.
Standards covered: ICAO Annex 19, ICAO Doc 9859, Regulation (EU) 2018/762, ISM Code, ISO 45001, ISO 31000, Regulation (EU) 376/2014.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Q-Pulse, BowTieXP, Microsoft Power BI and SafetyCulture, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector; no university degree is required.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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