About 70 airports in Australia and New Zealand are participating in the first ever Airport Safety Week, which kicked off on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said the focus of the week was on developing and maintaining a safe environment for those who worked at airports.
“Activities in the airport safety week program aim to enhance safety cultures through innovative thinking with regards to airport safety hazards,” Truss said in a statement.
“Airports are busy and demanding workplaces where staff are engaged in a broad range of occupations and bring various backgrounds to contribute to the successful and safe operation of the aviation industry.
Events include a foreign object debris (FOD) walk on Wednesday, where all airport staff and contractors, even those whose jobs do not require them to head airside, would be able to walk a section of the aerodrome to look for items such as small pieces of metal, luggage tags or other debris that could interfere with a flight taking off or landing.
Airport workers were also encouraged to wear personal protective equipment, such as high-vis vests or ear muffs, to work on Friday.
The event is a collaboration between the Australian Airports Association (AAA), New Zealand Airports Association and the Australian Airport Safety Forum, and supported by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority in New Zealand.
“Airport workplaces also involve staff drawn from a wide range of occupations and backgrounds who all make a vital contribution to the safe operation of our airports, the provision of services to airlines, and supporting the passenger experience,’ AAA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said in a statement.
More information can be found on the AAA website.
