ARGH.OVS.305 Oversight programme

PROCEDURES FOR OVERSIGHT OF GH ORGANISATIONS

(a)The competent authority should appoint an inspector for each GH organisation with overall responsibility for supervising, and liaising with, the organisation’s management and for reporting on compliance with the requirements applicable to its operation. When more than one inspector is assigned to a GH organisation, their responsibilities should be clearly defined.

(b)Inspections, audits and oversight procedures, of a scale and frequency commensurate with the organisation’s operations, should include, but not be limited to:

(1)the organisation’s management system;

(2)safety management, safety risk identification and mitigation actions;

(3)reporting records;

(4)manuals and procedures;

(5)training programmes and records and written examples of training management;

(6)performance of GH activities during the aircraft turnaround process;

(7)GSE, including records of its maintenance;

(8)operational procedures, training and documentation regarding dangerous goods.

(c)The following types of inspections should be included, as part of the oversight programme:

(1)inspection of documents and records;

(2)inspection of passenger acceptance in view of the correct application of procedures related to the safe transportation of dangerous goods in baggage and on the person;

(3)inspection of GH activities during turnaround, including passenger boarding and disembarkation;

(4)inspection of training of GH personnel;

(5)inspection of cargo operations (where applicable), including the handling of dangerous goods.

(d)An inspection/audit should focus on the items selected for the scope of that inspection/audit. Inspections and audits may be conducted jointly or separately. They may also be coordinated with those conducted by the competent authorities responsible for other aviation areas.

(1)Joint audits with competent authorities for other aviation areas may be performed to increase the effectiveness of examining the interfaces between different players at the aerodrome level, such as aerodrome operators, GH organisations and aircraft operators.

(2)Competent authority inspectors from other domains may also be involved in audits or inspections of GH activities in which they are competent, such as flight operations inspectors, aerodrome inspectors, or ramp inspectors competent in the oversight of dangerous goods, aircraft unloading/loading, de-icing/anti-icing operations, refuelling operations, aircraft pushback and towing operations, or GSE maintenance.

(e)Inspections may, at the discretion of the competent authority, be conducted with or without prior notification of the GH organisation.

(f)In accordance with the provisions of Article 89 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, inspectors should take account of any indication of significant deterioration in the organisation’s financial situation that may have an impact on safety. However, this should not imply that the assessment of the organisation’s economic or financial situation is a responsibility of the competent authority. If significant deterioration is detected, the competent authority should immediately inform the competent authority designated for the implementation of the Council Directive on Groundhandling (Council Directive 96/67/EC). The competent authority should also increase its technical surveillance of the provision of GH services, with a particular emphasis on upholding safety performance and the effectiveness of the organisation’s management system.

(g)The nature or magnitude of non-compliance identified by the competent authority will serve to support its continuing confidence in the organisation, or, alternatively, may erode that confidence. In the latter case, the competent authority will need to review any identifiable shortcomings of the management system and take appropriate action if required.

AUDITING

(a)The oversight programme should indicate which aspects will be covered by each audit.

(b)Part of an audit should concentrate on the organisation’s compliance monitoring reports, produced by designated personnel, to determine whether the organisation identifies and corrects its problems.

(c)On concluding the audit, the auditing inspector should complete an audit report, including all findings.

REGULAR REVIEW OF THE OVERSIGHT PROGRAMME

(a)To ensure that its oversight programme is adequately maintained, as required by point ARGH.OVS.305, the competent authority should regularly review the oversight planning cycle and related oversight programme for each organisation to ensure that they remain adequate following any changes in the complexity or safety performance of the organisation.

(b)When reviewing the oversight planning cycle and related oversight programme, the competent authority should also consider any relevant information collected in accordance with point ORGH.GEN.160 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/20 and points ARGH.OVS.300(c) and (d).

