Greetings All, - nexus.aero · Greetings All, This has been a really good month for Safety within NEXUS Flight Operations Services! Sta˜ are increasingly using the QSMS safety reporting

Greetings All,This has been a really good month for Safety within

NEXUS Flight Operations Services!

Sta� are increasingly using the QSMS safety reporting system and realising the value to the company when we can start

tracking problems and issues related to safety. By doing this those crew and sta� make a significant contribution to the understanding of

safety issues a�ecting the company – not just flying issues but also ground operations, personnel issues and o�ce issues. Those sta� that have participated in submitting their safety concerns are kept in the loop until risk analysis is completed, corrective actions are agreed and implemented.

NEXUS Safety Newsletter, Volume No.4 September 2017 / www.nexus.aero / / [email protected]

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Mr. Julius CruzSupervisor at one of the Aramco bases called Tanajib

Some other excellent news to share – Mr. Julius Cruz a Supervisor at one of the Aramco bases received a commendation from one of the Aramco B737-800 Captains a few months ago and I would like to share this with you:

“When one comes across professionalism it should be recognized and acknowledged. Julius Cruz, is one of our ground handlers at Pump Station 6 who warrants such recognition. He is the consummate professional, always helpful and alert to the dynamic demands of our operation. He is by far the best marshaller in our system and could conduct classes for standardization. Couple his clockwork consistency with his pleasant demeanor and you have an ideal employee”.

Mr. Cruz briefed me on this shortly after he had completed a safety training course last week that we conducted in Dammam. On reading the email I realised what an excellent achievement this was and that Mr. Cruz was clearly dedicated to his job and understood Customer Service and why it’s so important that we get it right (usually through knowing your job well, and being prepared to work hard even under ramp conditions at 50 Degrees Celsius to get the job done right every time).

I invited Mr. Cruz to the NEXUS o�ce at Dammam and introduced him to the managers there and explained and showed them the email he had received. Everyone was very pleased and immediately recommended he be given an award and a certificate of achievement. The photo shows Mr. Cruz receiving his cash award of 500SAR handed to him by our Quality Control Supervisor Mr. Ezzat Shamia. The certificate is to follow.

So, a big Thank You to all of youthat have been participating in our QSMS programme.


For those of you that have little understanding of what a ground handling job entails you should know that the inherent risks of the ground handling process, especially for "below the wing" services are numerous.

As many of you will no doubt know, we have set up a flight dispatch and aircraft ground handling support service at Saudi Aramco’s base in Dammam and at several of their outlying sites.

The initial teething problems were mainly in the ground handling side, but the challenges are gradually being met and currently that side of the operation has improved due to the added investment in manpower and training that NEXUS has made. As part of this e�ort NEXUS has recruited more qualified, experienced and e�ective managerial sta� in Dammam and provided other additional resources on the project. We now have a very e�ective team at Dammam which we expect will result in an ongoing safe and e�cient ground operation that our Customer will recognise and be pleased at our performance delivery.

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The NEXUS/AramcoDammam Ground Handling Operation


• Aircraft Damage: Damage is frequently caused by ground support equipment striking the aircraft. Providing regular training on how to handle aircraft safely, importance of constant awareness when around the aircraft and the provisioning of sta� with the full range of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) with established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) all help in a significant way to avoid such damage.

• Refueling Procedures: Equipment malfunction, incorrect procedures or distraction, a faulty ladder or a slippery surface, can all lead to a fuel spill or fuel fire.

• Vehicle Collision: There are numerous vehicles, serving di�erent purposes, operating in close proximity to the aircraft and to each other, and under time pressure to complete the ground activities safely to avoid any potential delays. Ramp conditions, distraction or inattention and failure to use a wingman or guide where appropriate, can all lead to a collision.

• Fire: Fire can result from a fuel spill, a vehicle collision, or the malfunction of either an aircraft system or a ground support vehicle.

To help mitigate these risks, improve safety and improve e�ciency, NEXUS Flight Operations Services provides various specialized safety training for our ground sta� to operate di�erent types of ground equipment, and safety training on how to work safely on the Ramp.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of the di�cult work undertaken by all our Ramp Sta� and on-site Managers and Supervisors, who have to work within a highly pressurised environment every time they show up for work.

