Issue 4
March 1, 2001
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to the NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service newsletter,
a quarterly summary of the latest NATA Safety 1st news
and education, dedicated to line service staff. Please
make copies available to all line service technicians,
both full and part-time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this Issue of NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service ...
****NATA Safety 1st Program and Other NATA News
****Featured Safety Article...AVOIDING THE DANGERS OF
FUELING AND FIRES
****FAQ --- NATA Safety 1st
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
****NATA Safety 1st Program and Other NATA News
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PROGRAM UPDATES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January has been a particularly busy month for the NATA Safety 1st Program.
NATA staffers were on the road twice promoting the program to different
audiences. The first trip took Ric Peri and Amy Koranda to Tampa during
Superbowl weekend. The second trip took Amy Koranda and Jennifer Sword
to the NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Raytheon Aircraft Services hosted a “corporate hangar” the
day of the Superbowl at Tampa International Airport. The hangar was festively
decorated with superbowl balloons, wonderful food and fun activities for
the corporate pilots. The number of business jets flying in for the event
was incredible. Even more incredible was the way RAS line personnel handled
them!
NATA sponsored the large screen TV so that all the corporate crews could
watch the game. In addition, NATA had a table-top exhibit with program
information on the NATA Safety 1st Program. Ric and Amy talked with many
corporate crewmembers who will be looking for the NATA Safety 1st logo
when line service crews come to greet and handle their aircraft. Our message
to them is NATA puts your Safety first with NATA Safety 1st . Pictures
of the event may be viewed on our website.
Raytheon did an extraordinary job of handling the bizjets. All incoming
traffic taxied to the front parking apron temporarily. Once the engines
were shutdown and passengers shuttled to awaiting limos and buses, Raytheon
line service personnel came in pairs to tug and tow the aircraft to its
final destination. All available ramps, parking areas and a closed runway
were used to accommodate the large number of parked jets. Line Service
personnel would enter the parking spot into a database for easy retrieval
upon departure. It was an awesome task, and Raytheon personnel performed
it with efficiency and a “can do” attitude. Great job Raytheon!
January 30- February 2, 2001 NATA staffers displayed a table-top booth
at the NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference in Nashville at the
Opryland Hotel. Again the message was about assuring line service excellence
with NATA Safety 1st to the more than 1,200 schedulers and dispatchers
in attendance. We encouraged them to consider the safe handling of their
aircraft when scheduling future stops. In addition, we asked them to have
their crews look for the NATA Safety 1st logo on uniforms, window decals
and certificates on the walls of the FBO.
Not only did we talk with the dispatchers, but it was a great time to
network with other exhibitors. We have many more FBOs that have an interest
in joining the program. It was wonderful meeting many of our NATA Safety
1st participants who were in attendance. And a heart-felt thank you to
all of our participants who displayed the NATA Safety 1st counter-cards.
All of you placed them in a prominent spot and were great representatives
of the program.
Many of you should have received the 2001 Acu-Kwik by now. It looks terrific!
Lots of our member companies completed the NATA Safety 1st Program in
time to display the logo in their individual advertisements. It’s
a great way to show others you put their safety first. In addition, it
has prompted other businesses to call and join the program. Once again,
thank you for your extra efforts to promote your participation.
NATA Safety 1st co-sponsors the Safety Spotlight column in Airport Business
for 2001. You will know the column as it features the NATA Safety 1st
logo alongside another sponsor in the industry. We encourage you to read
the articles as they are relevant to line service safety. Please share
the articles with all your line staffers as a continuing education piece.
Please note in the January/February 2001 Airport Business there is an
article relevant to line service. It is written by Thomas Slavin, President
of Million Air - Cleveland (the first NATA Safety 1st participant). The
article is Raising the Safety Bar and discusses the many changes that
have taken place in some of the larger FBOs and those needed in the future.
It begins with an excellent overview on the NATA Safety 1st Program and
its impact on the aviation industry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
SEMINAR NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you know by now, the Line Service Supervisor Training Seminar (LSST)
is a required part of the NATA Safety 1st Program. If you have already
sent someone from your business, please feel free to skip to the next
paragraph. If you have not, it is required that one person from your line
service, usually the supervisor, attend an LSST. And remember, as long
as that person remains with your company, the LSST requirement has been
met for Safety 1st . The next LSST seminars will be March 22 & 23,
2001 in Hartford, CT, April 30 & May 1, 2001 in Long Beach, CA during
the AS3 - Aviation Services and Suppliers Supershow and June 14 &
15, 2001 in Naples, FL. We encourage you to look at our website for seminar
location, hotel recommendation and registration details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NATA CONVENTION NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The NATA 2001 Annual Convention Preliminary Program Brochure was sent
to your offices several weeks ago. If you'd like a copy of your own, please
click on the above link and you can download it.
