To reduce airside risks
To reduce the airside risks of car accidents and collisions on the apron, harm to ground personnel, and damage to airside equipment and aircrafts, CAP790 regulations and guidelines should be considered. Businesses who hire ground handlers and personnel who operate airside equipment should make certain that their employees have an Airside Driving Permit (ADP). Employers should also take the initiative to understand which airside operations are covered by the Airside Driver Permit and which are not. Furthermore, they should provide additional training to their workers on performing procedures not covered by ADP. Employers should also ensure that all people with Airside Drivers Permit have a category B driving license. Category B license ensures that the ground handler has professional skills in handling most airside equipment and has successfully passed the test to run airside operations (Fisher et al 2010).
Establishing ADP schemes
Harrison (2015) suggests that Aerodrome authorities should establish ADP schemes which should help cover the need for competence of the operation handlers driving in the hangars, Apron, and perimeter roads as well as consistent training on airside operations for their staff. Operation managers should ensure that drivers and all airside personnel are well conversant with the rules instructions and procedures of operating aerodromes. Vehicle operators should put into consideration regulations of Health and Safety Executive including safety signs and Signals regulations of 1996, and PUWER. They should also enforce guidance of airspace operations such as recommended by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to protect third parties and aerodrome equipment (Ricardo, Elton, & Eduardo 2014). This will ensure their drivers and aerodrome operators stick go safety operations and recommended guidance when operating airside equipment.
Confirming compliance
According to Fisher et al (2010), aerodrome Authority should always confirm that ADP requirements are complied with by all airspace personnel. Each operator should only work in their areas of specialization from ADP training. Aerodrome authority should ensure CAP790 is enforced to manage driver behaviors in the airside. Revocation of permit should be employed on drivers who fail to comply with the regulations as per CAP642 which provides for driver management as a form of Safety Management system.
Managing the SMS problems and Implementing Solutions
During hiring process, the Aerodrome authority should ensure that their candidates has undergone an ADP training and has a category B license. They should keep record of all trainings and licenses that workers in the airside undertake while at work and assign jobs strictly to ideal candidates who have skills and knowledge on how to handle specific airside equipment (Pacheco, Fernandes, & Domingos 2014).
Safety cargo handling measures
The drivers and cargo handlers should be taught on the safety cargo handling measures of different kinds of aircrafts. The teaching should enlighten the staff on the appropriate aircraft floor load limit for each type of aircraft, the ideal way to fasten separation nets and door nets in an aircraft, how to handle catering equipment during loading and offloading. It should also teach drivers on the ideal manner of opening and closing aircraft doors during and the handling of cargo doors in the event of gusty and tenacious wind conditions (Pacheco, Fernandes, & Domingos 2014). The teaching should be carried for all new employees and tests should be done quarterly, under investigation, to ensure that the drivers and cargo handlers are well conversant with the load measures for the safety of people flying in the airplanes.
Road and area markings
Elaborate and identifiable road and area markings should be made on hangars, perimeter roads and Apron in accordance with the safety Signs and signals regulations 1996. The employers of airside drivers and ground handlers should make sure that the candidate is well conversant with all the signs of the airspace and can interpret all markings in the airspace (Ricardo, Elton, & Eduardo 2014). They should be taken around the airspace and asked to interpret the signs and do a road test on how they would avert dangers and emergencies that arise at work.
First aid and emergency drills
In order to ensure that all accidents and personal injuries are promptly attended to, the drivers should be taught on basic first aid and emergency drills often times during work. Medical team in the facility should keep track of the common accidents and emergencies that occur often times in the airspace (Fisher et al 2010). They should then come up with drills and fast-aid tactics to contain the emergencies. These drills should in turn be taught to drivers quarterly and refresher classes monthly to ensure the drivers remain well informed.
Handling of luggage
The loading of cargo to vehicles causes many minor injuries whenever luggage is not handled correctly. Loads should not be handled by the metal strapping, and they should be carefully set down from the vehicle to the aircraft and vice versa. Drivers and ground handlers should be taught on the appropriate means to handle luggage specifically on how to ferry and handle delicate goods. This will reduce chances of personal injury among drivers and ground handlers (Kohli 2007).
Refresher courses and workshops
According to Pacheco, Fernandes, & Domingos (2014), the drivers should be taken on refresher courses and workshops to enhance and improve their skills. This will ensure that the whole team of drivers, from the old employees to the new employees are on the same page in terms of technological and technical advancement in handling airspace equipment and vehicle management. Airspace authorities should have in-house basic advancement classes on a monthly basis and a practical workshop training once yearly to sharpen and diversify the driver’s knowledge about airspace dynamics and emerging drills.
Managing manual handling
The manual handling of tools and equipment at the airside may lead to personal injuries. To manage this, risk assessment for all of the manually done operations should be done. Aerodrome authorities should provide safety equipment such as helmets, glasses, positive pressure personnel suit, knee pads and hand guards. Reflector jackets and Jumpsuits should be issued to ground handlers for easy identification when cars are maneuvering round the airside. This will help eliminate preventable accidents among workers (Kazda & Caves 2010). The authority should ensure that all drivers in every airside department has adequate understanding of signs put in the areas and knows how to maneuver round the airside without causing destruction or delays.
Hearing protection
Whenever aerodrome personnel such as ADP permit A holders are working in noise intense areas such as the apron of the airside or in maintenance line, they should ensure they wear approved hearing protection (Bijjahalli, Ramasamy, & Sabatini 2016). The Authority can ensure drivers and ground handlers working in noise intense areas have hearing protection by providing the equipment everyday as the workers go into work. The personnel should later submit the equipment after work and pick it the following day. They should also ensure they have extra hearing equipment in store in case of loss or breakage.
References
Bijjahalli, S., Ramasamy, S., & Sabatini, R. (2016). A GNSS Integrity Augmentation System for Sustainable Autonomous Airside Operations. In 2nd International Symposium on Sustainable Aviation (ISSA 2016), Istanbul, Turkey.
Fisher, H. G., Forrest, H. S., Grossel, S. S., Huff, J. E., Muller, A. R., Noronha, J. A., ... & Tilley, B. J. (2010). Emergency relief system design using DIERS technology: The Design Institute for Emergency Relief Systems (DIERS) project manual. John Wiley & Sons.
Harrison, S. (2015). Driving airside safely. Safety & Health Practitioner, 33(4), 34-35.
Kazda, A., & Caves, R. E. (Eds.). (2010). Airport design and operation. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Kohli, S. (2007). Safety Management System. Bangalore International Airport Limited: Karnataka, India.
Pacheco, R. R., Fernandes, E., & Domingos, E. M. (2014). Airport airside safety index. Journal of Air Transport Management, 3486-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2013.08.007
Ricardo, R. P., Elton, F., & Eduardo, M. D. (2014). Airport airside safety index. Journal of Air Transport Management, 18(34), 86-92.