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Ground Handling sta� carry out their work in a high noise, high tra�c area, both in daylight and in darkness, in all weather conditions and in all extremes of temperature. Various types of large machinery working in close proximity (steps, hi-loaders, baggage trolleys, Ground Power Units, Oxygen Carts, the handling of flammable liquids and dangerous cargo, and working at heights during the loading, catering, cleaning and refueling of aircraft all pose their own risks). The following is a list of just some of the inherent risks that are usually encountered whilst providing ground handling services to an aircraft:

• Personal Injury: There is almost no limit to the potential causes for injury to ground handling personnel. Falls, lifting related injuries, contact with moving vehicles or equipment can all result in injury. Appropriate vigilance, safety equipment, high visibility clothing, and training all play a role in injury prevention.


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A pro-active measure to guard against an aircraft departing without a secure and clean airframe.

Increasingly we are seeing more incidents and accidents caused by aircraft departing with latches unlocked, pitot covers on and aircraft key left in the door lock.

So, immediately before closing the aircraft door before departure a conscientious walk around the aircraft by one of the flight crew should be made to ensure that there are no open doors, popped latches, keys in locks, FOD near engine intakes, or any other items that could endanger the flight. The removal of chocks can also be undertaken at this time. Once the walk around is completed then flight crew members will ensure that the aircraft key is seen by both pilots and is in the cockpit.

Checklists can be amended accordingly. If we actively promote this procedure then we can prevent the reoccurrence of unnecessary incidents.

The Director Flight Operations will be reviewing this procedure with the intent of possibly introducing it via a Red Tag Memo in the near future.

AircraftPre-departure Safety


• Reduce flight deck workload by avoiding all activity not directly related to the safe conduct of the flight during

climb and descent

• Maintain a Sterile cockpit at all times when operating below 10,000 feet.

• Ensure clear procedures for altimeter cross-checking and approaching level calls

• Always confirm the clearance if any doubt exists on the flight deck

• Always report the level cleared to when checking in

on a new frequency while in the climb or descent

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Level Busts

How to reduce the Likelihood of experiencing a Level Bust with these 5 steps:


Responsibility for ensuring that passengers are safeguarded between the aircraft and the terminal building is shared between the crew and the handling agent.

It is therefore vital that it is made clear who is responsible for providing sta� to supervise and/or escort passengers across the apron, and that su�cient numbers of sta� are provided. Failure to supervise passengers properly may lead to accidents with serious consequences for all involved. Where ground handling sta� are not available, the Captain will delegate one of the crew to escort all passengers to the Handling Agent facility or to the Airport Terminal.

There are two main groups of hazards to passengers on the apron:

Hazards to Passengers outside the aircraft:• Passengers getting lost• Passengers getting hit by a vehicle/aircraft• Passengers getting injured by jet blast/excessive engine noise• At some airports, passengers may have to walk across the apron between the terminal

building and the aircraft. This may expose passengers to hazards such as vehicles moving across the apron. The risks of injury are increased as passengers are vulnerable and generally unaware of the dangers around them. They can also get lost (e.g. due to ambiguous or improper markings). This greatly increases the chance they get into a hazardous situation (e.g. a passenger might approach an aircraft undergoing engine checks, the engineering personnel will most likely not be aware of their presence and therefore may not divert them soon enough). In addition, passengers may leave objects on the apron which could eventually become a source of foreign object debris

Hazards to passengers inside aircraft:• Fire incidents during refueling • Passengers getting injured inside the aircraft (e.g. due to an incident on the aircraft)

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PassengerSafety on Ground

Carl FlynnDirector Safety & Security

Thank you all for your continuing contributions to NEXUS’ Safety!Until the next time, please FLY SAFE!


Documents

Greetings All, - nexus.aero · Greetings All, This has been a really good month for Safety within NEXUS Flight Operations Services! Sta˜ are increasingly using the QSMS safety reporting