44-606396 Safety & Security Management in Aviation Essay Task 2 Brief

44-606396 Task 2 Brief – Safety and Security Management in Aviation

Assessed Module Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate understanding of the dynamic nature of safety and security issues in the aviation industry
• Apply a risk assessment analysis to evaluate aviation hazards and risks
• Critically assess the strategies and tools for aviation safety and security management

This assignment has two parts. 

Part 1 will describe a number of safety and/or security-based scenarios and you are required to choose two scenarios, one safety and one security based scenarios and:

1. Identify the root cause (50 words)
2. Determine the key safety hazard(s) / security threat(s) (100 words)
3. Conduct a risk / threat assessment (150 words)
4. Explain what actions may be required to eliminate, reduce, avoid or mitigate the risk/threat. (150 words)
5. Make recommendations and justify these to mitigate the risk. (50 words)

This task requires you to provide your answer in a report format, suitably illustrated as if you were a member of staff (security or safety as appropriate) making a report to senior management or a regulatory authority. Wordcount for each scenario is 500 words.

Part 2 will list a selection of safety and security case studies which we will have investigated in class

Select one case study from the list and write an essay that critically evaluates the event, clearly indicating the key characteristics of that event, what the aviation industry learned from the event, what changes were put in place and explain the role of government and regulatory authorities in establishing safety and security in the air transport industry and how the industry responds to these requirements.  Wordcount for the essay is 2000 words.

Part 1 Scenarios 

Each scenario is worth 25% of the allotted marks

You are the Safety and Security Manager for the various operators listed below (airline and/or airport).

Scenario  A – Safety and Security

Training flight – Flying school training flight, Gamston to Gamston. 

The flight was returning to base after an uneventful training flight lasting 1.5 hours that involved upper air work (stalling and spinning) with an instructor and student on board. 
Whilst descending through 2000ft, and while on frequency with a Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone, the student saw an unmanned aerial vehicle  (drone) pass just below the wingtip of her aircraft. Due to the late notice and swift nature of the incident, the student could not be sure of the size and shape of the drone except to say it was big, 2-3 feet in size, round in shape and silvery grey in colour.

The instructor had been completing some paperwork at the time, head down and had not seen anything.

The student reported the near miss and enquired if any other traffic was in the area. The flight continued safely and ATC advised that there was no other traffic in the vicinity.
The aircraft returned to Gamston, an air miss report was filed and the Safety Manager called to investigate.

Scenario B - Security

Fujairah International Airport.

A teenager had managed to enter the airport airside area after climbing over the airport fence and hid himself in the back of the General Manager’s Toyota Prado.
Airport Security, CCTV, General Manager and airport staff had not noticed the person entering the airport or vehicle.

The teenager was subsequently discovered when he emerged from the vehicle asking a passing member of staff where he might find the staff mess hall for a meal.
The Security Manager was called to interrogate the teenager and other members of staff.,

Scenario C - Security

Flight number 4519, BHX to GVA and Flight Number 5419, BHX to EDI

Two flights were simultaneously boarding at two consecutive gates at Birmingham International Airport. The flight to EDI was on time but the GVA flight had been delayed by late arrival and was anxious to depart as soon as possible to recover the schedule. 
The recently trained member of gate staff was conducting final boarding pass and passport checks when one passenger insisted on boarding the Geneva flight even though his sequence number indicated that he had already boarded. 
The on-duty supervisor was not called but a quick headcount on the GVA flight confirmed that numbers tallied and boarding continued. 

Just prior to the GVA flight closing doors, cabin staff discovered two passengers in dispute over their allocated seat and a boarding pass check revealed that one passenger was on the wrong aircraft.
Airport Security Manager was called to the scene.

Scenario D - Security

Dubai International Airport

While a cabin attendant was assisting a university lecturer to store his cabin baggage inside the aircraft, he heard him say, “Be careful, it has valuable items in it, but not a bomb”.
Having heard the word bomb, the cabin attendant immediately reported this to the pilots.
The passenger and his luggage were off-loaded from the aircraft.
The Security Manager was called to investigate.

Scenario E - Safety

Leeds Bradford Airport

Following a runway inspection, the Airside Duty Officers in vehicle Safety 3, were requested by ATC to go to Taxiway B where a light aircraft had reported FOD just after the runway 24 holding point and close to the runway edge.
On arrival, they found a badly injured doe (deer) which they euthanised.
The Safety Manager was called to investigate.

Scenario F - Safety

Manchester International Airport

During a particularly heavy rain shower, Safety vehicle 4 was engaged in a taxiway inspection following works carried out by the technical services team on the taxiway edge light.
Due to the jet efflux of departing aircraft, sleeting rain and poor visibility due to large levels of spray from the runway and departing aircraft, the safety vehicle passed the holding point, stop bars and guard lights and almost entered the runway.
The single Safety Officer on board realised his mistake and took himself and the vehicle back to his office to report the incident.
The Safety Manager was called to investigate.

Part 2 Case Studies

Safety

1. DH Comet disasters
2. G-ARPI Trident crash at Staines
3. Manchester Airport Disaster
4. Air France Concorde crash at Paris
5. B737 Max
6. Milan Linate crash 
7. Stockport Argonaut crash

Security

1. PA103 Lockerbie 
2. Dawsons Field
3. Car bomb attack Glasgow airport terminal
4. Germanwings 9525
5. Suicide bombers check-in area of Brussels airport
6. Air India 182

Your essay should include:

• A brief description of the event (300 words)
• The main findings of the event investigation (200 words)
• The main recommendations following the investigation and which entities may have been involved in drafting them (400 words)
• How international bodies such as ICAO, governments and regulatory authorities responded (500 words)
• Reference to regulation and models promoted within the industry (200 words)
• Reference to how application of SMS or SeMS can assist in preventing reoccurrence (200 words)
• You should endeavour to consider developments in safety and security management, concepts, tools and theories including the use of quality management principles and tools. (200 words)
• Reference List

Further Instructions

A seminar will be held to support you in essay writing and expectations. 
Your essay with be expected to include the following elements.

• Introduction
• Context
• Conceptual set of frameworks / body of literature
• Industry examples historical and contemporary
• Contrasting arguments
• Take a stance
• Conclusion

APA referencing used throughout

Submission of this Coursework

You must submit your work via BOTH the Assignment Submission Point and Turnitin on the Blackboard site. 

In the Assessment folder, you will find 

• Online submission: The submission point will be available for you to upload your work. 
• Turnitin submission: You can upload your work as many times as necessary to Turnitin to check your referencing before you upload the final version by the submission deadline. 

Assessment Feedback

Before the Assignment Submission

The module has several designated assessment support sessions (please check the Schedule of Study). There will be a briefing on your assessment at the beginning of the module, and this will be revisited throughout the module. There are formative opportunities to gain feedback on your airline proposal before submission of your report.  

After the Assignment Submission
 
You can expect feedback to be provided to you within three weeks of the submission date, in keeping with university guidelines. Feedback is provided electronically via the Blackboard site on an assessment grid in which you can see your performance against each of the criteria. The feedback will also include a narrative of comments which should help you understand how and why the mark was derived.

Level 6 - UG Marking Grid