New measures at airports address safety gaps

AIRPORTS WORLDWIDE have introduced a string of new measures to address all perceived gaps in the safety chain. Dangerous goods prepared for bulk loading must be transported to and from aircraft separately from cargo which is not restricted and these packages must also be secured and covered with plastic sheets. Shipments of this nature must also be placed in special storage areas, and a standardised emergency schedule is mandatory for all partners in the safety chain. These are some of the strict new measures at airports where regulations governing the handling of dangerous goods are becoming increasingly tight, says Neville Symons, head of Dangerous Goods Management (DGM). These methods were introduced initially at Frankfurt Airport which, according to speakers at this year's IATA DG conference in Paris, is leading the way in setting new standards. "Because each airport internationally has different regulations governing hazardous goods, conference officials went in search of the best solutions at Frankfurt," says a report from the conference. "Back in 1986 Fraport AG. (the short name for Frankfurt Airport) started a separate dangerous goods handling unit with a group of specialists in its airfreight department. In 1991 a centralised task force was created in order to ensure that all Fraport departments were complying with the dangerous goods regulations." DGM offices can provide information where necessary.