FOD-Free Friday

We’re reinforcing the importance of keeping all airside areas clean through good housekeeping, prompt, and proper disposal of all garbage and debris.

All garbage and debris are referred to as FOD – Foreign Object Debris. FOD is any loose item, including rocks, screws, bolts, broken luggage pieces, coffee cups, water bottles, baggage tags, etc. that can be sucked into an aircraft engine, or become a projectile with jet blast. FOD is a significant safety hazard as it has the potential to injure people or cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to aircraft, buildings or equipment.

FOD costs the aviation industry approximately $13 billion dollars per year in direct and indirect costs. Indirect costs can include flight delays and missed connections, runway or taxiway closures while FOD is found and removed, unscheduled aircraft maintenance or repairs due to damage to aircraft or aircraft engines, and injury or death to workers, pilots and passengers.

All of Team YYC is responsible for minimizing and helping manage FOD. Some of the ways we manage FOD are by having garbage (FOD) bins at every operational stand (gate) on Apron I, conducting FOD walks of the lead-in line prior to every aircraft arrival, regular inspections of the runways and taxiways, regular maintenance and repairs of the asphalt and concrete aircraft movement surfaces, and extended FOD walks to raise awareness and reduce the hazards, especially for everyone working airside.

Thank you to everyone who “pitches in” to help make YYC a clean and safe work environment for everyone.

If you registered for today’s FOD Walk, arrive a few minutes before the 11:30 am safety briefing start time at 11:30 am at Apron I beside the main terminal building and cross from Gate 51. You must wear your RAIC, a hi-vis vest, and closed shoes to participate.