FOCUS
Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success
April 2013
FOCUS
Republic of Singapore Air Force Safety Magazine
Issue
75
SAFETY IN DAILY OPERATIONS
Inside:
>> Birdstrike in Sudong >> Struck by Lightning >> Struck when you least expect it
>> Laser and Aviation Safety >> Everyday Safety in 507 SQN
Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
2
Contents
FOCUS Issue 75 - April 2013
Front Cover Image: RSAF F-5 taking off.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Chairman
COL Aw Kwee Siong
Members
LTC Alex Cornelius
ME6 Lee Lip Kee
MAJ Tay Lai Huat
MAJ Tay Kok Ann
MAJ Alvin Chan
MAJ Marcus Woo Gim Chuan
CPT(DR) Magdalene Lee
Ms Audrey Siah Yushu
3 Birdstrike in Sudong
Production Crew
Editor
MAJ Khoo Pak Syn
Copy-Editor
Delima Isa
Photographer
2WO Steven Goh
Layout, Design & Printed By
V&C Printers
FOCUS is published by Air Force Inspectorate,
HQ RSAF, for accident prevention purpose. Use
of information contained herein for purposes
other than accident prevention, requires prior
authorisation from AFI. The content of FOCUS
are of an informative nature and should not be
considered as directive or regulatory unless so
stated. The opinions and views in this magazine are
those expressed by the writers and do not reflect
the official views of the RSAF. The contents should
not be discussed with the press or anyone outside
armed services establishment. Contributuons by
way of articles, cartoons, sketches and photographs
are welcome as are comments and criticisms.
FOCUS magazine is available on these sites:
http://webhosting.intranet.defence.gov.sg/
web/AirForce/AFI/index.htm (intranet)
http://www.mindef.gov.sg/rsaf (internet)
ISO 9001:2008
BS OHSAS 18001:2007
1 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
7
Struck by Lightning!!
Safety in
21 Everyday
507 SQN
2
Foreword
By COL Aw Kwee Siong, Head Air Force Inspectorate
14
Annual Safety Conference 2013
15
Annual Safety Awards
11
Struck when you least expect it!
LTC Ong Choon Hui
17
Laser and Aviation Safety
CPT (DR) Magdalene Lee
23
COs’ Conference 2013
28
Outstanding Safety Award + Safety Activities
30
Crossword Puzzle
FOCUS
Foreword
FOREWORD
I would like to congratulate all of you for achieving
another accident-free year in workyear 2012. This
is the 2nd year in a row that we have done so. The
collective will and commitment of everyone in
the RSAF and our defence partners in preventing
accidents have been instrumental.
The theme of this issue of FOCUS is on ‘Safety in Daily
Operations’, The articles highlighted the inherently
hazardous nature of our daily operations. In the
first, a F-5 pilot shared how a seemingly peaceful
night out to the rustic Pulau Sudong landed him
with a flock of birds, an engine seizure and only 10
seconds to decide and act. His split-second decision
and near reflex actions averted what would have
been a catastrophic accident. In the next, an entire
crew of a helicopter renewed their respect for the
weather after they walked away unscathed from
an episode of lightning strikes all around their
helicopter. Another F-5 pilot was cruising around in
mild weather when he was unexpectedly struck by
a lightning that caused one of his engines to flame
out. He remained composed, re-started his engine
and landed uneventfully. All these 3 incidents serve
as good reminders to all of us about the various
hazards in our daily operations, and the need for all
to be ready to handle the unexpected at all times.
We have included an article to raise our awareness
on the hazards posed by lasers and how they affect
aviation safety. Finally, 2 NSFs shared how safety was
incorporated in their squadron’s daily tasks no matter
how seemingly routine they may be.
The hazardous nature of our operations is clear. We
must be ready to handle them as and when they
pop up in our daily operations. Serious, tough, and
realistic training is the first and necessary step to
prepare ourselves. Fly safe!
COL Aw Kwee Siong
Head Air Force Inspectorate
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
2
Birdstrike in Sudong
Birdstrike in Sudong
CPT Elvin Eng Boon Tat
CPT Eng is an operational pilot in 144 SQN with around 1600 hours on the F5. He was also the winner for the Best Individual Fight Pilot in
Exercise Hotshot Competition twice.
