Brisbane Airport Corporations’
Airside Operations Centre Team are this year's AAGSC Safety
Award recipients.
Brisbane Airport recognised that FOD poses a serious threat to
Aviation Safety and has initiated, implemented and assisted with
many reforms designed to reduce the potential of both
runway incursions, the
likelihood of FOD on a runway and the incidence of animal
strikes.
BAC has:
-
Introduced a restricted list of vehicles that are able to
cross the runway
-
Introduced additional runway inspections to help in the
timely detection of FOD
-
Trialled many initiatives in an effort to reduce the bird
numbers
-
Provided extensive education and materials to assist airside
operators better manage their work practices and work areas
(cover loads, secure loose items, maintain GSE areas,
rubbish disposal, etc)
-
Provided regular forums for the dissemination and exchange
of information relevant to airside safety
An example
of one of the initiatives that was introduced, was to cease
runway crossings by vehicles other than tugs and aircraft under
tow. Airside Operations Officers were discovering during routine
runway inspection torches, screwdrivers, spanners, headsets
etc... By eliminating runway crossings by vehicles other than
tugs and aircraft, the
Airside Operations Centre Team have reduced the amount of FOD
discovered by 99%.
The Airside Operations
Centre Team have made amendments to the Airside Drivers Handbook
to reflect the above restrictions, and
also included that all vehicles with a tray that have the
potential to carry a load
must have a cargo net or tonneau cover, and that all
loads must be covered.
The
selection was extremely difficult with several strong individual
nominations, each in their own way, striving for excellence in
aviation ground safety.
