Where Birds Don't Fly

A counterfeit Safety Management System (SMS) is not simply a weak or immature system; it is a system that never truly operates in daily decision-making. It exists primarily to satisfy oversight expectations rather than to control operational risk. The first and most reliable indicator appears in behavior changes during oversight. Before an audit, work is informal, hazards are handled verbally, and production dominates choices. During an audit, employees suddenly quote policy, manuals are referenced, reports appear, and safety terminology becomes fluent. Afterward, operations return to normal. A real SMS permanently changes how decisions are made; a counterfeit one only changes how people speak when observed. If safety language disappears when oversight leaves, the system is theatrical rather than functional. Another major sign is the presence of reports without operational change. Genuine systems convert hazard reports into removal of risk. Counterfeit systems convert reports into reco...