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## FOREWORD 

The fundamental mission of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) is to ensure the safe provision of air traffic services in the National Airspace System (NAS). Thanks to its employees, the ATO operates the safest, most efficient air traffic system in the world. 

As the ATO helps build the Next Generation Air Transportation System, the resulting cross-organizational changes to the NAS require an intensive, proactive, and systematic focus on assuring safety. ATO uses the Safety Management System (SMS) to achieve this. The SMS constitutes the operating principles that support the ATO in objectively examining the safety of its operations. 

This document is the result of an ATO-wide effort, and reflects current international best practices and intra-agency lessons learned. It marks an important next step toward a mature and integrated SMS in the FAA. Therefore, it is important that all ATO personnel work diligently to uphold and follow the procedures and guidance in this SMS Manual to manage safety risk and help promote a positive safety culture in the ATO and the FAA. 

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