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Cover Picture: Business Jet going around at Ambergris Cay, Turks & Caicos Islands
INTRODUCTION
This booklet is offered as guidance for people who are required to work on airports and airfields in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories, particularly for those who are new to aerodromes, or are infrequent visitors. There are many hazards present on an aerodrome which can make them confusing and dangerous places to be. This booklet will give you some basic knowledge of these hazards. It will also give you some basic knowledge on how to keep yourself and others safe whilst working on aerodromes.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 3 CONTENTS........................................................................................... 4 THE AERODROME ............................................................................... 5 BEFORE VISITING AN AERODROME .................................................... 7 AERODROME HAZARDS ...................................................................... 9 AIRCRAFT HAZARDS .......................................................................... 10 VEHICLE HAZARDS ............................................................................ 18 ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................. 20 WILDLIFE ........................................................................................... 21 HUMAN FACTORS ............................................................................. 22 FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE AERODROME ............................ 23 SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 31
THE AERODROME
Most people tend to think of aerodromes as being large airports, but anywhere that an aircraft lands and takes off is considered as an aerodrome. This is determined by the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order 2007 Article 156: Interpretation. 156. In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires Aerodrome means any area of land or water designed, quipped, set apart or commonly used for affording facilities for the landing and departure of aircraft and includes any area or space, whether on the ground, on the roof of a building or elsewhere, which is designed, equipped or set apart for affording facilities for the landing and departure of aircraft capable of descending or climbing vertically, but shall not include any area the use of which for affording facilities for the landing and departure of aircraft has been abandoned and has not been resumed; Aircraft includes: Aeroplanes (Piper Navajo, Airbus A380); Helicopters (Robinson R22, Boeing Vertol Chinook); Gyroplanes (Rotorsport Calidus); Balloons (Gas and Hot Air); Gliders; Microlights.
Areas of water can also be considered aerodromes if they are used by seaplanes and floatplanes. So, whilst the popular image of an aerodrome is a large open area with terminal buildings, large parking areas and large tarmac runways, they can also be in a field, or in the grounds of a house, or a stretch of the sea near a beach.
2. Arrange your visit with the aerodrome operator well in advance: a. Tell the aerodrome operator when you intend to visit and for how long; b. Arrange to meet the aerodrome management on arrival; c. Request an escort, vehicle and security passes if necessary; d. Comply with the aerodrome operators requirements. 3. Ensure you take appropriate protective equipment: a. Foul or hot weather clothing; b. High visibility jacket; c. Ear defenders; d. Sunscreen; e. Insect repellent; f. Drinking water.
AERODROME HAZARDS
The most serious hazard is being on an aerodrome with insufficient knowledge or consideration of the risks, and being unaware of the protective mitigating measures required. Before admission to the aerodrome and the manoeuvring areas, you need to be familiar with the hazards associated with aerodromes. Most obvious are the hazards associated with aircraft, but there are others. Hazards you might encounter on an aerodrome include:
This is not an exhaustive list. The aerodrome certificate holder is obliged to operate the aerodrome safely, and should have comprehensive procedures in place detailed in their aerodrome manual. These procedures should include airside safety training for those new to aerodromes. Despite this you do have responsibility for your own safety. This booklet will help you to understand the hazards and risks involved in working on an aerodrome, and will help you to protect yourself from those hazards and risks.
AIRCRAFT HAZARDS
There are many hazards associated with aircraft:
Noise; Jet blast and propeller wash; Intake suction; Rotor and propeller strike; Brake temperature and brake dust; Control surface, panel and door movement; Hot gas exhaust; Radio and radar emissions; Lighting; Limited flight crew visibility.
The following section in this booklet will give you some information about protecting yourself from the various hazards and risks you will encounter at an aerodrome.
Noise
Few aircraft can avoid being extremely noisy. Not just engines, but rotors, propellers, air conditioning systems and hydraulic pumps can all be sources of noise sufficient to damage hearing. Noise is a hazard particularly when combined with other hazards. Localised environmental noise can mask other hazards which we might otherwise detect by the noise they make.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Ensure that you wear appropriate protection for hearing in noisy environments ear defenders or ear plugs. 2. Ensure that hearing protection meets safety standards. 3. Remember that hearing protection can reduce awareness of other threats ensure that you maintain increased awareness through other means, such as keeping a better lookout.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Stay well away from the blast areas behind jet engines and propellers. Observe any safety markings on aircraft or on the aerodrome. 2. Be aware at all times whilst on the manoeuvring area of aircraft that are engines running, usually indicated by a flashing orange light on the aircraft. They may move without notice and use a lot of power.
