Instructions. Person A- Julia Suen

Instructions. Person A- Julia Suen

Walk round the workplace and look for Physical, Chemical, Biological, Psychological and Ergonomic hazards using the check list of hazard types on the web. Don’t forget there are several hazards in each category and a hazard often has several risks.

Description of workplace being assessed: Airport Ramp
The control of the aircraft (towing and push-back) is to be done at the airport ramp. It is an open area with high strength ground. There is the obvious marking for the path of each vehicle to follow. Vehicles included the tugs, catering trucks, baggage loading vehicles and refueling trucks. The tugs mostly move around the ramp area, which is the area near the terminal. Aircrafts are placed there for the passengers boarding, baggage loading and refueling. Risk should be taken to avoid any accidents as it might influence wide range facilities and persons in the airport, especially the high cost of the aircraft, which even a slightly damage may cost up to a million dollars.
hazard
(the source of harm) /

Risk

(What might happen and outcome)

/ Existing controls / Conseq / Likeli / Risk
Physical:
Vibration of the tug / What might happen:
-The tug driver has to drive on the unsteady tarmac
Outcome:
-Tug drivers may receive back injuries / -Jelly cushion has been placed on the seat of the tug which can reduce the vibration / 3
Moderate /

B

Likely /

H

Adverse weather condition:
- heavy rain
- heavy storm
- sunny day / What might happen:
-Poor visibility for the tug driver due to the heavy rain or storm
-Strong illumination due to the reflection of the sunlight
Outcome:
-Collisions occur because the poor visibility, this may damage the equipment or the building at the airport, aircraft, tug, or even cause injuries of the person beside the tug. / -2 engineers walk beside the tug to ensure the process of towing the aircraft
-Communication between tug drivers and Air Traffic Control(ATC)
-Sunglasses provided for each tug driver to avoid the strong sunlight / 4
Major /

D

Unlikely /

H

Heat / What might happen:
-High temperature in the tug (possible up to 40°C)
Outcome:
-Heatstroke due to the high temperature in the tug
-Overheat of the tug engine as it expose under the sun for long hours. / -PPE provided
-Emergency shower when there is any fire
-Fire fighter always stand by in the airport tarmac / 2
Minor /

C

Moderate /

M

Chemical:
Leak of fuel or hydraulic oil / What might happen:
-Explosion of the tug
Outcome:
-Damage the facilities in the airport, such as tug, aircraft, buildings, or any other vehicles nearby
-Danger to person’s life which included the tug drivers, pilots and passengers on the aircraft and the person nearby / -Emergency shower when there is any fire
-Fire fighter always stand by in the airport tarmac / 5
Catastrophic /

E

Rare /

H

Psychological:
Non experience tug driver / What might happen:
-Collisions appear during towing the aircraft.
-Wrong direction when towing the aircraft during pushback. (wrong gear has been chosen)
-Lost control of the tug.
Outcome:
-Damage the facilities and equipment in the airport, such as tug, aircraft, buildings, or any other vehicles nearby.
-Injuries might occur to tug drivers and the person beside the tug. /

• Provide 6 months training course for each tug driver

/ 4
Major /

D

Unlikely /

H

Stress
-due to the high cost of damage
-time limit (around 20 minutes) / What might happen:
-Tug drivers might work under pressure
-Collisions appear during towing the aircraft.
-Wrong direction when towing the aircraft during pushback.
Outcome:
-Any damage of the aircraft can cost over a million dollars
-Delay of the flight / -Insurance for the damage of the facilities such as aircraft.
-All the employees have limit liabilities to owe the damage / 4
Major /

D

Unlikely /

H

Ergonomic:
Poor design of the tug: Low cabin / What might happen:
-Tug drivers should stay in the small space for long time
Outcome:
-Cause neck and back injuries / -Sufficient time rest for the tug drivers (mostly break between 3rd and 5th hour) / 3
Moderate /

B

Likely /

H

No back mirror / What might happen:
-Tug drivers must keep looking forward and backward frequency during towing and pushback of the aircraft.
Outcome:
- Tug drivers may receive neck and back injuries in long term / -2 engineers walk beside the tug to ensure the process of towing the aircraft
-Communication between tug drivers and ATC / 3
Moderate /

A

Almost Certain /

H

Equipment failure:
-Tyre burst
-Brake failure / What might happen:
-Lost control of the tug (hard to stop the tug)
-Possible collision of the tug and the person beside the tug
Outcome:
-Delay of the flight
-Injuries to the tug drivers and person nearby / -Regular maintenance schedules
-Inspections of tyre and brakes / 2
Minor /

E

Rare /

L

The disconnecting point / What might happen:
-Collisions between the tug and the aircraft, airport facilities such as terminal or other vehicles.
-Injuries to the person nearby, such as the 2 engineers walk beside the tug during pushback
Outcome:
-Damage the facilities and equipment in the airport, such as tug, aircraft, buildings, or any other vehicles nearby.
-Injuries might occur to tug drivers and the person beside the tug. / -Emergency engine stop button(s) (red mushroom type) are provided for immediate shut-down in the event of emergency
(IATAAirport Handling Manual section 913 paragraph 14.1 emergency systems) / 4
Major /

C

Moderate /

H

Person B Instructions- Dickson Chan

Divide the job into steps and think of all the things that might go wrong to cause injury or disease.

