Innovative Safety Solutions at Gold Coast Airport: The Role of PlanSafe

Balancing High Traffic and Safety: The Operational Excellence of the growing Gold Coast Airport

Gold Coast Airport (GCA) is owned and operated by Queensland Airports Limited (QAL).  QAL is responsible for managing the airport’s operations ensuring that it meets the needs of both domestic and international travelers. 

With over 800 aircraft movements per day and around 126,000 passengers per week, there is no denying that the responsibilities for the 400 staff members need to be managed tightly with safety at the top of the list for prioritization.

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Fire Safety at the GCA

One major consideration is that of fire safety.  With its own Aviation Fire Fighting Service (ARFFS) operating within the airport, the site-specific fire safety instructions are more complex than you would imagine.  With very particular fire safety processes required to be not only followed but understood and practiced with high success, it is for this purpose that Locatrix’s PlanSafe was implemented back in 2017.

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What it means to be a Terminal Manager

Alexandra Cross is GCA’s Terminal Manager and has been working at GCA for the past 20 years. 

“Prior to PlanSafe, it was my responsibility to provide all general and first response training, as well as warden training, and conducting the annual drills. As Fire safety Advisor, I was to run the annual drills with all stakeholders present.  This, on top of my day job and with responsibility for managing operations within the terminal, was hard to manage. It was also difficult to ensure that all shift workers, day staff and contractors had completed the training to the standard we require.

Safety is of paramount importance so we wanted to find a solution that removed the potential for human error and that’s how we ended up with PlanSafe”.

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Complexities of Emergency Plans

GCA houses a variety of buildings, including Admin Offices, Hangars, and Terminals, each with their own distinct Emergency Plans and procedures. This demonstrates the complexities that must be communicated to workers.

“Staff working between each building all need to be trained specifically to the requirements of the building they will be working within. Process changes happen regularly as we frequently roll out renovations and improvements. These changes need to be communicated clearly to occupants, so that if an emergency occurs, everyone knows what action they need to take to maintain safety and how to respond if required in an emergency.”

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Integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Integrated into the GCA’s Learning Management System (LMS) PlanSafe is easily accessible for learners to keep up to date with training due, which is closely monitored by the Terminals Duty Managers who follow up with learners who have software alerts that training is outstanding.

“Compliance is a high priority for everyone and as the terminal manager, I have a responsibility to ensure a duty of care for everyone that passes through our doors.  The best way I manage this is by making sure we are all well-informed on our emergency procedures. We are passionate about wanting the best for all our stakeholders and our passengers.”

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Impact of PlanSafe

To date and since PlanSafe has been implemented, over 4000 individual assessments have been completed.  With each assessment taking under 30 minutes to complete, it is a frightening thought of what the operational cost would be in delivering the same outcome in a face to face setting.

“What sets PlanSafe apart from other solutions is that it is able to capture role and site specific details and deliver training, through both video and written formats, in an engaging and understandable way. An airport is a bit like an operating theatre, you just can’t stop the operation because there is an emergency. Planes still need to land and passengers still need to disembark..”

With PlanSafe training is delivered anytime anyplace and within 30 minutes.  This capability makes it easier to train more staff to a higher level such as Wardens.

“We ensure that all security and airline contractors, as well as some retailers are trained to Warden level. This gives us good coverage over the 3am to 11pm operational period.  PlanSafe’s training makes this easy to achieve as it is fast and efficient and helps everyone feel empowered to respond in the case of an emergency.”

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Expansion and Collaboration

From 2019 through to 2022 GCA underwent a huge expansion project, doubling the size of the building’s footprint to extend its services domestically and internationally.  This process was completed in stages requiring Locatrix and GCA to work closely together to ensure every stage and its specific operational and emergency requirements were considered and communicated to all stakeholders.

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Continuous Improvement and Best Practices

“Locatrix acted as our Fire Safety Advisor (FSA) throughout the project and provided all updates to plans and training as required.  This gave us a sense of security that we were making sure risks were highlighted and communicated to all required stakeholders.”

As FSA Locatrix also attends all annual Fire Drills as an observer to identify any opportunities for improvement or pick up any changes that need to be addressed, with a site with as many operational complexities, this discipline shows best practice is key.

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Another Happy Customer and what that means to Locatrix

“I’ve been fortunate enough to manage Qld Airports here at Locatrix, and more specifically Gold Coast Airport for a few years now. I’ve come to learn It’s a different beast altogether (Airports/terminals), when we are talking about sheer foot traffic, and the importance of having all your ducks in a row procedurally. I think almost all the credit goes to the amazing team at GCA for their implementation and upkeep of their relative compliance, it’s been a pleasure being a part of that process”.

Harry Davidson, Account Manager, Locatrix.

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To learn how PlanSafe can help your business, get in touch.