GH.OPS.310 Aircraft refuelling and defuelling

INTERFACES WITH THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR AND THE AERODROME OPERATOR

(a)When several GH organisations perform different aircraft handling services, including fuelling and defuelling performed by an intoplane fuelling agent, the GH organisations should have and apply common procedures to ensure that the following risks are properly mitigated:

(1)ignition of fire;

(2)injuries to persons or damage to the aircraft, vehicles or buildings;

(3)fuel spillage;

(4)damage to the environment by contamination or fire;

(5)loading of the wrong fuel quantity;

(6)refuelling of the aircraft with the wrong fuel type and/or grade or with contaminated or deteriorated fuel;

(7)access of passengers or unauthorised persons into the refuelling area;

(8)aircraft refuelling in the vicinity of electromagnetic fields.

(b)The procedures should also address the interaction and communication between the provider of the intoplane fuelling, the GH organisation ensuring aircraft turnaround and the aircrew. The purpose is to ensure safety of operations during turnaround and the smooth coordination of actions and evacuation in the event of an emergency, while maintaining compliance with the aerodrome operator’s and aircraft operator’s procedures for aircraft refuelling.

(c)The person performing the refuelling/defuelling with passengers on board, boarding or disembarking should notify the qualified person on board the aircraft (as established by the aircraft operator in its procedure) and those performing the turnaround coordination function of the GH organisations responsible for the other aircraft ground servicing activities when refuelling is about to begin and when it has been completed.

(d)The GH organisation should ensure that fire extinguishers are readily available at least for initial intervention in the event of a fuel fire, and that the personnel are trained in their use.

INTERFACES WITH THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR AND THE AERODROME OPERATOR The GH organisation should ensure that its specific responsibilities for refuelling and defuelling operations are aligned with the following procedures, which establish the responsibilities of the other stakeholders involved in these activities as follows:

(a)In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, the aircraft operator is responsible for providing the GH organisation with fuelling instructions and procedures, including:

(1)safety precautions to be taken during refuelling and defuelling, including when an aircraft’s auxiliary power unit is in operation or, for helicopters, when rotors are turning or, for aeroplanes, when an engine is running;

(2)procedures for refuelling and defuelling while passengers are embarking, on board or disembarking; and

(3)precautions to be taken to avoid:

(i)refuelling with the wrong type, or the wrong quantity, of fuel, or

(ii)persons not following the established procedures for refuelling.

(b)In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 139/2014, the aerodrome operator is also responsible for establishing a procedure related to the safety of operations on the apron during refuelling/defuelling and ensuring that the other organisations involved follow that procedure.

RECOMMENDED GUIDANCE FOR REFUELLING AND DEFUELLING The following documents and industry standards and good practices may be used:

(a)ICAO Doc 9977, Manual on Civil Aviation Jet Fuel Supply;

(b)the standards and instructions put forward under the JIG in relation to the aviation fuel supply standards:

(1)JIG 1 — Aviation Fuel Quality Control and Operating Standards for IntoPlane Fuelling Services,

(2)JIG 2 — Aviation Fuel Quality Control and Operating Standards for Airport Depots and Hydrants,

(3)JIG 4 — Aviation Fuel Quality Control and Operating Standards for Smaller Airports,

(4)EI/JIG 1530 — Quality Assurance Requirements for the Manufacture, Storage & Distribution of Aviation Fuels to Airports, and EI 1533 — Quality assurance requirements for semisynthetic jet fuel and synthetic blending components (SBC);

(c)the refuelling organisation’s own procedures;

(d)the procedures of the aircraft operator.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PERSONNEL

(a)The intoplane fuelling personnel are responsible for ensuring that:

(1)onspecification fuel of the correct grade is always delivered to the aircraft; and

(2)the operations are carried out in a safe manner.

(b)The manager of an intoplane fuelling operation has the overall responsibility for the fuelling operations under their control and is responsible for ensuring that all operations are carried out in accordance with the agreed procedures and following all generally accepted standards of safety and good practices.

(c)The manager is entitled to visit and make any appropriate tests at the aerodrome depot as may be necessary to ensure that the fuel supplies received and stored at the aerodrome to be used for delivery to aircraft are of the requested quality. SUPERVISION OF FUELLING OPERATIONS WITH PASSENGERS ON BOARD, BOARDING OR DISEMBARKING

(d)The person monitoring the refuelling operations with passengers on board, boarding or disembarking is assigned by the aircraft operator, as per its operational procedures. This task may be performed by a person from the GH organisation responsible for aircraft turnaround or from the aircraft operator itself. All the other organisations performing GH activities during turnaround should be informed about who performs this task.

(e)The person assigned with the task of monitoring the refuelling operations with passengers on board, boarding or disembarking should be trained, as a minimum, in the following areas:

(1)supervision of refuelling/defuelling operations, with knowledge specific to the aircraft type,

(2)communication methods used,

(3)aspects of the SMS commensurate with their tasks and responsibilities,

(4)dangerous goods,

(5)apron safety,

(6)the aircraft operator’s procedures for refuelling and/or defuelling,

(7)the aerodrome operator’s local procedure for apron safety during fuelling operations.