Ramp safety risks associated with extreme weather phenomena need to be thoroughly scrutinized as part of the safety management system (SMS) of an aircraft ground handling company.
Recently, technological solutions – including the use of software – have become important in helping to manage weather-related and other safety risks on the ramp.
According to Libor Kurzweil, director of quality, safety, and process management at Prague Airport, the frequency of adverse weather conditions are taking place more often, and at the same time the intensity of meteorological events is increasing. Storms can be stronger, wind speeds and gusts can be more intense, and precipitation can be fast and abundant.
“That is why nowadays the weather therefore represents a separate danger. Therefore, for each planned change at the airport, we evaluate and describe how aviation safety will withstand fog, intense rain or strong winds,” he says. “According to the best practices we share amongst European airports, the risks of adverse weather conditions have been taken seriously and airports actively intervene to mitigate them; monitoring the situation and distributing alerts to employees and partner companies is de facto an industry standard.”
The risk assessment of ramp safety due to severe weather is crucial to ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment at an airport or any facility with ramps, affirms Dmitrij Kostojanskij, safety manager at Baltic Ground Services (BGS).
“During a risk assessment for severe weather, several significant hazards or challenges may arise. That includes the safety of personnel, aircraft operations, slippery surfaces, lightning strikes, wind gusts, visibility issues, flooding, debris and projectiles, communication breakdowns and even an economic impact,” he says. “Failing to adequately address such can lead to various consequences, such as safety incidents, aircraft, equipment or infrastructure damage, heavy flight delays and cancellations, operational disruptions and even financial or reputational losses.”
In ramp safety risk assessment, the first step is the identification of risks associated with adverse weather types and conditions, which include slippery surface – caused by sand, snow, ice, water, deicing fluid, etc. – extreme cold, extreme heat, low visibility due to fog, rain or sandstorms, lightning storms and high wind, according to David Storey, vice president for health and safety at dnata.
“This is then followed by addressing questions such as ‘How are the people and the equipment impacted based on the condition?’, ‘What physical controls can be implemented?’, ‘What administrative controls can be implemented?’” he says.
Thunderstorms and lightning are among the many different severe weather phenomena which can impact ramp safety, observes Aleksis Kajava, Vaisala sales director of weather and environment for Europe and Latin America.
“According to safety protocols, ramp operations may have to be interrupted during storms to ensure personnel safety and aircraft protection. With regard to low visibility, from aircraft movement to ground crew safety, visibility concerns make ramp operations more challenging,” he says. “In addition, when the ramp pavement is slippery, the risk of aircraft accidents and ground crew slips, falls and injuries increase, and, in case of strong winds and wind gusts, aircraft stability during ground operations is crucial, especially when taxiing to and from gates.”
According to Alan Glen, senior vice president of group risk at Menzies Aviation, bad weather indeed represents a serious danger to the safety of the ramp.
“Therefore, it must be ensured that all Menzies operations, in accordance with the ground operations manual (GOM) and safety management system (SMS), have local severe weather plans (LSWP),” he says. “These are built and designed around each airport we operate in, and the unique environmental weather conditions they are most likely to experience.”
The LSWP is activated once the station has been alerted or informed that severe weather may impact the safety of the airport and its ground operations, explains Glen.
“It is then the duty of Menzies station managers to ensure that their duty of care extends to ensuring that all active team members are warned of approaching severe weather conditions and, if necessary, can be withdrawn from exposed areas and operational activities,” he says. “Depending on the type of bad weather, a regular dialogue is maintained both internally and with key stakeholders from airport authorities and local airline teams.”
New Solutions
One of the additional benefits is the implementation of an airport community app, according to Glen.
“Unfortunately, only a few airports use these tools, as they offer improved levels of communication and information sharing between all stakeholders. Recent positive examples can be seen at Copenhagen Airport (CPH), London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW),” he says. “By using messaging apps, information from airport authorities is transmitted in a timelier manner, allowing our employees to review and act upon it. Not only does it facilitate a more coordinated and timely approach, but it helps always maintain a safe environment on the ramp at all times.”
Robust procedures must be in place for the anchoring of light aircraft and light objects in strong winds, as well as the protection of employees and the immediate cessation of handling activities when a storm approaches, says Kurzweil.
“At Prague Airport we have internally developed a new app available to employees, which not only provides weather warnings, but goes a step further and advises which parts of the infrastructure will be affected and how. Staff then see that, for example, the passenger boarding bridges are no longer operational,” he explains.
