Safety Responsibility
The airport operator has overall responsibility for construction activities on an airport, including safety. On the airfield the air traffic control tower (ATCT) has ultimate authority and their commands must be obeyed and carried out quickly. In general, the airport operator is responsible for:
- Ensuring a construction safety plan is in place and followed by the contractor.
- Hold safety meetings and identify safety points of contact.
- Notify airport users of construction activity via Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) or other methods.
- Ensure construction personnel undergo training on the safety plan and know of any applicable airport procedures applicable to their work or safety.
- Conduct safety inspections and resolve deficiencies immediately.
- Notify appropriate parties when special provisions of the safety plan are in effect (e.g., low-visibility operations).
The contractor also has a set of safety responsibilities including:
- Compliance with safety requirements.
- Having a copy of the safety plan on hand.
- Provide a point of contact to coordinate immediate response to safety issues.
- Provide a safety officer familiar with airport safety to monitor construction activities.
- Restrict movement of construction vehicles to the agreed upon work area.
Beyond official responsibilities, each person on the construction job is responsible for his or her own safety. Safety details are contained in a construction safety plan, which can either be written by the airport operator and included in the specifications, or by the contractor and approved by the airport operator. Advisory Circular Number 150/5370-2E OPERATIONAL SAFETY ON AIRPORTS DURING CONSTRUCTION contains a checklist of items to be covered by a construction safety plan.