Intake Suction Intake suction is a particular problem for large commercial jet aircraft with engines mounted underneath the wings. The engine intakes of these aircraft are often at an ideal height to ingest a person unfortunate enough to walk close by, even when running at idle thrust. Such an encounter invariably has catastrophic results.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Stay well away from intakes of jet engines when they are running. Preferably, stay away from them at all times. 2. Observe any safety markings on the aircraft or engine cowlings, or on the manoeuvring area. 3. It may not be obvious the engine is running when seen from the side. Ear defenders may also mask engine noise when the engine is running.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Stay well away from rotors and propellers, whether rotating or stationary. 2. Helicopter rotor blades can sail while starting in strong winds, and flap up and down even when the rotor is stationary. 3. Be particularly careful to avoid helicopter tail rotors as these, rotating at high speed, are often hard to see.
and brake assembly when brakes are applied or when brake cooling fans are switched on. In the worst case the heat from aircraft brakes can cause structural failure of the wheel. In this case the aircraft tyre, often inflated to 200 psi, explodes, causing wheel fragments to fly out from the wheel assembly, creating a severe hazard and risk of injury.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Do not approach aircraft wheels, particularly after landing. They may be hot and may shed brake dust. 2. If an aircraft has abandoned take-off, do not approach the aircraft until Fire and Rescue Services say it is safe to do so.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Be aware that aircraft control surfaces, access panels and doors can move without warning. 2. Stay clear of aircraft control surfaces as these can trap clothing and limbs. 3. Stay clear of aircraft doors, and remember that emergency slides may be deployed without warning.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Stay clear of auxiliary power unit and air conditioning unit exhausts. 2. Stay clear of engine exhaust emissions as much as possible. 3. Be aware that some aircraft will have unusual handling requirements.
PROTECTION MEASURE:
1. If an aircrafts weather radar is operating on the ground, do not pass in front of the radar transmitter, usually in the nose of the aircraft.
Lighting
Aircraft are equipped with lights primarily for use at night. As these are intended to be seen at distances measured in miles, they can be very bright. The brightest lights on the aircraft are the strobes. These are very powerful flashing white lights, usually located at each wingtip. The flight crew normally turn them on just prior to take-off, and their illumination is an indication that the aircraft has been given take-off clearance.
PROTECTION MEASURE:
1. Avoid looking directly at an aircrafts landing lights or strobe lights.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Approach aircraft from the front. 2. Do not closely approach aircraft unless the flight crew have indicated it is safe.
VEHICLE HAZARDS
Hazards from vehicles operating on the manoeuvring areas of an aerodrome are similar to those encountered on public highways, and similar precautions should be taken. You should be aware that you may not hear approaching vehicles as clearly on the public highway if you are wearing hearing protection or there is significant aircraft noise nearby. The best protection is to wear high visibility clothing.
Aerodromes that are subject to snow and ice will have vehicles designed to handle and clear snow. These all pose a significant hazard to ground personnel, and are operated in conditions that increase the hazard.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Be aware of unusual airport service vehicles. 2. Do not move under bodywork or other parts of vehicles in case they move unexpectedly. 3. Keep well out of the way of Rescue and Fire Fighting Service vehicles. They will move very quickly.
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental hazards at aerodromes can be extreme. For example, the aerodromes within the United Kingdom Overseas Territories are subject to Antarctic ice, snow, blizzards and extreme cold, hurricanes, tropical storms and even an active volcano! Environmental hazards can occur on such a large scale that aerodrome operations cease. For environmental hazards of this scale, the aerodrome operator will make extensive provision in the aerodrome emergency plan, and you should follow the aerodrome operators instructions in this case. For lesser environmental hazards, individual mitigating measures can be taken. There are a number of OTs in the Caribbean region, and summer conditions can be very sunny, hot and humid. In such conditions you should use a hat, sunscreen and drink lots of bottled water. The manoeuvring areas of aerodromes are open and offer little protection from the sun, and tarmac surface temperatures can reach in excess of 50 Celsius in bright sunlight. You should plan to do essential work during times of the day when the sun is close to the horizon and temperatures are low.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Stay informed by local weather forecasts. 2. Heed any local weather warnings. 3. Follow any instructions given by the aerodrome operator or local authorities. 4. Wear protective clothing appropriate to the conditions. 5. Take bottled water with you if you are working on the aerodrome for long periods.
