Ramp Vehicle Safety Inspection Systems
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Ramp Vehicle Safety Inspection Systems
Hi All,
Having recently started driving airside after being a professional Large Goods Vehicle owner/driver for many years, I am quite concerned about the condition of many of the large vehicles I see driving about the apron areas.
Can anyone tell me if there is an airport industry standard for airside vehicle safety inspections, or what inspection regimes operating companies tend to use?
I was used to getting my 24 tonne tipper inspected in a workshop every 4 to 13 weeks, depending on the type of work I was doing with it. I needed to do this to keep my operators license. From what I can tell, there does not seem to be anything similar for airside vehicles.
I would have thought that aircraft tugs and the like would be regularly inspected, since they could do a lot of damage if things go wrong. Speaking to a few of the drivers, no one seems to know anything about their regular safety inspection regimes to maintain their vehicles roadworthiness. It may however be that I've just asked the wrong drivers.
Having recently started driving airside after being a professional Large Goods Vehicle owner/driver for many years, I am quite concerned about the condition of many of the large vehicles I see driving about the apron areas.
Can anyone tell me if there is an airport industry standard for airside vehicle safety inspections, or what inspection regimes operating companies tend to use?
I was used to getting my 24 tonne tipper inspected in a workshop every 4 to 13 weeks, depending on the type of work I was doing with it. I needed to do this to keep my operators license. From what I can tell, there does not seem to be anything similar for airside vehicles.
I would have thought that aircraft tugs and the like would be regularly inspected, since they could do a lot of damage if things go wrong. Speaking to a few of the drivers, no one seems to know anything about their regular safety inspection regimes to maintain their vehicles roadworthiness. It may however be that I've just asked the wrong drivers.
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In the UK the controls on vehicles that stay airside are often very limited and are largely left to individual airports to manage.
A couple of starting points are CAP 642 published by the CAA (but written jointly by a number of organisations including the HSE) and the AOA who produce some material about airside driving (although I think it's more about driving procedures than vehicle standards).
A couple of starting points are CAP 642 published by the CAA (but written jointly by a number of organisations including the HSE) and the AOA who produce some material about airside driving (although I think it's more about driving procedures than vehicle standards).
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"... tell me if ... industry standard for airside vehicle safety ..."
Another complicating factor (about which I'm still uncertain) is the switch of the investigating "authority": OSHA, FAA, Safety Board?
In the USA, I've listened to employee group rep (union) explain about a ramp mishap (no intention of flight), where the investigation was done by an OSHA employee. This is a new world for us, because most airline investigators have never worked with this labor-safety organization.
Another complicating factor (about which I'm still uncertain) is the switch of the investigating "authority": OSHA, FAA, Safety Board?
In the USA, I've listened to employee group rep (union) explain about a ramp mishap (no intention of flight), where the investigation was done by an OSHA employee. This is a new world for us, because most airline investigators have never worked with this labor-safety organization.
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I have seen a perfect 4 year old car over the space of 2 weeks be turned into something that looks like its been in a banger race. And I always thought service air bought them in that condition.
I have been given a lift across the apron in cars that have had the engine mounts gone, big ends gone and wheel bearings growling like a bear and suspect brakes.
As for the big stuff I have only once seen something be pulled from service and that was only because one of the Pilots had a word with the ramp cop and explained what a deseil runaway was and shutting an engine down using a pair of mole grips on the fuel line wasn't really on.
I have been given a lift across the apron in cars that have had the engine mounts gone, big ends gone and wheel bearings growling like a bear and suspect brakes.
As for the big stuff I have only once seen something be pulled from service and that was only because one of the Pilots had a word with the ramp cop and explained what a deseil runaway was and shutting an engine down using a pair of mole grips on the fuel line wasn't really on.
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QA Question.
Thanks very much for your responses.
I’ve been looking at the information suggested and trying to understand my new working environment a little better. I must say that it's not quite what I was expecting.
From the sources suggested, general observations and discussions, it looks like the airport vehicle operating environment is relatively lightly regulated and subject to local variation or interpretation.
With ground services provision to airlines also being be a very competitive market, it also appears vehicle maintenance and operating practices may easily be affected by the unknowing, unwilling or unscrupulous.
