Mature Quality Control Processes which are overseen by effective Quality Assurance/Compliance Management audit processes provide a significant benefit to the organisation where the focus moves from simple regulatory compliance to effective development of the organisations systems which provide key benefits in organisational optimization.
It is important to communicate in the most effective way the objectives of any audit and audits which are performed in respect of showing compliance with EASA Regulation EC 965/2012 is no different in this regard.
Audits should focus on all elements which are critical to demonstrating regulatory compliance as well as organisational compliance, in particular, to also pay attention to elements that impact operational safety and security.
A major component of any operational audit should focus on the mechanisms to ensure the effectiveness of the processes that manage, control, and deliver competency across the business area.
Preparation time spent reviewing the regulations and if possible gaining access to the company documents that you be using is time well spent. This allows an initial gap analysis and may even be an indicator as where you will likely find weaknesses which may be further explored during the audit.
Areas and programs that benefit from additional auditing include:
a) Foreign Object Damage/Foreign Object Debris (FOD)
b) Management and training processes related to De-icing & anti-icing Procedures and Compliance Management
c) Dangerous Goods Procedures and Training – Many activities that are performed in respect of DG are in fact delivered as subcontracted activities so it is important for the Operator to be able to deliver appropriate QA/QC oversight.
d) Cargo and ground operations is a critical area as much damage is suffered by poor procedures and insufficient training and competent staff in the area of Ground Handling and Cargo OPS, Focus should be provided to ensure the areas of compliance management, procedures, and training are given particular attention.
e) Whilst the Aviation Safety Management System (SMS) is a standalone system independent from the Quality Management System (QMS) it is important that we treat the SMS in the same way we would treat any other business area and this means of course it is subject to compliance audit. Manpower, Training, Documentation, Process & Procedures.
f) Security Operations – ensuring compliance management, security procedures, and training (noting that many elements are driven by national regulatory requirements and typically are not driven predominantly by EASA regulations)
g) Emergency Response Planning & Procedures – Ensuring that the organisations system is fully documented and effectively managed and tested.
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