September 2003
September 2003 Keeping ground support workers safe is a top priority, but what happens if an emergency occurs? Are you prepared? Keeping your company safe is about having a plan in place and being ready, writes Alicia Hammond
No matter how closely rules and regulations are
followed, accidents and emergency situations are bound to happen to workers
on the ramp. The best way to deal with this type of situation is to be prepared.
This idea may sound obvious but, according to Arizona-based MedAire's CEO and
former flight nurse Joan Sullivan Garrett, having a practiced, constantly updated,
well-communicated plan is your best chance of efficiently taking care of an
emergency and possibly saving a life.
"First aid is not always a part of training, but it is extremely important
that everyone understands what to do when an emergency happens. It is not good
enough to have an accident and then kind of create it as you go," Garrett
says.
There is no standard plan for emergencies, all airports are different and devise
their own plans based on their surroundings, capabilities, and resources. What
is right for a large international airport may not be right for a smaller regional
airports.
Another problem concerns who is responsible for training and devising a plan.
The FAA is responsible for aircraft operations and the activities that occur
on the runway, however, when you are talking about workplace safety OSHA is
usually the regulator.
"It is not only confusing to the industry at large, I think it is very
confusing when it gets down to the individual worker," says Garrett. "There
are emergency practices or emergency responses, but most of these are for an
aircraft accidents and injuries involved in that event. When it comes to workplace
safety and ramp handlers, the wing walkers, and the people servicing the aircraft,
that is where it comes under either the airport or the company itself, of whether
they have an emergency response plan."
Following OSHA's rules means the employer is responsible for supplying an emergency
plan and making sure workers understand that plan. Many workers simply assume
that a plan is set up in case of an emergency.
"I don't think employers at airports or other companies deliberately overlook
this. I think that it is believed that there are resources in place at airports
and that if you call the emergency numbers then XYZ will happen. I think that
assumption is not always played out in time," Garrett says.
While many larger international airports do have emergency plans set in place,
many smaller regional airports do not. In larger airports there is usually on-airport
emergency response capabilities in the form of a fire department specifically
for that airport. However, smaller airports do not have such a luxury and often
have to rely upon a local emergency response center, which may not be as efficient
or knowledgeable about the airport property.
"I would venture to say that a [system] is not usually in place,"
offers Garrett. "I don't think we have gone to the next level of work safety
when it comes to having AEDs [Automated External Defibrillators] available and
having the staff trained to know where they are, how to operate them, and if
somebody has a heart attack on the runway in or around the airport property,
are they really prepared?"
To make sure that you have a safe and efficient plan in place it is best to
look at it and see if it is practical, see if people understand it, and see
if it works. Garrett says a plan needs to be broken down. You must consider
the possibilities of potential accidents and emergency situations.
She recommends looking at what types of activities are performed at the airport,
what do the employees do, and what types of services are performed. Also, look
back and see what has gone wrong in the past and what was done in response.
"In my mind you can't have a blanket checklist of what every airport should
have in place. Now how that plan is grilled down to the individuals that work
at that airport and who they work for it is the responsibility of their employers
to make sure the two are coordinated," Garrett says.
Garrett created MedAire because she saw a lack of proper safety in the aviation
world on many levels. Now MedAire helps many companies provide a safe working
environment for its employees through education, safety equipment, and designing
individual emergency plans as well as many other activities.
"We're very focused on processes, procedures, and planning," Garrett
says.
After a plan is created, it is important to practice and keep it current. Continuing
to talk about the plan is key to keeping it fresh and employees well versed
on it.
"Ongoing education is also very important, it is not just about having
a plan on the shelf but about revisiting it, revisiting it, revisiting it, and
updating and upgrading and really doing good cause analysis when an emergency
occurs. Never assume. Make sure employees understand the airport plan but also
how the plan impacts them," she says.
Although most employees and employers would like to skip accidents all together,
this is a reality for all who work on the ramp. Keeping safe is very important
but when something happens it is best to be prepared and ready to act.
"Injuries happen. We train to keep them from happening, but people are
people, mistakes happen and injuries occur," Garrett says. "Our priority
should be to save lives and to be able to understand who is going to do what."
Resources
MedAire
80 East Rio Salado Parkway, Suite 610
Tempe, AZ 85281
www.medaire.com
480-333-3700
