Deicing Dangers
Personal Protection Equipment on the ramp, writes Sara Garity
By Sara GarityBy Joan Bittel>
April 2002
Flying through winter weather requires extra protection from ice and snow. Ground support keeps the aircraft safe with deicing procedures, but what keeps the ground support team safe during the harshest of winter weather?
"The wearing of proper clothing and protective equipment are vital to accident prevention in the work environment," says David Castelveter, spokesperson for U.S. Airways. "Our employees who handle the deicing of our aircraft face real challenges each time they are called upon, especially in the extreme cold."
Cold, windy, and wet weather are just a few of the extreme conditions aircraft ground support teams experience. Protection from the exposure or ingestion of glycol (deicing fluid) to the skin and eyes, as well as staying visible on the ramp are vital for the teams' success. Along with loud, jet engine noise and minimum visibility due to darkness or blowing snow, this constantly fluctuating environment can be potentially dangerous.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as boots, socks, jackets, overalls/coveralls, gloves, vests, along with hearing and sight protection are all necessary for creating a safe and warm work environment while out on the ramp.
"The deicing people wear a 2-piece rainsuit, rubber boots, gloves — more for visibility than for warmth, chemical-type goggles, and hearing protection," says Tom Hendershot of Frontier Airlines at Denver International Airport.
FEET FIRST
Boots are an important commodity for traction, warmth, and chemical protection when out on the ramp. Bata Wolf Pac Boots, distributed through Lab Safety Supply,
are insulated boots to keep feet warm and protected from cold, slush, and ice
to -35 degrees Fahrenheit. The boots are chemical-resistant, with cleated non-slip
soles, steel shank, bellows tongue, and optional heavy, 5-lb. wool liner with
reinforced heel and are available in both men's and women's sizes.
Dunlop Company also offers protective footwear with its DVC Nitrile Boots, which are chemical and oil resistant. They have a slip-resistant sole, steel toe and plate, and are available in red and green for easy viewing in low visibility conditions.
LaCrosse Rainfair offers Extreme Cold Weather Socks, which combine a polypropylene sock liner with an outer sock. "The socks are new for us but have done very well so far. The temperature regulating fibers absorb, retain, and release body heat,"says Tammy Woolrage of LaCrosse-Rainfair Safety Products.
Carol Davis's Web Foots Body Socks® come in three different styles for men and women. These one-piece undergarments are constructed with a cold-weather fleece textile and is hydrophobic, which means it wicks moisture from the skin while repelling outer moisture. They are stretchy and have a generous cut that offers a full range of body motion.
THE OUTER LAYER
GORE-TEX® clothing line, available through Tiger Aviation Distributors, Inc., comes in three different layers. The Protective Outer Layer is waterproof, windproof, and highly breathable to prevent dampness or chilling down. The Insulation layer traps pockets of dead air, slowing the transfer of heat to the outer layer, trapping body heat. The Wicking layer, worn next to the skin, wicks the perspiration away from the body. Jackets, pants, parkas, and bibs are available from GORE-TEX.
Ansell Edmont Industrial, Inc. also offers PPE outerwear. The Sawyer-Tower CPC series, using GORE-TEX fabric, offers exceptional comfort and outstanding chemical splash protection. The lightweight, flexible, snag- and tear-resistant jackets, overalls, coats, and coveralls are stain-repellent and washable.
Reflective vests are available from American Allsafe Company to wear over clothing for visibility on the ramp. Available in day-glo orange, with silver, one-inch reflective stripes, the mesh vests provide elastic side straps, and hook and loop front closure for easy use.
HANDS ON PROTECTION
Cold weather work gloves are available from Kinco International, Inc. The #1927 gloves are made from top grain pigskin, and feature a reflective knuckle strap and orange nylon back for safety and visibility. They feature a heat-keeping
thermal lining for warmth. "The #1927 is considered in the glove industry
to be the most popular thermal lined work glove on the market," says Bruce
Kindler, President of Kinco International, Inc. "We even were able to trademark
register the style number with the U.S. government exactly like Levi Strauss
Co. registered their number "501" for their jeans."
For additional warmth, you may want to look into the Insulator Blue Glove Liner from Ansell Edmont Industrial, Inc. The glove liner wicks moisture away to keep skin dry and comfortable, while the thermal insulation layer keeps in warmth. The liners are shrink-resistant for a better fit, as well as mildew and odor resistant. They can be worn alone or as a liner beneath another glove and are machine washable. Ansell also has a line of protective gloves on the market.
TO PROTECT AND SERVE
Hearing and vision protection is also important when selecting Personal Protective Equipment.
Crews, Inc. offers its new Tremor Protective glasses created with a wrap-around design, gel nosepiece, and temple sleeves. According to Walt Bloodworth of Crews, Inc., "They [Tremor glasses] have been on the market less than 60 days and are doing extremely well. They are one-of-a-kind in the eyewear industry."
Unlike traditional glasses that have fold-in arms, Tremor arms "don't fold in at all," states Bloodworth.
UVEX is another leader in protective eyewear. UVEX offers its line of Astrospec glasses that feature a patented, duo-flex temple, adjustable temple length as well as anti-fog, anti-static, anti-scratch, and anti-UV-coated lenses. UVEX also offers its Stealth goggles with a toric lens system that uses both a horizontal and vertical radius to optimize peripheral vision. They come with easy snap-in lenses for quick replacement, and all lenses are scratch-, static-, and fog-resistant, as well as U.V. protected. Gaps between hard hats, helmets, and other safety headgear are eliminated with the goggle's unique design.
SAFE AND SOUND
When presented with the challenge of ear protection, Aearo, Howard Leight, and Moldex are just a few of the companies that offer top of the line products.
Aearo's new Yellow Neons and Yellow Neon Blast earplugs offer soft, smooth, and high NRR (Noise Reduction Rating). Available in regular and large sizes, the earplugs contain foam that provides low-pressure comfort for any size ear canal. The new plugs are available uncorded or with a breakaway cord.
Aearo also provides three-position earmuffs that can be worn over-the-head, behind-the-head, or under-the-chin. These earmuffs are lightweight and constructed of dielectric plastic for use in tough environments. A belt clip holder is also available.
Howard Leight is the producer of an innovative earmuff product called the Leight Muff. The Leight Muff, powered by ProEars, is the new cap-mounted earmuff with electronic noise reduction. The Muff protects hearing by instantly compressing hazardous noises to a safe and secure level. It fits most slotted hard hats and has independent volume control. Batteries are included.
Along with earplugs and earmuffs, Semi-Aural Hearing protectors should also be considered when selecting hearing protection. Moldex offers the Jazz Band, a comfortable alternative to muffs. The Jazz Band has an optional breakaway neck cord, which allows it to conveniently hang around the neck while not in use. "Customers think it [Jazz Band] is great. It can be used intermittently, and they just love the way it fits around their neck," says Jeffrey Birkner, V.P. of Technical Services at Moldex. The Jazz Band won't interfere with safety classes or other safety equipment.
BE PREPARED
Whether you're in the skies or on the ground, when it comes to cold weather,
everyone must be prepared. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is necessary
in creating a safe working environment for the ground support team. They will
perform better on the ramp, and it will enable them to get the aircraft safely
in the air during those blustery, winter months.
