Help for employers and employees in the air transport industry

Contents

• Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities (LA)
• Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Memorandum of Understanding
• Health and safety risks

For people working in the air transport industry, these pages will help you understand.

• Who the different regulators are that cover health and safety.
• How to contact the different regulators.
• What are the main risks to your health and safety.
• Where to get useful information on how to manage these risks.

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities (LA)

At an airport, LAs are generally responsible for the health and safety of employees and members of the public in:

• shops, restaurants or other retail outlets;
• common parts of the airport for example check-in halls;
• offices;
• car parking facilities within the airport.

If you have a concern regarding health and safety in these areas you should contact the local Environmental Health Department that covers the airport.

The HSE is generally responsible for the health and safety of employees and members of the public in:

• all areas not mentioned above, for example work on or around an aircraft on the ground, workshops within the airport etc;
• Crown, Local Government, Police and Fire Authority employees.

If you have a concern regarding health and safety in these areas you should contact the local HSE Office that covers the airport.

For general enquiries on health and safety in the air transport industry your first point of contact should be the HSE Infoline.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Memorandum of Understanding

The CAA, under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004, has a general duty for the health and safety of crew members of UK operators whilst on aircraft.

If you have a concern regarding health and safety in these areas you should contact the CAA.

Detailed information on how the HSE and the CAA Safety Regulation Group inspect, investigate and enforce in the air transport industry can be found in the Memorandum of Understanding.

Health and safety risks

The majority of accidents reported to HSE occur during aircraft turnround and activities on the air side ramp. The main causes of accidents and ill-health are:

• musculoskeletal disorders;
• slips and trips;
• being struck by a falling object;
• falls from height;
• workplace transport.

For general information on how to deal with these risks you should go to the following sections of the HSE website:

• musculoskeletal disorders;
• slips and trips;
• falls from height;
• workplace transport.

For specific information on how the air transport industry deals with these risks you should go to:

• aircraft turnround;
• Localmusculoskeletal disorders;
• falls from height.