According to Kostojanskij, several solutions and technologies have emerged in recent times to help manage ramp safety risks related to severe weather.
“These innovations aim to enhance safety, improve operational efficiency, and mitigate the impact of severe weather on airport and airline operations. Some of these solutions include advanced weather forecasting and monitoring, automated weather alerts, lightning detection systems, and automated deicing and anti-icing systems,” he says. “Worthy of mention are also high-intensity runway and taxiway lighting, weather-resistant equipment and infrastructure, weather data integration, remote sensing and monitoring, training and simulation tools, robotic and autonomous equipment and weather risk management software.”
Modern remote sensing systems can efficiently monitor the local environment and alert airports – including ramp operations decision-makers – of bad weather nearby, affirms Kajava.
“Equipment like Vaisala’s X-Band Weather Radar, WindCube Scan scanning wind lidar, forward scatter sensors, dual polarization ceilometers and lightning sensors/data feed subscriptions, can all be used to enhance the nowcasting or short-term weather forecasting of such weather phenomena to help safety planning of ramp operations,” he says.
The latest technological solutions, often combined with proactive planning, training and collaboration, contribute to safer and more efficient ramp operations during severe weather conditions, affirms Kostojanskij.
“Airports and airlines need to stay updated with the latest advancements and best practices in ramp safety management to continuously improve their severe weather preparedness and response capabilities,” he says.
Use of Software
Currently, a number of communication methods are used to assess potential severe weather conditions, both directly and indirectly through systems such as the airport community app, explains Glen.
“All operational control rooms have access to a variety of instruments, including but not limited to internal weather forecasts, National Weather Service alerts, local television and radio broadcasts, pilot reports, airport tower observations and local sensing devices,” he says.
In dnata’s locations there are weather warnings from the airport including sirens for the ramp, and shelters to protect from storms and lightning.
“However, we can also use our new staff communication screens, recently installed within our stations around the world, to localize content based on weather forecasts and alerts,” says Storey.
Airports should prepare a holistic severe weather safety assessment plan that monitors and forecasts conditions, assesses the risk associated with specific weather conditions and triggers alerts and automated response procedures, according to Kajava.
“Software like Vaisala IRIS Focus seamlessly blends modern software and remote sensing technologies to provide valuable insights in one place, enabling airport meteorologists and forecasters and their stakeholders (air traffic controllers and airport decision makers) to make quick and informed decisions,” he says.
According to Kostojanskij, weather risk management software is particularly useful for the aviation industry, where weather has a significant impact on operations, safety and decision-making, enabling organizations to manage and mitigate weather-related risks, make decisions based on data and optimize activities.
“Additionally, software plays a multi-faceted role in ramp safety by providing the tools and systems needed to effectively monitor, evaluate, plan and manage ground operations,” he says. “By integrating data, communication and decision support, the software helps create a safer and more efficient on-ramp environment, helping to prevent accidents and incidents in adverse weather conditions.”
Looking to the future, digitalization is facilitating a “one-stop shop” application which provides a multi-purpose function and represents a key area for future investment, according to Glen.
“Accessing and distributing real-time data from multiple sources would drive efficiency in our decision-making process. Using intelligent and accurate data, we can make informed decisions, improving safety across the airfield,” he says.
Operations Design
dnata’s global ground and cargo handling staff follow detailed operational manuals, which are aligned with IATA standards and best practice, affirms Storey.
“These are the dnata Ground Operations Manual (dGOM), and dnata Cargo Operations Manual (dCOM). In dGOM, adverse weather is covered which details most situations. This cascades into the training material for all staff in airside safety as well as specifically to ramp team leaders from an oversight/awareness for the team. dCOM also includes adverse weather,” he says.
It is important to design operations to account for weather condition-related ramp safety risks. According to Kostojanskij, adverse weather conditions require a comprehensive approach that considers both preventative measures and response strategies.
“It is important to identify the risks and frequency of adverse weather conditions, and to develop specific procedures for adverse weather scenarios,” he says.
As part of operations design, it is also important to use advanced systems for real-time weather monitoring, emphasizes Kostojanskij.
“Personnel and equipment should be efficiently deployed based on weather conditions. Organizations should also establish clear procedures for evacuation and shelters and ensure that vehicles and equipment are weather-appropriate,” he says. “It is necessary to establish reliable and redundant communication channels, conduct regular exercises to prepare personnel for severe weather incidents, monitor weather conditions in real time, adapt operations and, of course, collect and analyze data for improvement.”