OVERSIGHT PROGRAMME AND PLANNING

(a)When defining the oversight programme and planning cycle for a GH organisation, the competent authority should assess the risks related to the activity of each organisation and adapt the oversight to the level of risk identified and to the organisation’s ability to effectively manage those risks. The following elements should be considered to assess the exposure of a GH organisation to risk and its safety performance:

(1)information from the GH organisation’s annual monitoring of safety performance, as referred to in AMC1 ORGH.MGM.200(b)(2)(iii);

(2)information from the safety reports related to the organisation’s GH activities;

(3)types of GH services provided at each aerodrome and the specific operational context at the aerodromes;

(4)specific procedures implemented by the organisation stemming from flexibility provisions in Article 71 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 or AltMoC;

(5)number of contracted services in the scope of GH service provision;

(6)the effectiveness of the organisation’s management system in addressing non-compliance;

(7)any other safety-relevant data resulting from audits and inspections, including industry audits;

(8)the implementation by the GH organisation of industry standards and good practices, based on the results of the evaluation referred to in point ARGH.OVS.310.

(b)The oversight programme should follow a risk-based approach, considering the data collected under point (a), and should be developed on a yearly basis.

(c)The competent authority should include all GH organisations in the programme no later than 12 months after the date it receives the first declaration.

(d)When deciding on the number of stations included in the oversight programme to complete the scope of oversight, the competent authority should consider the elements of point ARGH.OVS.305(b) applicable to the station, as well as the result of the oversight of the GH organisation’s management system.

(e)Additional audits and inspections of specific GH organisations may be included in the oversight programme based on assessments of associated risks carried out within occurrence reporting schemes.

(f)The sections of the oversight programme dealing with inspections of GH activities performed during turnaround should be developed based on geographical location, considering aerodrome activity and focusing on key issues that can be inspected in the time available without unnecessarily delaying operations.

(g)The competent authority should include, as part of its oversight, meetings between the accountable manager and the competent authority to ensure that both remain informed of significant issues, at a frequency agreed between the competent authority and the GH organisation.

STATION OVERSIGHT

(a)A low safety performance demonstrated at the level of the management system of a GH organisation may trigger more frequent inspections at individual stations by the national competent authorities of the aerodromes where that GH organisation provides services.

(b)Likewise, a high safety performance demonstrated at the level of the management system of a GH organisation may provide sufficient evidence to enable the national competent authorities responsible for station oversight to reduce the frequency of audits and inspections at the stations in their state.

OVERSIGHT PLANNING CYCLE

(a)The competent authority should schedule audits and inspections appropriate to each GH organisation. The planning of audits and inspections should consider the effectiveness of the organisation’s capability to identify hazards and manage the safety risks within its organisation and operation. Inspectors should work in accordance with the schedule provided to the GH organisation.

(b)When the competent authority varies the frequency of audits or inspections as a result of its assessment of the GH organisation’s safety performance, it should ensure that all aspects of the GH organisation’s operation are audited and inspected within the applicable oversight planning cycle.

(c)If the competent authority wishes to align the oversight planning cycle with the calendar year, it should shorten the first oversight planning cycle accordingly.

(d)The oversight planning cycle and the related oversight programme should be reviewed annually.

(e)Audits should include at least one on-site audit of the GH organisation within each oversight planning cycle.

STATION OVERSIGHT OF ORGANISATIONS PROVIDING GH SERVICES IN MORE THAN ONE MEMBER STATE

(a)When planning station oversight to complete the oversight programme for the purpose of conducting cooperative oversight of an organisation providing GH services in more than one Member State, the competent authorities involved should agree on a minimum overall number of stations to be overseen within an oversight cycle.

(b)The agreed overall number of stations should be relevant to the safety performance of the GH organisation.

(c)The following criteria should be considered as a minimum for the selection of stations to be audited or inspected:

(1)an even spread of stations across the Member States where the GH organisation provides services;

(2)the volume of activity at each of those stations; and

(3)the main risk areas identified.

(d)The GH organisation subject to the oversight should be informed about the planning of that oversight.

ENHANCED OVERSIGHT DUE TO LOCAL CONDITIONS AT THE AERODROME OF OPERATION Specific hazards posed by the local conditions at the aerodrome of operation that may require enhanced oversight include but are not limited to:

(a)operations requiring de-icing/anti-icing during cold seasons;

(b)congested traffic in the movement area that leads to frequent GH events;

(c)aerodromes working on a seasonal basis (usually during summer), resulting in disruptions of scheduled operations and the use of temporary workers during the peak season.