Description of Job being assessed – Airport Ramp Tug Driver
Tug Drivers are responsible for moving and towing aircrafts on the tarmac. Their main work involves ‘pushing’ back aircrafts from the gate of the airport, and guiding the aircraft to the ‘disconnect point’ (usually at holding point of the tarmac), where the tow bar is disconnected from the aircraft and the aircraft taxys by itself to the runway for departure. Other duties include towing aircrafts from one gate to another, or towing an aircraft (across the airport) and pushing aircrafts back into maintenance hangars. Tug drivers also communicate directly to the flight crew of the aircraft it is towing through headset chord.
Sub- task / What might happen / Outcome / Existing controls / Conseq / likeli / Risk
Pushing back / - the aircraft being pushed back may collide with foreign objects during pushback / - damage to airport buildings, aerobridges, aircrafts or other ground equipments resulting in injuries for any personnel nearby / - tower has to grant clearance before push-back can commence
- Tug driver completes a ‘circle of safety’ to inspect for objects in the way for pushback / 4
major / E
rare / S
- tug drivers may hurt themselves as they have to look backwards and forwards or driving the tug (with little wheel suspension) on bumpy aprons / - prolonged effect includes back and neck injuries / - drivers of the tugs have cushioning on their seats / 3
moderate / B
likely / H
- improperly secured tow bar, sudden movements of tug, lurching forward or backward striking the tow bar / - Damages to nose gear of aircraft. Possible injuries to driver if the aircraft nose collapses onto tug / - Emergency engine stop button(s) (red mushroom type) are provided for immediate shut-down in the event of emergency
(IATAAirport Handling Manual section 913 paragraph 14.1 emergency systems)
- 2 engineers walk along side tug to ensure tow bar remains secured during pushback / 3
moderate / D
unlikely / S
Towing / - foreign objects getting caught in wheels or problems with the tow bar / - damage to aircraft’s landing gear or tug; or possible injuries to driver from sudden jolt or impact / - same as above
- additional engineer positioned at the rear of the tug to monitor movement and operation of the connecting pins and tow bar and alert driver in case of emergency / 3
moderate / E
rare / M
- Brake failure / - tug and aircraft are heavy and may not stop in time. Possible collision with other equipments / - regular maintenance schedules and inspection of brakes
- complete standard checklist prior to towing or pushback (standard practice by Qantas tug drivers) –brake twice for every 3 meters travelled as a test for the brakes. / 3
moderate / E
rare / M
Reversing aircraft into hangar / - wingtip of aircraft being pushed into hangar coming into contact with hangar walls (for large aircrafts, the clearance to the hangar walls can sometimes be as little as half a metre) / - damage to aircraft and hangar building.
- possible injury to tug driver from sudden impact from collision / - tug drivers follow painted guidance lines on tarmac for reversing aircrafts
- additional engineers to guide the reversing process. / 3
moderate / E
rare / M
- collision with construction equipments inside hangar / - damage to equipments, tug and driver / - risk managements must be done and details of constructions notified to tug drivers. / 3
moderate / C
moderate / S
Navigating around airport tarmac / - collision with other vehicles (especially at night)
- collision with aircraft parts that may not be clearly visible at night / - significant damage to other vehicles, equipments or aircrafts, injuries to tug driver / - safe speed limit on tarmac
- tug drivers must obtain clearance from tower (ground frequency) to travel through certain sections of tarmac (e.g. Qantas Tug Red X-ray)
- driving along painted traffic lines on tarmac
- using front light beams and warning lights at night / 3
moderate / E
rare / M
- tug travel too close to exhaust of jet engines / - jet blast are powerful enough to blow tugs away! Extensive damage to tug and injuries to driver / - tug drivers not to drive immediately behind an aircraft with its engines started already / 4
major / E
rare / S

Person C Instructions- Christopher Law

Identify and assess the risks of the items of equipment used in this workplace. If you have a complex piece of equipment with many risks you need only do one item however for smaller simpler equipment do up to 5 items. (You need to demonstrate your ability to find a good range of risks.) Use the equipment risk assessment check list. Fill in a separate sheet for each item even if there are only one or two risks per item

