Airside Driving – Vehicle Safety at Work
This blog was updated in August 2022
In this blog we are going to look at the specialist area of Airside Driving and best practice. Safety compliance in airside driving is essential in avoiding dangerous and costly accidents.
Airside Driving has its own hazards, not least the movement of various forms of aircraft and speciality vehicles. In addition, contributory factors for hazards need to be considered and control strategies must be in place.
Hazards of Airside Driving
Hazards can include (but are not limited to):
- Collisions with vehicles and aircraft
- Collisions between airside vehicles
- Collisions between vehicles and pedestrians (both employees and non-employees e.g. passengers)
- Vehicles striking buildings and/or airside furniture such as barriers, fuelling hydrants, fixed power units etc.
Some of the contributory factors associated with these hazards (but not limited to) are:
- Speeding
- Poor weather conditions such as fog, rain, snow, ice, high winds
- Night operations
- Human factors such as the perceived pressure to get the job done i.e. to turn an aircraft around in time and also fatigue
Control Strategies
To identify and control these hazards, an employer is required to consider the following areas:
- Risk assessment - on the significant driving tasks that are relevant to the airport the company is working at, as all airports have different layouts.
- Rules and procedures - e.g. safe systems of work covering the tasks undertaken
- Training - ensure drivers are fit and competent to operate airside
- Supervision – ensure drivers are following the company standards and airport rules with regular inspections and audits of driving standards.
Unlike the traditional workplace such as a warehouse yard, where the HSE guidance web pages are ideally placed to offer excellent advice to an employer, to assist in managing the hazards associated with Airside Driving, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued specific guidelines.
Additional Support
IOSH’s Aviation and Aerospace Group (AAG) has developed a DVD entitled Safe Airside Driving which can be used as either a stand-alone refresher or as part of a formal Airside Driving course.
- Legal and regulatory requirements
- Vehicle safety, airside driving permits and training
- Airfield geography and layout
- Fitness, training and competency to drive
- Driving at night and in bad weather
Training for People Working in Aviation
For more information about IOSH Managing Safely in Aviation click the button below!
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"The tutor was excellent, and the course was designed so that the information was easy to digest and understand through real-life scenarios. The problem-based learning approach and active participation in classroom discussions and homework exercises helped me pass the exam on my first attempt."
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"The two weeks of comprehensive in-class training, coupled with the gaps between the exams, provided ample time for preparation and reflection on what I learned in the classroom. NG2 was very interesting, and the classroom exercises helped me grasp the theme of assessment, specifically how (RMs) were assessed."
01.04.2025 -
"The online learning portal was easy and straight forward to use, it was well laid out and had fantastic online resource sections which were great for printing out to have to hand - especially handy for highlighting important points. I had purchased the NEBOSH Managing Health and Safety book to help with my study, but in all honesty, the information in the portal covered all the relevant material anyway. I only needed to phone for assistance on a couple of occasions, but found the guidance helpful and quick."
Chris25.03.2025 -
"Having a secondary role at work as a Health and Safety coordinator means passing the NEBOSH General Certificate is a great indication of the knowledge and understanding I have achieved so far. This is a staple qualification in this field and I now have the confidence to venture into Health and Safety in a more primary role and as a progression of career."
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Mark02.04.2025 -
"The tutor was excellent, and the course was designed so that the information was easy to digest and understand through real-life scenarios. The problem-based learning approach and active participation in classroom discussions and homework exercises helped me pass the exam on my first attempt."
01.04.2025 -
"The two weeks of comprehensive in-class training, coupled with the gaps between the exams, provided ample time for preparation and reflection on what I learned in the classroom. NG2 was very interesting, and the classroom exercises helped me grasp the theme of assessment, specifically how (RMs) were assessed."
01.04.2025 -
"The online learning portal was easy and straight forward to use, it was well laid out and had fantastic online resource sections which were great for printing out to have to hand - especially handy for highlighting important points. I had purchased the NEBOSH Managing Health and Safety book to help with my study, but in all honesty, the information in the portal covered all the relevant material anyway. I only needed to phone for assistance on a couple of occasions, but found the guidance helpful and quick."
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