You can also obtain ground and air transportation information or make hotel reservations. We look forward to seeing you in Long Beach, California from May 1-3, 2001.
NATA will be offering continuing education seminars during the Convention.
In addition to the Line Service Supervisor Training Seminar, you might
be interested in taking our Hiring & Firing Seminar or Excellence
in Customer Service. Take time to register now. These seminars fill-up
quickly!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEMBER NEWS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you know the first Canadian FBO to participate in the NATA Safety
1st Program is Hamilton Jetport?
Did you know the first DOD/Marine Corp facility to participate in the
NATA Safety 1st Program is Marine Corp Air station Camp Pendleton (Trajen
flight Support).
If you think you have something to brag about, drop an email to Amy Koranda
with information and/or pictures for the NATA website.
In the last e-Line, we asked you to share safety information or statistics
about how the NATA Safety 1st Program has impacted your business. Please
keep information coming our way. As indicated, we will share the information
without divulging names.
Here’s something shared by one of our NATA Safety 1st participants---
...HAS OSHA VISITED YOU LATELY?
“One of our line service techs had a fatal accident while on the
job. Even though s/he was not performing a routine line service task,
we felt it necessary to share our misfortune for several reasons. One
is to stress the importance of maintaining training/testing records. When
OSHA came to review our line operations, the NATA Safety 1st records and
certificates were immensely important. The inspectors recognized that
our company placed safety as a high priority. Without these records, the
negative impact on our operations would have been much more significant.”
“The other important lesson that should be stressed is the need
for training. Although training had been conducted, it reinforced the
fact that training is needed on all equipment on the line. We will be
reassessing our equipment and training procedures to make sure all of
our line techs are current on all of our equipment.”
We want to hear from you. Email or send information to Amy Koranda. If
we can learn from the incidents/accidents of others, maybe we can prevent
a future occurrence.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
****Featured Safety Article...AVOIDING THE DANGERS OF
FUELING AND FIRES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As part of this e-Line, we will include an educational
article.
Most of the articles will provide continuing education on issues
of importance to line service. In addition, if you are currently
taking the NATA Safety 1st written and practical exams, these
articles will make great study material. Feel free to copy them
and maintain a book for future reference.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AVOIDING THE DANGERS OF FUELING AND FIRES
By Walter P. Chartrand, Vice President of Hammonds Fuel Additives
Email: Walter Chartrand
Website: http://www.hammondscos.com
<a href="http://www.hammondscos.com">AOL users, click
here</a>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imagine - just imagine -- the following scenario:
The sky is clear and the winds calm. On the flightline, you’re prepared
to receive a frequent customer flying a helicopter. - The pilot is here
to pick-up passengers transferring from the main airline terminal.
Once the passengers arrive, they board the aircraft and the pilot begins
his starting checklist. Once started, the helicopter bursts into flames.
Immediately and frantically, the passengers and pilot pile out to safety.
In a matter of seconds, the helicopter is engulfed in flames. In a few more seconds, all that remains is a pile of molten ash. And it all takes place before your fire extinguishers can even arrive on the scene.
Well, I didn’t have to imagine it. I actually saw this happen with
my own eyes. The year was 1986, but I can recall it as if it were yesterday.
Fortunately for all involved, no one was seriously injured or worse, killed.
However, two things struck me at the time of the incident:
The lightning fast speed at which the fire ignited, raged and was exhausted;
and The suspended disbelief of those around me, resulting in delayed response
to the incident.
Working against each other, these two realities can potentially compound
the problem at hand. The point to be made is that this very real situation
exists day in and day out at airports and FBOs around the country.
Recognizing (and Correcting) Risks
All too often, I find those of us in aviation service businesses take
fire safety far too lightly. We take for granted that if a fire ever occurs
that the fire department will magically appear and solve the problem.
We don’t realize that a fuel-related fire might ignite and die before
the airport or local fire departments could ever get there. From the experience
I mentioned earlier, I can tell you that you don’t want fire safety
during fueling operations to enter your mind for the first time only after
you’ve seen your
facility’s name on an accident report.
Here’s a fire safety factoid for consideration:
Avgas has a flash point of -50 degrees F., and aviation jet fuel has a
flash point of just 100 degrees F. (And here in Texas, 100 degrees F.
is a common occurrence!) Are your fuelers aware of this? Are they prepared
and properly trained if a fire should occur?
Common Ignition Sources
Unintentionally, many of us carry around ignition sources while fueling
- and don’t even realize it. An ignition source can be considered
just about anything that could create a spark if dropped, mishandled or
comes in close contact with a flame. In fact, several common ignition
sources can even be worn as clothing. These include nylon cloths, cigarette
lighters and matches, metal taps on shoes and exposed nails on shoe soles.
