In another edition of the AviationPros Podcast, Jason Sparks, director of field safety at Signature Flight Support, spoke with Ground Support Worldwide editor Josh Smith to discuss the challenges COVID-19 has imposed on ground handling personnel staffing at FBOs and how to safely return employees to work.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many aviation-related businesses, including FBOs, to furlough workers, Sparks notes that steps need to be taken when bringing back ground personnel in order to avoid danger. 

"Depending on the time away on furlough, team members may not have stayed as active, especially depending on the weather," Sparks says. "They may also no longer be familiar with how each piece of equipment operates or about the safety policies in place."

Sparks says it is possible mistakes may happen when employees return, citing missing fuel quality control checks or incorrectly deicing an aircraft as examples.

It is important for FBOs to take precautionary steps when welcoming workers back. Sparks notes each operation should have a team in place dedicated to putting policies into place.

"I would recommend a tiered approach," he says.

If an employee has been out for under 30 days, they should be required to review basic procedures and do some type of assessment before returning to their post. If they have been out for 60 to 90 days, that employee should go through the same process, adding a review of equipment and daily tasks with a sign-off from a supervisor after they've been observed in the field. If the employee has been out for over 90 days, Sparks suggests they be completely re-trained.

Sparks also offers some advice to supervisors. "I believe you need to focus on those team members that did not have a lot of aviation experience before going on furlough," he says. "It's also important to create a team or committee to assess the situation and come up with a game plan that is applicable to that location."

To listen to the full podcast, visit AviationPros.com/21163892