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Week of Mar. 24, 2008
Focusing on FOD is safety measure for airport staff
KCIA staff were out in force last week for the FOD walk. | At the King County International Airport (KCIA) at Boeing Field, litter is not only an eyesore, but it can also be a safety hazard. One small stray piece of metal or wood could cause serious damage to the planes arriving and departing at the airport. For KCIA, a clean runway is a safe runway.That’s why the runway is inspected three times a day for debris. But even that’s not enough for the white-glove airport crew. At least twice year, the entire staff – from administrators and secretaries to mechanics and groundskeepers – gather for a FOD walk. FOD stands for “foreign objects and debris,” and can include anything from garbage to aviation parts. Last week more than two dozen KCIA staff members carried out a spring FOD walk. Along the way, they found your everyday kind of roadside litter blown into the airport grounds, but they also picked up a roll of duct tape, a twisted piece of rebar, and assorted construction material. KCIA Assistant Director Mike Colmant said almost all of the items discovered on the FOD walk were found in the grassy infield areas at Boeing Field. He said the multiple daily sweeps of the runways keeps them very clean, but items do sometimes accumulate in the grass.
“The material can be dropped from planes, blown in by the wind, or even carried onto the infield by birds,” said Colmant. “We want to get it picked up before it gets blown into the runways or damages the mowers.”Colmant said in addition to the spring and fall FOD walks, staff also combs through the grass when a big construction project takes place on or near Boeing Field. Another purpose for the spring walk was to make sure there was no major damage to infield from winter storms. As spring progresses and the weather warms up, KCIA staff will also be restriping the runway, patching small cracks on the surface, and seal coating. This kind of attention to the small and the large safety details helped KCIA earn high marks on its most-recent annual certification inspection by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “We received a rating with no discrepancies, which is rare for any airport,” said Colmant. “It’s the equivalent of receiving a ‘perfect score,’ and we are very proud of that.”
King County Metro Transit just updated the “Riding the Bus” brochure, and it’s now available in 11 different languages. In addition to English, the information is available in: Cambodian/Khmer; Chinese; Korean; Laotian; Russian; Somali; Spanish; Tigrinya; Ukrainian; and Vietnamese.The brochure includes tips on boarding, fares, timetables, and where to call for assistance on a variety of transit issues. The brochures are now available at all major Metro information centers including the main customer service office at 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle. |
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Green Festival coming to King County Discover that “It’s Easy Being Green” at King County’s educational pavilion during the upcoming Seattle Green Festival, April 12-13, at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in downtown Seattle. The pavilion is just one of the 300-plus exhibits scheduled for the big event. It will feature special discounts and incentives for green products, plus tips on connecting to the many resources that King County offers. | Subscribe to DOT DashSign-up to receive an e-mail text version of "Transportation Today," along with other significant DOT news by sending an e-mail to us with subscribe King County DOT Dash in the subject line.
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