I’m by no means asserting that this is the case, just commenting that it could be, without the customer insisting on good quality assurance measures before awarding contracts and monitoring quality during a contract period.
So my QA question is:
How do the airlines measure and monitor ground services providers driver safety performance and vehicle maintenance safety performance?
I am aware that both cost and operational performance are monitored by the airlines, as bag delivery times and efficiency are mentioned frequently. I don’t however hear anything about quality measures such as percentage of loads shed, number of driving offences or maintenance problems identified however.
Would you really want to use a removals firm who delivered your worldly goods on time and at a good price, but you found out later they dropped half your goods all over the highway, managed to reload it and then sped the rest of the way to deliver on time the last time you used them?
I’ve been looking at the information suggested and trying to understand my new working environment a little better. I must say that it's not quite what I was expecting.
From the sources suggested, general observations and discussions, it looks like the airport vehicle operating environment is relatively lightly regulated and subject to local variation or interpretation.
With ground services provision to airlines also being be a very competitive market, it also appears vehicle maintenance and operating practices may easily be affected by the unknowing, unwilling or unscrupulous.
I’m by no means asserting that this is the case, just commenting that it could be, without the customer insisting on good quality assurance measures before awarding contracts and monitoring quality during a contract period.
So my QA question is:
How do the airlines measure and monitor ground services providers driver safety performance and vehicle maintenance safety performance?
I am aware that both cost and operational performance are monitored by the airlines, as bag delivery times and efficiency are mentioned frequently. I don’t however hear anything about quality measures such as percentage of loads shed, number of driving offences or maintenance problems identified however.
Would you really want to use a removals firm who delivered your worldly goods on time and at a good price, but you found out later they dropped half your goods all over the highway, managed to reload it and then sped the rest of the way to deliver on time the last time you used them?
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I am aware that both cost and operational performance are monitored by the airlines, as bag delivery times and efficiency are mentioned frequently. I don’t however hear anything about quality measures such as percentage of loads shed, number of driving offences or maintenance problems identified however.
General airside driving discipline is also in the hands of BAA's Airfield ops dept. Patrols are carried out ('Yellow Perils', they're called to Heathrow) and of course all incidents and accidents are attended by the same department. Any transgressors are issued with a ticket and penalty points awarded, usually 3 for such offences as driving across a stand instead of using the airside road or speeding, 6 or more for more serious offences. A tarrif is published. 12 points and you get your permit removed, effectively meaning you can't work airside. A permit can be removed on the spot if the offence is deemed serious enough.
All this sounds great but it requires a) staff to carry out the function and b) motivation/supervision of the staff to make sure it happens. Personal monthly targets for issuance of tickets is NOT the way forward!
One problem area is specialist equipment such as hi-loaders and mobile conveyors, steps etc. Much of this equipment is quite old andf this means it's more prone to breakdown. 2 companies at LGW have made major investment in new kit in the past couple of years, making a big improvement. Another initiative is fitting each vehicle with a comprehensive tracking system and driver ID record, making its use much more accountable.
One of my hobby-horses when I was at LGW was dropped bags. Partly this was due to the design of the equipment, which is exactly the same as kit used world-wide, which makes it easy for bags to fall off flat-bed trucks or trailers. I always put myself in the position of the person whose bag had just been dropped and could sometimes spend a disproportionate amount of my time as a manager picking up bags. Ideally one would chase after the perpetrator and make them re-pack their load but often the driver wasn't the person who loaded the trailer. Fully enclosed trucks is one answer but it would significantly increase the effort and time (and therefore money)involved in the movement of bags.
I always felt that the charter airlines especially really didn't care about their pax once they had left the aircraft inbound to LGW.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
TheOddOne
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What's the speed limit on the ramp again?
Driving on the manoeuvring area: Tips & Tricks Here
Just to lighten up the thread thought the above link would entertain. I spilt my coffee all over the keyboard when I first had a look. Quality Assured.
Just to lighten up the thread thought the above link would entertain. I spilt my coffee all over the keyboard when I first had a look. Quality Assured.
Last edited by Negative Backtrack; 13th Apr 2008 at 08:34.