WILDLIFE
Wildlife does not usually cause hazards directly, as most larger birds and animals are wary of human presence and will not tolerate approach. Very occasionally there will be a hazard directly afforded by a large animal. Some airports in tropical climates can be attractive to crocodiles and alligators, for example, and venomous snakes may also present a hazard. The main wildlife hazard to aerodrome personnel arises from biting insects and their potential as disease vectors. The aerodrome maintenance and wildlife management plans should include actions to prevent pooling of stagnant water, and to reduce the attractiveness of the airport generally as a home for disease carrying organisms. You should ensure that inoculations against prevalent diseases are up to date if you are working routinely on the manoeuvring areas of aerodromes. Other arachnids and insects can present a low level endemic hazard, such as wasp, hornet and scorpion stings. Use of insect repellents may also provide some topical defence against insect bites.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Take medical advice about local threats. 2. Ensure any vaccinations and inoculations against prevalent diseases are up to date. 3. Know first aid and the location of first aid kits. 4. Know your local wildlife threats. 5. Use insect repellents as a defence against biting insects.
HUMAN FACTORS
Aerodromes present a number of hazards and risks to personnel, each of which individually can be mitigated. However, it is very rare that hazards present themselves individually, and there are many different combinations of hazard, which sometimes makes it difficult to assess risk clearly. This combination of a number of risk factors places a premium on awareness of risk in the real-time environment inherent in active aerodrome manoeuvring areas. Awareness of the hazards and their mitigation, training and effective management are all means of addressing the human factors risks inherent in active aerodrome environments.
PROTECTION MEASURES:
1. Be aware of the hazards and risks inherent in operating on the manoeuvring areas of aerodromes, and that these hazards and risks may interact in unpredictable ways. 2. Be aware of your surroundings, and look out for safety hazards that may affect other people.
Runway Designation Signs. (Note: location info in yellow on black) These are located either side of the holding points for runways. If you see signs like this you are not permitted to proceed beyond them without permission from Air Traffic Control. These signs are internally lit for use at night. Signs intended to control vehicular traffic may also be predominantly red, but they are much smaller than runway designation signs. Drivers of vehicles should observe the instructions conveyed by these signs. At some runway holding points there may be runway designation markings painted on the taxiway surface.
Runway holding points are marked by two dashed lines and two solid lines across the taxiway. The diagram below indicates the general arrangement of signs and markings at a runway holding point.
At night the runway holding points should also be marked with runway guard lights. These are installed in pairs either side of the holding point. They flash alternate yellow. An alternate installation is set into the surface at the holding point marking, again alternate lights flash yellow. Markings on the runway surface itself are in white, highlighted in black if the contrast with the surface is poor.
Taxiway Signs. Like runway designation signs, these are internally illuminated for use at night.
Aerodrome Lighting
Signs and markings are much harder to see at night. Aerodrome signs are usually lit internally, and stand out well, but runway and taxiway markings are not always lit. Reliance is often placed on aircraft landing and taxi lights to illuminate runway and taxiway markings. Aprons and parking areas are often floodlit to provide sufficient light for the intensive aircraft servicing operations that take place. The aerodrome lighting system will use different colour lighting to mark different parts of the aerodrome. Taxiways are delineated by blue edge lights, and green centreline lights if required. Runways are delineated by white directional edge lights, with red and green lights at the thresholds. Holding points on taxiways are indicated by red stop bars if required.
Night Operations
At night an aerodrome can be even more confusing than during daytime. Extra care must be taken as hazards will not be so readily apparent in the dark.
Typical Aerodrome Night Operation. (Note: Baggage loading and refuelling in progress.)
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SUMMARY
If you are required to visit an aerodrome and operate on the manoeuvring areas, this booklet should have allowed you to prepare yourself for some of the hazards that may be present, and given some advice on the mitigating measures you might wish to take. In summary, the steps you should take to protect yourself: Find out about the aerodrome you are visiting or working at; learn something about their procedures before you arrive; knowledge will help you to protect yourself. Communicate with the aerodrome operator before you visit. Comply with any instructions they may give. Arrange to have an escort if possible at all times whilst on the aerodrome manoeuvring areas. Take appropriate protective measures; use insect repellent, sunscreen and protective clothing. Take enough bottled water. Whilst on the manoeuvring areas, be aware of your surroundings and the potential hazards and risks.