Secure ATE systems

[delivery_boy]

Recently there was a potentially disastrous Radar Display outage at BOH. A member of the airport IT department was given info on what he could and could not do. He proceeded to carry out his work but lost his way within the power cabling and managed to take out the radar display processing system. :eek:

I feel procedures need to be tightened up here at BOH, I know we are not the busiest airport around but there is enough traffic to warrant a great deal of caution. After all, lives are been put at risk.:=

Ultimately the ATE systems should be totally separate from the IT systems. Where there are networks within these rooms they should be the responsibly of the Air Traffic Engineering Department.

I’m sure other ATC units have or had the same problems. I would be interested in hearing from other units on their thoughts on this issue.:)

[Chilli Monster]

How did that one get through an SRG safety audit?

Radar displays are ATE, nothing to do with IT. Nothing IT is responsible for should interract with radar or any other piece of safety critical ATC equipment and vice versa. That's certainly the case where I work.

Maybe as a unit you should be looking at what interracts with what and changing a few things fairly rapidly.

[vintage ATCO]

What is written in your Safety Management System? You do have a Safety Management System, don't you? :uhoh:

[delivery_boy]

The SRG inspector has never picked up on this type of issue. Have you any IT networking equipment that co-exists within your ATE equipment rooms? Other airports I’ve worked at we have been responsible for any networking equipment within those rooms. Where IT have been involved it has always been someone who is competent and understands the nature of safety regulated equipments.!!!
As regard to getting procedures changed: We have highlighted these issues and the senior management don’t see a problem!!:ugh:

[delivery_boy]

Yes there is a safety management system, but this chap from IT is held in such high regard by senior management…He walks on water despite being incompetent.:sad:

[niknak]

"The SRG inspector has never picked up on this type of issue" - that I find hard to believe, SRG will go balls out to make things work for a unit and I suspect that the "issue" has been discussed at length along with a requirement on the SRG report to have it resolved by a ceratin date, but you may not be privy to that information.
As part of your SMS you are required to have an internal reporting system, very similar to the MOR procedure, it allows you to flag up defficiancies ASAP without going through the CAA, consequently, Unit Management are required to respond to you with the action they propose to take. If you aren't happy with that, you can file an MOR, which, regardless of what local procedures may say, you are obliged to do if you are aware of a safety issue which is not being resolved.
Additionally, you can always file a report to CHIRP.

[MrJones]

He proceeded to carry out his work but lost his way within the power cabling and managed to take out the radar display processing system.


All cabling should be clearly labelled and Operational power supplies should be separate from Domestic powers supplies.

If an Engineering Dept can't do that then you need a new one.

[Spitoon]

Yes there is a safety management system, but this chap from IT is held in such high regard by senior management…He walks on water despite being incompetentI'm not sure that I see the connection.

If you have a SMS, did the IT chappie follow the procedures? If not, it really doesn't matter how highly regarded he is, one would hope the that the man from the CAA will have a very one-way chat with the ATC unit management when they read your MOR. You have filed an MOR, haven't you? A quiet word to your inspector to indicate that it's not being taken seriously at local level may not go amiss either.

If the IT chappie followed all of the SMS procedures I think you've identified a weak point in your SMS that needs to be addressed.