1e Description of equipment being assessed: TOW TUG– The main equipment being used in the workplace, to tow aircraft to their correct position and gates, pushback etc. Whenever the plane is on ground, the tow tug acts as the main bridge and guide the aircraft.
Hazard from check list / What might happen / outcome / Existing controls / Coneq / likeli / Risk
Mechanical – Trapped between machine and fixed structure / Lost of control of tow tug which mean lead to a mechanical hazard / Injuries to certain parts of bodies / Safety measures – Guidelines of a safety distance between aircrafts and buildings in order to lower risk of collision. / (3)
Moderate / (D)
Unlikely / S
Non Mechanical – Fire and explosion / Explosion of tow tug or fire if tow tug collides with other objects / May cause injuries including the workers, people close to the accident scene, loss of equipment / Safety measures – evacuation if vehicle on fire / (3)
Moderate / (D)
Unlikely / S
Non Mechanical – Noise and vibration / Tow tug noises along with aircraft engine noises, also bumpy aprons may cause vibration within the tow tug due to lack of suspension / Physical injuries to ears and parts of body due to vibration which may lead to back damage / Hearing protections (PPEs) provided / (2)
Minor / (C)
Moderate / M
Non Mechanical -Extremes of temperature / Connection with fire and explosion – overheat of engines. Also physical injuries to workers working at extreme weathers / Physical injuries to workers, and mentally due to increase level of stress under extreme weathers. / PPEs provided (Personal Protective Equipment) / (3)
Moderate / (C)
Moderate / M
Hazardous Events – inability to stop machine quickly / May lead to a range of hazard involving the worker and the tow tug and possibly others / Accidents may occur depending on the level of hazard at the moment / Safety inspection before tow tug is into service everyday, check-list / (2)
Minor / (D)
Unlikely / L

Overall risk level of equipment and reason for this level

Moderate Risk: The reason for this level is because out of the past 12 years, only 2 accidents were related to tow tug drivers. Moreover, Mr Breuer, has said that the risk of the tow tug is relatively low because of all the safety issues and procedures that needs to be followed, thus the moderate risk level given.

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2e Description of equipment being assessed: Radio Communication Kit –Used to communicate between drivers and the ATC in order to move the aircrafts at the right time under their guidance.
Hazard from check list / What might happen / outcome / Existing controls / Coneq / likeli / Risk
Non Mechanical – Noise and vibration / Noise from the aircraft jet blast and noise from headphones may lead to certain ear injuries to the workers / Mentally injuries on the workers / Safety measures – Insurance for workers if worker gets injured. / (2)
Minor / (D)
Unlikely / L
Hazardous Events – Failure of power supply / Total halt of work because workers cannot communicate with ATC. Instructions could not be given thus risk for the worker lies / May lead to serious interruptions in work, a risk in not receiving correct orders from ATC which may lead to a misunderstanding / Inspection check each day to ensure the radio kit is functioning properly. Regular maintenance / (2)
Minor / (D)
Unlikely / L
Non Mechanical – Electric Shock / A possible electric shock if weather is very humid which may lead to an electric shock / Minor injuries to the workers, first aid required / Inspection check everyday, regular maintenance required. / (2)
Minor / (E)
Rare / L
Hazardous Events - Loss of stability / Loss of stability under very extreme weathers which may lead to a misunderstanding between the ATC and workers, thus getting a wrong interpretation between each other. / Minor outcomes could lead to a slowdown in the push-back process to ensure everything is safe, major outcomes may lead to accidents if loss of stability level rises. / 2 engineers accompany the driver to ensure the push-back process is smooth under any weather circumstances / (3)
Moderate / (D)
Unlikely / S

Overall risk level of equipment and reason for this level

Minor risk: Comparing to the tow tug, the radio communication kit is not as complex and the leading outcomes is pretty minor comparing to the tow tug. Thus the level of risk is minor.

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Person D Instructions- Jonathan Wong

Search the web for Safety Check lists and put together a hazard check list that would suit the workplace you are looking at. Note the check list must be Hazards or risks not controls eg fire extinguisher is a control and should not be on your list what should be there is fire hazards like stores of paper or ignition sources like heat and electricity. Attach the check list used to your risk sheet

Description of workplace being assessed
The airport tarmac (ramp) is an open area of pre-stressed, high strength concrete ground. There are buildings such as terminals around the airfield as well as aircraft being parked at areas close to the terminal. Other movable equipments such as refueling trucks, catering trucks and baggage loading vehicles are also present in the ramp area. The ramp area has an extensive set of markings showing the path of which each vehicleis to follow. The tow tug drivers’ main area of work is around the nose area of the aircraft which should be closest to the terminal. A large number of equipments are present in the area including aerobridges, baggage loading vehicles as well as normal vehicles used to transport engineers to the aircraft for work. Thus, extreme care must be taken by the tow tug driver to avoid any accidents.
hazard /

