Implementing safety management systems (SMS) at US commercial airports is the subject of this article. The authors note that while SMS can be used as a tool to identify and mitigate organizational problems, its implementation can raise more questions than answers. To address this, the authors offer this primer. The article begins with a discussion of safety systems from their post-Second World War origins as a fly-fix-fly approach to their present use as a risk management tool that calculates the degree of risk for a given hazard. To implement SMS, the authors see performing a gap analysis as an essential first step to identify other safety analysis tools needed for SMS. This gap analysis identifies SMS components that may not be included in an airport safety plan. Another implementation aspect is the collection, analysis, and distribution of safety data. Since SMS is heavily data-driven, the authors note that SMS can only be considered complete after a database is established to provide a user-friendly distribution point for safety data. A related discussion offers detail into how SMS analyzes data to develop a casual structure and mitigation formula using several models. The authors note that while their article is not designed to be all-inclusive, it should demonstrate how SMS differs from a more simply executed safety plan. Improving employee retention, decreasing absenteeism, morale, and causing fewer accidents are some of the benefits reported by organizations that have implemented SMS. To clarify what the authors call the “buzz words” that can impede SMS implementation, a" SMS Acronym List" is included.