Take a look at any aviation magazine and you’ll see article after article based around airport expansion and development. In the UK right now Bristol, Gatwick, Heathrow, Leeds-Bradford, Luton, Southampton and Stansted have all submitted formal expansion plans. If we were to create a similar list of airports undergoing terminal upgrades and development, this article would quickly turn into an e-book! There are multiple reasons to expand an airport’s infrastructure. Of course, the number one reason for most is the potential for increased profit but airport expansion can also increase jobs, improve a region’s travel prospects, and positively impact the UK economy.
What makes airport construction unique?
When it comes to airport construction, it’s important to hire experienced people to get the job done safely and to the best possible standard. Construction at any airport creates risks that need to managed. Take, for example, the 2000 incident that occurred at Taipei Taiwan Airport. A Boeing 747-400 passenger flight inadvertently took off from a runway with an insufficient take off distance due to construction works in place. The plane collided with construction equipment and caused serious injury and loss of life. To put it simply, airside construction can result in additional hazards and procedural changes that have the potential to cause devastating results.
How do you ensure your contractors are safe?
Thankfully, there are clear ways to ensure airport contractors work safely, legally and in-line with specific airport requirements. By ensuring that everyone who sets foot in your airport is adequately trained, suitably familiar with the airport and holds the required permits, you’re putting yourself and your team in the best possible position for success.
What training do contractors need to work in an airport?
The list of training required by airport contractors is lengthy and will vary from site to site but can include contractor induction, fire training, asbestos awareness, airside safety awareness training and more (take a look at this AIRDAT training article for a more comprehensive list).
How to make training and permit licensing work for your airport with AIRDAT.
Every airport expansion and development is different so it follows that requirements during the construction phase will differ greatly from site to site and project to project. From manual handling and working at height to site familiarisations and electrical inductions, AIRDAT offer a complete range of airport contractor training to keep your site safe and compliant. The PASSPORT airport safety system provides a holistic training strategy to give users a complete overview of what has been completed and what’s still required. Users can also upload their own certificates and documents in order to show that they can safely carry out the work required.
Examples of AIRDAT’s Passport and VISA systems in action
At AIRDAT, we’ve worked with airports across the world to help them to implement training systems and permit schemes for contractors. Manchester Airport used our Passport system to train and induct more than 5,000 contractors over a 12-month period. This data was then automatically passed to the airports Permit to Work system to ensure that all contractors were fully compliant. We implemented various types of training including in-person and e-learning and made all training accessible via personal devices with our VISA app.
When Gatwick Airport underwent a £1.2 billion Capital Investment Programme, they needed to bring thousands of new staff and contractors on board. AIRDAT provided the venue, equipment and staff training that formed their sizable induction process. By working with us, Gatwick brought their average wait on induction courses down to just 3-4 days. Read more about our Gatwick contractor induction process here.
Want to see how AIRDAT’s Passport and VISA systems could help you ensure that all current and future contractors are safe and compliant? Get in touch with a member of our team today
