ISSUE 4 October 2010

Plane & Simple

Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) FamiliarisationOn Tuesday 12 October 2010 Darwin

International Airport (DIA) Operations

conducted a familiarisation exercise

for airport stakeholders that would be

involved in an AEP response.

Participants from Qantas Airways, Aero-

Care Flight Support, Australian Red

Cross, Customs & Border Protection,

Immigration & Citizenship and DIA were

transported to the Aviation Rescue &

Firefighting drill ground. They were

briefed by a member of RAAF’s 44 Wing

Air Traffic Control on procedures for an

aircraft emergency or crash on airport.

A fire in the mock-up aircraft at the

drill ground was ignited and the group

treated to a full Aviation Rescue Fire

Fighting response. Three Airservices

Australia Rosenbauer Panther fire trucks

turned out and extinguished the blaze

firstly with the roof mounted monitor then

with hand held branch lines. Breathing

apparatus was used by the firefighters

to rescue ‘passengers’ from the smoke

filled cabin.

DIA Operations explained how the

Incident Control Point would be

established and Australian Federal

Police how command, control and co-

ordination would continue.

The group then returned to the Terminal

where the Passenger and Relative

Reception Areas are designated in

International Arrivals and Departures.

Alternative options were inspected.

Australian Red Cross discussed how the

National Registration & Enquiry System

(NRIS) operated and Qantas on their

airline Passenger Registration.

This familiarisation exercise enabled

a variety of airport personnel to view

a number of elements of the AEP and

therefore improve the understanding

and response to an actual incident. DIA

intends to stage future similar events.

Main photo: Craig Cousins, Station Commander, Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) Service Darwin briefs the AEP Famil participants on the role of the ARFF.

Inset: Bob Calaby, DIA Aerodrome and Safety Standards Manager explains the operation of the Airport Co-ordinations Centre.

2 Plane & Simple ISSUE 4 October 2010

The Office of Transport Security will

be undertaking a Security Audit at DIA

during the month of November.

We would like to take this opportunity

to remind all airport tenants and those

operating within the secure areas at DIA

to ensure they are vigilant when it comes

to security.

We ask that all rules are adhered to and

security regimes are followed, including:

•Correctidentificationdisplay(ASICsorescortedVICholders)

•Gatemaintenanceandchecks

•Fencelinesclearofobjects/vehicles(3mLandside/2mAirside)

Emergency Evacuation Excerise at Cobham In case other operators noticed smoke

billowing out of the Cobham hangars

the other week, it was because

we conducted our first emergency

evacuation of the facility.

After the successful installation of a new

detection and monitoring system it was

all that we could do to not push the

button just to see what happened. As

it was yet to be connected live with an

outside emergency service, little other

than staff awareness would have been

incurred.

The Airport firies loaned us an industrial

smoke machine, more than up to the

task for our use and practice. As per the

Australian Standard AS 3744-2002 it is

required that all occupants accept and

participate in emergency evacuation

exercises. The aim of this exercise was

to provide all building occupants with an

understanding of:

• What type of Emergency Situations

require a building evacuation

• What the Emergency Control

Organisation (ECO) is

• What the Building Occupants

Emergency Response Action Plan will be

• General Roles & Responsibilities of

each ECO position, including:

– Building Occupants

– Chief Warden

– Communications Officer

– Building Warden

During an emergency all building

occupants are to comply with the

instructions given by Emergency Control

Organisation (ECO) Members. The

primary role of the ECO is to ensure that

life safety takes precedence over asset

protection.

The evacuation took place within just

under four minutes, an impressive result

for our first attempt and 23 staff on site.

The emergency warning came through

in three different languages part of which

sounded like “Heimlich”. Although that

has since been rectified, our Heimlich

maneuver as it was referred to as the

call sign on our two way radios, was a

resounding success. Several other faults

were discovered in the practice of the

evacuation all of which are the objective

for carrying one of them out.

All of our staff here at Cobham would

like to thanks the Airport Firies for their

rapid response and participation in our

exercise and hoped it provided them

with added information for their PREP

(Prepared Response Emergency Plan).

This is one just of the lesser known

initiatives these tremendous fellows

provide to this airport and its residents

– Christopher A. Oram

Cobham Aviation Services Australia.

Upcoming Security Audit

3

Enhanced Inspection

The progress of enhanced inspection

has been communicated to all for

well over 18 months, however, we

are now at a stage where designs

have been approved and works are

commencing. The project is due for

completion in March 2011.

Essentially, the main RPT apron will be

fenced in and all persons and vehicles

will require inspection before entering.

There will be two airside inspection

points; one at the western end of the

apron and one at the eastern end.

These inspection points will be staffed

24/7 by security staff. The eastern point

will cater for pedestrian and vehicle

traffic, the western point will cater for

vehicle traffic only.

