The role of communications technology in enhancing aviation health and safety

How do communication systems help to support the health and safety risks faced by the aviation sector?

Working in the aviation industry you have a profound responsibility with every decision you make; it could impact thousands of people at one time – Decisions that are carefully planned and orchestrated to the reactionary being made in response to an unforeseen event or emergency. Despite facing unique challenges and pressures, both situations require delivery of clear communication successful resolution.

For example, when it comes to PRM services, a partnership between the service provider, the airline, airport, and ground handling is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers with disabilities. In 2022 3.45 million passengers received assistance at UK airports(1). If there is a breakdown in communication a passenger with reduced mobility may not receive the assistance they require to navigate the plane or airport safely, putting that passenger at risk (2).

Today there are options and considerations – Digital mobile radio (DMR), TETRA and/ PTT-over-broadband (BBPTT) or LTE, hybrid, telematics, standalone or connected? – you need a base for making your decisions.

In partnership with our customers Radiocoms works through a process that creates a roadmap for now and in the future. One size definitely doesn’t fit all, and awareness is key. By integrating various technologies and software applications you can create a system that allows you to: see what’s happening, make something happen or explore why it happened. This not only enhances the overall safety culture but also creates better situational awareness for response times and improved outcomes.

How important is collaboration and data sharing among stakeholders to enhance safety compliance?

Each stakeholder has a shared responsibility, incidents cause major disruption, and losses running into thousands, with higher levels of new employees being onboarded this has never been more key.

One example is ground handling, while significant advancements have been made in enhancing passenger and employee safety in the aviation industry over the last thirty years, ground support communication has lagged behind. Unfortunately, it continues to rely on outdated methods such as hand signals, shouting, or awkwardly relying on a single team member to communicate with the pilot, leaving the rest of the ground crew puzzled and out of the loop.

In 2023 eight ground handling companies(3) were served notices for health and safety breaches, it is clear that there is a pressing need for improved communication.

What future developments in aviation health and safety technology do you foresee, and how can they further enhance safety practices?

We are continually seeing new features and functionalities become available. Two way radios and BBPTT no longer have the limitations they once did, they integrate with other technologies, can control assets, track via GPS, support software apps, and operate with full multimedia capabilities (4).

Video Security systems such as those from Avigilon include Artificial Intelligence, providing unified connectivity with other technology such as digital two-way radio and body-worn cameras. This is allowing our customers to narrow down the number of devices being used, which has certainly made a difference when budgeting.

Are there any noteworthy success stories related to these solutions?

Business intelligence isn’t something you’d traditionally associate with two-way radios, or BBPTT but with digitally-powered unified communications, you can now enhance these systems by integrating powerful data and software applications. This enables transparency and accountability during and after events, all controlled from a single device.

Such was the case for ABM who deployed a BBPTT solution with smart devices and a software app, new levels of interoperability and team collaboration are now possible, which has supported their HSE KPI’s.

Another example is Manchester Airport Group (MAG). By using a MOTOTRBO capacity max radio system and data created by their TRBOnet software, they now have a centralised platform for both voice and data as well as history to analyse past incidents, supporting goals within their health, safety and operational resilience strategy.

In conclusion, how would you summarise the impact of communications technology on health and safety in the aviation industry?

Feedback from our customers has been clear that technologies such as two way radio, BBPTT and telematics has really raised the bar for safety measures. With even more advancements on the horizon, we can expect to see more integration in order to support an even safer environment for all involved in aviation.

Sources:

• UK CAA
• House of Lords Library
• HSE
• Radiocoms

As featured in Airport Industry News.