Missing the point
You all seem to have forgotten the Crossair Captain struck and killed by a vehicle at Manchester while doing his walkround check in the dark. I think that was the trigger for Hi Viz on the apron.
However, I was having my car fixed on the hard shoulder by the RAC a few years back. The guy put on his Hi Viz. He told me that if he is wearing the Hi Viz and gets killed while doing his job his family gets an additional insurance payment. The jacket will not save his life. It might reduce the risk. But he wears it because it is his family's interest for him to wear it.
Now look at aviation. I was doing jump seat flights a few years back. I boarded with the pax and did a few sectors. When we finished I was on board with the crew, pax all gone. How do I now get back to the terminal with no Hi Viz. We could radio for someone to bring a jacket out or the crew could form a cordon around me and we could pray that we don't get seen. Small regional airport. Only room for 4 aircraft. We went for Plan A. No aircraft movements, no ramp activity, 3pm on a sunny day but the Captain wasn't prepared to risk it. This is the wrong approach to developing a 'safety culture' - The RAC used the carrot method, we use the stick.
Last edited by turbocharged; 6th Mar 2010 at 19:35.