SMS and how each employee and contractor fits into the mission of using the SMS to improve safety in the ATO. For more information on SMS training, refer to the SMS website. 

Open communication is critical to a positive safety culture. The ATO communicates safety objectives to all operational personnel to improve the way safety is perceived, valued, and prioritized. In an organization with a strong safety culture, individuals and groups take responsibility for safety by communicating safety concerns and striving to learn, adapt, and modify individual and organizational behavior based on lessons learned. 

## 1.2.2.2 Safety Programs and Initiatives 

The ATO maintains a positive safety culture using programs and initiatives such as: 

• Recurrent Training:  Collaboratively-developed instruction for controllers, designed to maintain and update previously learned skills while promoting a positive safety culture. 

• Top 5:  High-priority factors that contribute to the risk in the NAS. The Top 5 is determined based on data obtained from the Risk Analysis Process, Voluntary Safety Reporting Programs, and other databases used to log and report unsafe occurrences. 

• Fatigue Risk Management:  A group that provides operational fatigue risk expertise, guidance, and support to the ATO in developing fatigue reduction strategies and policy recommendations to mitigate and manage operational fatigue risks in the NAS. 

• Partnership for Safety:  A joint effort between the ATO and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association that encourages employees to become actively engaged in identifying local hazards and developing safety solutions before incidents occur. 

## • Voluntary Safety Reporting Programs 

o Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP):  A confidential system for controllers and other employees to voluntarily identify and report safety and operational concerns. For more information, refer to the ATSAP website. 

o Confidential Information Share Program:  A program for the sharing and analysis of information collected through the ATSAP and airlines' Aviation Safety Action Programs to provide a more complete representation of the NAS. For more information, visit the Confidential Information Share Program website. 

o Technical Operations Safety Action Program (T-SAP):  A system for reporting safety-related events or issues pertaining to operations, equipment, personnel, or anything believed to affect safety in the NAS for technicians and other Technical Operations employees. For more information, refer to the T-SAP website. 

• Lessons Learned: Lessons learned are used to improve ATO processes, address deficiencies proactively, and empower employees to play a direct role in the safety of the NAS by providing valuable safety information. 