Risk (What might happen and outcome)

/ Existing controls / Conseq / Likeli / Risk
Physical
Inoperative vehicle headlights / What might happen:
-Without headlights, the vehicle might not be seen in low visibility and the driver will not be able to see since there is reduced light.
Outcome:
-Other vehicles (or aircraft) might crash into the tow tug or the driver may collide with other objects (both moving and static) / Prior to each usage of the tow tug, the headlights must be checked for normal operations.
Replacement light bulbs are also available. / 3
Moderate / C
Moderate / S
Mirrors missing or adjusted incorrectly / What might happen:
-Objects beside or behind the tow tug might not be seen if mirrors are adjusted incorrectly or is missing.
Outcome:
-Not being able to view objects nearby, the driver may collide with objects nearby. / Checking mirrors is part of the safety check-list which must be carried out prior to each usage of the tow tugs. / 2
Minor / E
Rare / L
Fuel gauges and other operating systems being inoperative / What might happen:
-May misinform the tug driver which may lead to unsafe usage of the tug. Also may lead to the tug being inoperative.
Outcome:
-May cause collision if the readings on the tugs are unreliable since the driver may misjudge situations while driving. / Regular scheduled maintenance and checks are conducted to ensure maximum reliability. Also such reading instruments are checked by the driver before each duty. / 3
Moderate / 12
Moderate / S
Inoperative brakes / What might happen:
-Unable to stop the tug when needed (especially in emergencies).
Outcome:
-May cause collision with other objects which may cause personal injuries as well as huge financial loss if an aircraft is damaged. / Apart from scheduled maintenance and checks, it is required that the driver check the brakes each time before they approach an aircraft to perform the pushback or towing. This is done well away from the aircraft.
Emergency engine stop button is installed in the tug to stop the engine if the brakes do fail to respond. / 4
Major / C
Moderate / H
Poor Tire conditions / What might happen:
-The tug might not be able to stop in time especially in wet conditions as stopping distance and time is increased when the tire are in poor condition (less friction between tire and ground). May also leave broken parts of the tire if it breaks (ie. Tire burst)
Outcome:
-Not able to stop in time and if the tire is broken collision will occur as the driver would not be able to control the tug fully. / Regular checks and maintenance is performed to observe the quality of the tires used on the tow tugs. / 4
Major / E
Rare / S
Inoperative Radio / What might happen:
-Unable to communicate with Air Traffic Controllers and flight deck crews.
Outcome:
-Being unable to communicate, the tug driver may push back the aircraft when there is no actual clearance which may cause the aircraft to collide with other objects. / Radio and headsets are checked to be fully functional before each duty. / 2
Minor / C
Moderate / M
Exposure to Sun / What might happen:
-Sunburn may occur to skin if it is exposed to the sun for a prolong period of time. Since aircraft bodies are reflective, there might the possibility the driver’s sight would be damaged. Dehydration is also a negative effect if worked for prolonged hours under the sun.
Outcomes:
-Loss of sight if eyes are damaged beyond repairable state. Dehydration would lead to unconsciousness. Finally, sunburn might lead to skin cancer. / Sunglasses are provided as part of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for eye protection.
Short break and two sets of 40 minutes meal breaks are provided during the standard 8 hours shift. / 3
Moderate / D
Unlikely / S
Adverse weather condition / What might happen:
-Strong winds and rains as well as hail might affect work condition since the airport ramp is an open area.
Outcomes:
-Rain and wind may lead of illness and hail might cause body injury. / Raincoat is provided as part of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Hailstorm would usually a halt in operations as the airport would be closed due to operation safety / 2
Minor / C
Moderate / M
Noise / What might happen:
-Noise from aircraft engine might damage hearing. Noise may also present communication difficulties.
Outcomes:
-Prolonged noise would lead to damage to the ear drum. Also noise may cause misunderstanding between parties thus leading to accident / Noise separation radio headsets are provided to reduce noise level / 4
Major / D
Unlikely / H
Psychological
Noise / What might happen:
-Noise from aircraft engine might damage hearing.
Outcomes:
-Constant noise may cause distress to the worker which could lead to stress and emotional problems / Noise separation radio headsets are provided to reduce noise level / 4
Major / D
Unlikely / H
Time Pressure / What might happen:
-When the airport is at peak hours, many flights would be awaiting for the tow tugs to push the aircraft back for departure. This creates a pressure for the drivers to get from one aircraft to another aircraft to minimize aircraft departure delay
Outcomes:
-Drivers would be highly stressed at such situation when time is pressed. As a result, drivers might rush the job (doing it improperly) which may lead to accidents. / Two sets of 40minutes meal breaks are provided for every 8 hours shifts as well as short drink breaks are allowed during the course of the shift. / 3
Moderate / D
Unlikely / S

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