jul-aug2012

64
FEATURE
Hazard ID
continued from page 28
The following scenario illustrates a day in the life of City Air,
a fictitious airline.
City Air has recently rolled out the latest version of its SMS
course to operational staff. The course included a module
on hazard identification: what hazards are, how to identify
them, and how and when to report them. It also talked about
the risk assessment process the airline followed and its
feedback process to those who submitted the hazard incident
report. All these are crucial for supporting the safety culture
of the organisation and improving staff engagement with, and
commitment to, the safety reporting system.
As you read through the scenario note down your thoughts,
identify the hazards and help staff improve safety at City Air.
In the next issue of Flight Safety Australia we will follow up on
any reader feedback. The following questions could assist you:
What are the hazards in the scenario?
Should they be reported and why?
Will they assist in improving safety at City Air?
Scenario
Note: The characters and airline in the story are fictional.
The stories have been compiled from data and experiences
from different situations, airlines and countries, and are not
a reflection of any particular airline.
At check-in
Tuesday morning appears to be a regular working day for
ground staff at the City Airport. Check-in opens on time and
passengers are ready to check in or drop their bags off.
At counter one, passenger Sarah presents her cabin bag to the
agent. It appears to be larger than the size accepted as cabin
baggage. The check-in agent asks Sarah to put the bag in the
cabin baggage test unit next to the counter, but then realises
there is no test unit nearby. Sarah refuses to check the bag in
and leaves for the boarding gate.
At counter four, the check-in agent hears that passenger Gary
is going camping and has a small gas burner in his cabin
baggage. The check-in agent tells Gary he is unable to take the
burner on board, or pack it in his checked-in luggage, because
it is a dangerous goods item.
While Dianne checks in at counter four she is talking to her
travel companion and mentions the quality of the bathroom
cleaner she has packed, which will easily remove the stains
on the tiles of her beach house. The agent overhears the
conversation and explains to the passengers that cleaning
agents are considered dangerous goods and Dianne will not
be able to check in her bag until she has removed the cleaner
from it.
At counter two, 11-year-old Patrick and his little sister Jane
(five years old) have just turned up on their own. They explain
that their grandmother is parking the car and will be in the
terminal shortly, but they are flying back home without her.
When the check-in agent looks up the children’s details
on the computer, he notices that they are not identified as
‘unaccompanied minors’ in the reservations system.
At the gate
At gate one, Anna approaches the gate agent and asks if
she can change her seat allocation. The seat she has been
allocated is in the emergency exit row and she thinks it will
not recline. The agent makes the change, expecting the seat
to be filled by another passenger because check-in is open
for another 15 minutes.
Boarding has commenced at gate three. The agent at the
gate notices passenger Robert carrying what appears to be
a small suitcase with a cover. When the agent sees Robert’s
boarding pass she notices that he has used web check-in
and decided to ask him if he is carrying anything particular
in the suitcase. Robert explains that it is an oxygen cylinder
he carries because of a respiratory condition. The agent asks
Robert to show her the oxygen cylinder, and also if she can
see a medical certificate permitting him to travel on an aircraft.
She notices that the oxygen bottle is a brand listed in the
dangerous goods manual, but after seeing Robert’s medical
certificate allows him to board the aircraft. However, the gate
agent then realises she has never actually seen an oxygen
bottle that could be transported as cabin baggage.
On the tarmac
While a City Air staff member is marshalling passengers onto
an aircraft via the tarmac she notices a teenage passenger
using her mobile phone. When the staff member approaches
her, passenger Victoria explains she was texting her mother to
tell her that the flight was about to depart. Victoria also says
that because she was using earphones, she had not heard the
boarding announcement at the gate telling passengers to turn
off mobile phones before walking on to the tarmac. Victoria
turns her mobile phone off and boards the aircraft.
At bay 6, ramp staff are handling an aircraft that is due to
depart in 35 minutes. One of the tug drivers drops off two
barrows at bay 6, on his way to the baggage room. As he
approaches the taxiway crossing, he receives a radio call.
He answers it and talks for what seems to be about 30
seconds, taking his eyes off the road. After the conversation
he lifts his head and sees an aircraft taxiing in front of his tug.