We discussed ground based risks during the workshop, highlighting the:
- discovery of aircraft damage on preflight checks
- inconsistent availability of fuel (not operating as published in ERSA)
- capability of ground handling agents (FBOs).
What can operators do?
Organisations should use a Safety Management System (SMS) process to make sure third-party contractors (for example, fixed base operators, fuel providers) are safely supporting operations.
This includes effective performance monitoring and assurance to ensure contractors meet the minimum training, qualification and performance standards established by the AOC. This includes:
- safety managers working with commercial or contract managers to ensure that service level agreements and contracts include:
- clearly defined safety performance obligations
- acceptable and unacceptable safety behaviours.
- completing change risk assessments before entering new contracts or extending contracts with third party providers
- defining safety performance indicators and targets for third party contractors, for example, all staff completed SMS training
- conducting regular meetings – formal, ongoing, regular engagement with third party contractors to discuss safety performance
- ensuring third party staff can submit hazard/safety reports into your SMS
- considering safety performance as an equal metric to others (for example, financial) when engaging or reviewing contractors
- defining ongoing assurance and safety oversight of the third party contractor
- considering third party implications in management of change
- defining Emergency Response Plan obligations (where applicable)
- encouraging third party contractors to implement their own SMS and enable integration between SMSs
- documenting all safety issues or risks related to the organisation and third party contractors, making them accessible for sharing and review to create shared ownership of safety risks and responsibility
- considering a safety promotion strategy that includes sharing safety risks and lessons learned with third party contractors to enhance and promote safety awareness, while also allowing for monitoring safety culture within contractor organisations
- considering the level of prior training to recognise for both safety management and HF/NTS training and applying this to commonly used third party contractors across multiple organisations.
What is CASA doing or has already delivered?
We have published a resource kit to develop your Safety Management System.
The resource supports organisations develop and implement an SMS including the management of third party contractors.
We have also developed a 3rd edition of the SMS resource kit which contains significant enhancements to guidance for third party contractors.
Advisory circular AC 119-01 helps organisations meet Part 119 of CASR requirements. It also provides examples of SMS processes. Examples include management of third party contractors suitable for organisations operating under SMS processes.
For references to third party contracted ground handling service providers, read part 121 operators to the ICAO guidance. The ICAO Manual on Ground Handling (Doc 10121) also includes guidance around the following:
- That an air operator should have a process for coordination with an external Fixed Base Operator Ground Service Provider. This ensures ongoing management of safety risks in operations conducted by the provider for the air operator.
- That a Fixed Base Operator Ground Service Provider should establish and maintain an SMS that is commensurate to the size and complexity of the operation.