The UK is a world leader in aviation safety, and this in no small part due to the fantastic work our airports do to continuously improve how they keep passengers, staff and aircraft safe.
Airports have a positive impact on the economic and social life of the country and keeping them safe is vitally important to keeping us all moving.
This week is UK Airports Health and Safety Week. It’s an opportunity for airports up and down the country to showcase how they prioritise the health, safety and welfare of travellers and staff.
It is a chance to lift the lid on activities that are, perhaps, lesser known to the public, who rightly assume that when travelling by air there are systems in place to keep them safe.
Airports have a duty to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of everyone who works at or passes through their facility. This includes not only passengers, but those who work in and around the airports, from police, fire and rescue service personnel to air traffic controllers, retail workers to ground handlers, and airport back-office staff to maintenance teams.
Community outreach
Airports also work hard to maintain healthy and safe environments in the communities that surround them. While most passengers focus on transiting through to destinations all over the UK, Europe and the world, airports want to ensure their neighbours – local residents, businesses, schools, and community groups – understand the work they do and the contribution they make to their surrounding areas.
That is why over the course of this week, UK airports have been holding a series of events to highlight the scope of the work they undertake. The range of activities being organised this year is bigger than ever, including visits with to aerodrome fire and rescue services, talks from security officials, and birds of prey demonstrations - just some of the ways airports are demonstrating how seriously they take health and safety.
Access for all
There is a particular focus this year on the mental and physical well-being of those who travel to, live around, or work at UK airports. Everyone should have access to air travel, and substantial improvements have been made for those passengers that are living with a disability or reduced mobility, so they have the support they need to be able to travel with the right assistance.
As sponsors of UK Airports Health and Safety Week, we are working with the Airport Operators Association. We both understand the importance of health and safety at airports and both of us are dedicated to raising awareness of this vital aspect.
To learn more about the activities being organised, please visit the AOA’s dedicated webpage. You’ll also be able to follow along with the various events on social media.
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