General Safety LINE AND FLIGHT DECK SAFETY PRECAUTIONS The  command  should  make  sure  it  effectively covers  programs  in  general  safety,  such  as  hearing conservation,  flight  deck/flight  line  safety,  traffic  safety, home  safety,  and  hazardous  materials. SHIPBOARD AIRCRAFT SAFETY Flight decks are hazardous, and their danger to personnel goes beyond the chance of crashes. Exhausts on jet engines can propel personnel into other objects or over the side of the ship. Propellers and rotor blades can maim or kill. Aircraft carry ordnance and fuel that can cause  fires  and  explosions.  Moving  aircraft  can  hit personnel. The ship pitches and rolls. For those reasons, all  personnel  whose  job  requires  them  to  work  on  the flight deck must be constantly alert and aware of all dangers to avoid injury or death. Flight line safety precautions, discussed later, apply to flight deck operations. The primary difference is the limited  space  and  tempo  of  operations  experienced  on the flight deck. The flight deck is increasingly more dangerous. All  personnel  assigned  flight  quarters  on  or  above the hangar deck must wear appropriate jerseys and helmets.  Personnel  on  the  flight  deck  during  flight quarters  must  wear  the  following  equipment: A cranial impact helmet or its equivalent Goggles Sound  attenuators Flight deck shoes Flotation gear An  adequately  secured  whistle A survival light FOREIGN  OBJECT  DAMAGE Engines can suck up loose objects from the deck or area  around  the  intake.  That  can  cause  costly  foreign object damage (FOD) or complete loss of the engine. Personnel must inspect the deck and other areas for FOD by conducting FOD walkdowns before beginning air operations  or  when  starting  engines  for  maintenance. Flight deck personnel must not put loose objects in shirt pockets and must keep their shirt pockets buttoned while they are in a flight operations area. FOD prevention is one of the reasons we prohibit the dumping of trash and garbage during launch and recovery operations. You  must  observe  several  miscellaneous  safety precautions when working on the aircraft flight line and the carrier flight deck. The following precautions are of special importance to ensure your safety as well as the safety  of  your  co-workers. Propellers and Rotors The first general precaution you must observe when working on the line around propeller-driven aircraft or helicopter rotors is to BEWARE OF PROPELLERS. When you see a propeller, let it be a constant reminder to STAY CLEAR! In general, do not cross in front of moving  propellers,  as  whirling  propellers  are  not  easily seen. A good habit is to always walk around propellers. Keep the area around the aircraft clear of loose gear and debris. Intake Ducts Maintenance of jet engines presents several major hazards. The air intake duct of operating jet engines represents an ever-present hazard. It is a hazard both to personnel working near the inlet duct of the aircraft and to the engine itself if the turn-up area around the front of the aircraft is not kept clear of debris. Jet engines will “eat” anything, and they have no respect for life or limb. This hazard is, of course, greatest during maximum power settings (high-power turn-up). The air inlet duct may develop enough suction to pull hats, eyeglasses, loose clothing, and rags from pockets. Personnel should properly secure or remove all loose  articles  before  working  around  operating  jet engines. In some engines, the suction is strong enough to pull a person up to or, in some cases, into the inlet and pull the person’s eyeballs out. Needless to say, person- nel must take every precaution to keep clear of the intakes. Protective  screens  are  supplied  as  part  of  the ground-handling  equipment  for  most  jet  aircraft.  These screens   should   be   installed   before   maintenance turn-ups. The use of turn-up screens protects both per- sonnel  and  engines.  It  does  NOT  eliminate  the  need  for caution; a person can receive serious injury as a result of being pulled against the screen. Small items can be pulled through the screen, resulting in thousands of dollars of damage to the engine. 8-13