Gate Kilo (the current access point to

the eastern end of the apron) will revert

to emergency vehicles only.

All traffic currently using this gate will be

diverted to a new access/egress point

at Gate L (Lima), which is adjacent to

Australian Air Express.

Some amendments to exempt certain

staff and vehicles from having to pass

through the inspection points are

currently being pursued by the Office

of Transport Security, however, it is

expected that the majority of traffic

entering the main apron will be required

to undertake the following:

• Exit their vehicles when instructed

• Undergo inspection of themselves

and ASICs/VICs

• Visual inspection of the vehicle and

contents

Please be aware, that if any of your

staff have not undergone DIA’s security

induction, access control will not be

granted to allow access through the

inspection points until this has taken

place (please call 8920 1805 to book an

induction).

In addition, access will only be granted

on a strict needs basis. A transition

period will be communicated in the

coming months to allow for any staff in

this situation.

Photos pages 2 & 3:

Left top: Cobham tested their emergency evacuation procedures with some help from a smoke machine.

Far left: Make sure your correct identification is clearly visible.

Above: Eastern and Western Enhanced Inspection Points.

Left: Beware of the 3m/2m fence line rule.

John Achterberg, DIA Operations Officer (Safety One), monitors an aircraft turnaround.

For more information or should you have a safety initiative that you would like to share please contact, Darwin International Airport

Jill Holdsworth | Health Safety Environment Manager

T 8920 1820 | E jill.holdsworth@ntairports.com.au

Bob Calaby | Aerodrome Safety and Standards Manager

T 8920 1851 | E bob.calaby@ntairports.com.au

At Darwin Airport, the Airport Operations Officer (radio call sign ‘Safety One’) is our key position for the safety of airfield operations. Our team of five Airport Operations Officers (Alicia, John, Belinda, Laura, and ‘Shep’) provide 24 hour coverage in inspecting, reporting and monitoring the operational condition of the airport. The team ensures safety, security and environmental policies and procedures are implemented.

Safety One’s duties vary enormously from routine inspections of the pavements several times a day and night, security fence integrity checks, organizing aircraft parking, checking reported fuel spills, to implementing our bird hazard management program. On any day they can deal with VIP’s one minute, providing information to visiting pilots the next, and then to helping raise apron safety awareness.

Safety One also plays a vital role in responding to activations of the Airport Emergency Plan. Safety One is part of the first response to Local Standbys, Full Emergencies, and Crashes, and all of the other emergencies that are detailed in the Plan. Safety One works closely with the Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Service, and the Australian Federal Police in establishing the Incident Control Point and maintains the communications to the Tower throughout the incident.

The Darwin Airport Safety Management System (SMS) relies on the reporting of hazards by all of our staff, but of particular importance is the hazard reporting by Safety One. If tenants have an aviation hazard they wish to report to the SMS Safety Officer then they

can do this through Safety One.

What are you doing during Safe Work Australia Week?

Safety One

Safe Work Australia Week25 – 29 October 2010 NT Airports has made safety in the workplace a priority, celebrating Safe Work Australia Week through presentations, displays and classes.

For further details check out the Schedule of Events on our website www.ntairports.com.au which are being run throughout the week to encourage everyone to get involved in making our workplace safe.

Darwin International Airport and Alice

Springs Airports are again highlighting

the need to work safely and have

coordinated a week of activities that

we welcome all airport staff and

contractors to attend.

The week is ranging from launching with

Dragons Abreast on Monday morning

(also Breast Cancer Awareness Week)

with a pink and yellow theme breakfast

BBQ, Spill Response training in Darwin

to snake bite awareness for our staff in

Alice Springs. Darwin finishes the week

with its third Urban Adventure Challenge.

Qantas in both Darwin and Alice Springs

are also conducting activities throughout

the week – including but not limited

to disseminating safety information,

organising healthy breakfasts for staff and

have experts come in and discuss topics

as manual handling and sun protection.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

has coordinated an International Society

of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI)

“Reachout” course in Darwin which will be

running through the same week as Safe

Work Australia Week.

The Course covers topics such as legal

requirements, Safety Management

Systems, Incident Investigation, Human

Factors, safety culture, emergency

response planning and much more. The

course is directed to aviation company

employees, with an emphasis on Chief

Pilots, Chief Engineers and Safety Officers.

You can research “ISASI” and “reachout

program” on the ISASI website; www.isasi.

org/reachout_tp.html or contact Peter Ball,

Aviation Safety Advisor – Northern, CASA

(PETER.BALL@casa.gov.au) should you

be interested in attending or want further

information.

NT Worksafe is running activities

throughout the week – so check out

their website for further details. See our

web site www.ntairports.com.au for our

calendar of events.

For more information on our SAFE initiatives, please visit www.ntairports.com.au