Another commonly overlooked ignition source can be found in the plastic
funnel and plastic bucket used in standard fueling operations. These are
excellent generators of static electricity. Metal funnels, on the other
hand, may be used instead of plastic, but they must stay in contact with
the filler opening at all times to avoid creating an arc. (Note: Galvanized
funnels are not recommended because of its effect on the jet fuel itself,
so epoxy or porcelain lined buckets are preferred.)
One misunderstood area is bonding and grounding of an aircraft. Though
grounding is no longer required by law, it remains a sound practice. Bonding,
however, is essential. Consider the reason for this: It can take up to
three minutes for a static charge to dissipate. In order to make a complete
and effective bond, a fueler must attach a tested bonding connection to
an unpainted surface on the aircraft in order to ensure safety.
Many times when flying in to FBOs around the country, a line service professional
is satisfied to connect the bonding wire to my tire rim or the exhaust
stack. Although both are unpainted, they are both insulated from the airframe.
If a designated grounding/bonding point is not available (as on most small
aircraft such as the Cessna 210 that I fly), then I recommend a tie-down.
Strictly forbidden is a fueling dead man device that is jammed or rigged
in the open position, though I’ve seen this frequently. It happens
when a fueler tries to come up with some kind of makeshift contraption
to try to avoid holding a dead man open. This could, however, prove to
be a costly and dangerous mistake. What would happen, for instance, if
a fueler tried this and couldn’t stop the fuel from flowing once
ignited? Most likely, he couldn’t stop the resulting fire.
Still other common ignition sources include hot brakes (either on an aircraft
or ground support service equipment), mufflers and aircraft exhaust, wheels,
engines and exhaust manifolds.
The Author’s Personal Pet Peeve
Here’s something that makes me nuts, and something that I bet you’ve
seen as well: Exposed wires and broken light lenses that go unchecked
for days, weeks and even months. These are terrific ignition sources,
yet get very little attention in my experience. As an industry, we spend
exorbitant amounts of money on explosion-proof electric motors to rewind
hose reels, and pay little attention to replacing a 99 cent light cover
just twelve inches away. Go figure.
Summary
Each year, there are far too many accident and incident reports filled
that illustrate our personnel may not be properly trained in fire safety
procedures. And the only way to ensure proper training is to get it. Federal
Aviation Regulation 139 requires fuel service providers that service aircraft
with 30 or more passengers to have at least one supervisor trained in
aviation fuel handling and fire safety. As an industry, we should agree
to tighten that regulation to cover every warm body that passes through
our care -- passenger, crew and fully trained staff member.
How does your facility measure up?
###
About the Author: Walter Chartrand is an 18 year NATA member, and an instructor
for the NATA Line Service Training course. He can always be found at the
annual NATA Convention and Trade Show.
Walter has been involved professionally with general aviation for the
past 20 years. He managed a corporate jet service center at Houston's
Intercontinental Airport for eleven years, was with Exxon Company USA
as an aviation fuel sales rep, and is currently Vice President and General
Manager for The Hammonds Companies, makers of fluid additive injector
systems and fuel additives. He is an instrument multi-rated pilot. Walter
can be reached at (800) 548-9166.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
****FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) --- NATA Safety 1st
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This section will help you with the paperwork and study
process.
If you have any tips to share, please submit them to us and we
will include them in upcoming e-Lines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The NATA Safety 1st requires retesting in 2 years.
Am I going to have to administer both the written and
practical exams again?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, you will have to administer both the written and the practical exams
when the time comes. (Don’t worry, we will send you a notice when
retesting is due.) We believe the second time you administer the practical
exam it will be easier than the first. Why? As many of you have indicated,
the practical exam has been integrated into your training program. If
not, you might consider doing so when you train your new line service
tech. Take a copy of our practical and follow the steps as you guide your
new line tech through the procedure. It’s not only convenient, but
you have set up a training/testing pattern for future guidance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have visited the NATA website and am having trouble
locating the NATA Safety 1st Program information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click here and we will walk you through the NATA Safety 1st portion of
our website. At this part of the website you will find a Safety 1st Application
link, Safety 1st Participants link, Test Details & Reference link,
an NBAA Standard Service Order Form with the NATA Safety 1st logo link,
Safety 1st Awards link, Safety 1st e-Line Newsletters link (all back issues)
and NBAA News article about Safety 1st link. If you find that you are
listed as a participant but your website is not linked to NATA, please
email Amy Koranda and give her the URL. We want to make sure your site
is linked to ours.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NATA Safety 1st e-Line Service newsletter is distributed quarterly.
We welcome your feedback on this newsletter and any topics you would like
to see discussed. Send articles/email to Amy Koranda.
Thank you for your commitment to line service safety...
keep those ramps safe.