Legal Issues Related to Developing Safety Management Systems and Safety Risk Management of U.S. Airports

Partner David Bannard authored a report that appeared in the January 2013 issue of the Airport Cooperative Research Program’s Legal Research Digest. The report is titled “Legal Issues Related to Developing Safety Management Systems and Safety Risk Management of U.S. Airports” and explores the basics of a safety management system (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.