Aviation Research Group/U.S. (ARG/US) has released an audit recommendations report after finishing a review of its 2007 on-site safety audit results. The report, based on the findings of 67 audits completed over the past 15 months, examines both safety management systems and emergency response planning. According to ARG/US, the document identifies the areas that have challenged many flight departments and provides recommendations regarding industry best practices. “The information is extremely useful for anyone managing an operation’s SMS program, preparing for a safety audit or just wanting to be better informed,” said ARG/US president Joseph Moeggenberg. “This is the first time we have summarized all the data into a single document and made it available to the business aviation industry.” Meanwhile, the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and its member associations are developing an SMS tool kit to assist operators with meeting coming required ICAO standards and recommended practices. Commercial operators will require SMS next year and non-commercial jet operators will need to implement SMS by November 2010, according to IBAC. A task group of specialists is expected to present the SMS tool kit at the NBAA Convention in October.