10 seconds. That is probably the time an espresso
machine takes to make a cup of coffee or the time a
mobile phone takes to boot up. But for me, that was
all I had when a devil decided to dance with me on
a pale moon night1. It was all I had when some birds
were ingested into my left engine during a roller at
Pulau Sudong, resulting in an engine seizure, to the
moment I engaged the hookwire at the end of the
runway.
On 19 February 2013, I was No. 3 in a 3-ship formation
conducting night flying training. After successfully
completing the training, the “icing-on-the-cake”
would have been a perfect landing back at Paya Lebar
Airbase. Little did I know that the highlight for the
night has yet to come. It came during an otherwise
routine practice diversion to Pulau Sudong.
Being cognizant of the low cultural lighting at Pulau
Sudong, we drilled ourselves on the past lessons
learnt in finding and touching down accurately on
the relatively short runway. I was glad we did that
crucial bit of extra preparation as it proved to be a
key factor in the safe outcome in my incident.
desired touchdown point, on speed and proceeded
with advancing my throttle to Military power for
the roller. Just as I felt my aircraft was lifting off at
approximately 168 Knots, about 2500ft into the
runway, a flock of birds flew right in front of my
aircraft. Being still low and slow, the only option I had
was to maintain my flight path and hope for the best.
Unfortunately, I felt and heard a sickening loud thud,
accompanied by an immediate loss of thrust and my
aircraft started to sink back onto the runway rapidly.
Although there were very few visual cues, given that
it was a fairly dark night with overcast conditions, I
estimated that I was approximately midway down
the relatively short runway. This was when my 10
seconds started ticking.
I considered the option of selecting Max power to
gain speed and get airborne again, but ruled against
it due to the following reasons that were racing
through my mind at that moment.
My lead and No. 2 conducted their in-trail straightin approaches uneventfully. I touched down on the
1.
The “Joker” played by Jack Nicolson in the original Batman movie.
3 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
“”
Little did I know that the
highlight for the night was yet
to come.
Aerial view of Pulau Sudong.
FOCUS
Birdstrike in Sudong
identified as Sand
Remains of multiple birds,
damaged engine.
ly
Plovers, found within the bad
“
At approximately 120 Knots and just over 1000ft of runway remaining,
I felt the rapid deceleration from the successful cable arrestment.
(1) I would require 5 secs to light off the afterburners
and wind up to Max power, which would take
1000ft of runway, and still not certain if I had
sufficient length to accelerate to the single
engine take-off speed. This was made worse with
the high drag configuration of 2 external drop
tanks on my wings. Perhaps I could jettison my
tanks, but that would risk them hitting my aircraft,
as I still had to accelerate on the runway.
(2) I was uncertain if I had sustained any further
damages both by the flock of birds or the
damaged parts from my seized left engine. It was
a good call as after the hookwire engagement,
the Tower Controller confirmed my worst fears
that he saw bright sparks coming from my aircraft
during the bird strike and also smoke emitting
from my left engine intake. If I had chosen to stay
airborne, I might have to deal with an in-flight
fire.
”
(3) Just thinking of the above considerations cost me
2-3 seconds, losing approximately 600ft of usable
runway. Knowledge, experience and instinct
then took over. Knowledge from knowing that I
had arresting cable and barriers on this runway.
The age-old advice of “wheels on the ground,
stay on the ground” resounded in my head. Then
experience honed by the feel of the aircraft
flight path through real flight time and instincts
honed by the countless emergency handling in
the flight simulator made me react rather than
think of what’s next. While operating under the
dim cockpit illumination, my abort actions were
carried out instantaneously through muscle
memory providing familiarity with the location
of the required drag chute handle and hook
button. Subsequently, I quickly followed up with
a radio call to Sudong Tower that I was aborting
and would be requiring the cable. Sudong Tower
was prompt in assuring that the cable was up.
Meanwhile, another 3-4 seconds or 800ft of
runway had passed.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
4
Birdstrike in Sudong
“
Knowledge gave me more confidence in exercising my available
options..., drilled into me the clarity of thought, the composure and
the skill to react and recover timely from an undesired situation.
To further complicate the scenario, I had also lost
my hydraulic-assisted braking due to the seized left
engine. This meant that I had to carefully regulate
my manual braking technique to reduce my speed
as far as possible without causing a burst tire due to
wheel lock-up. All I could do thereafter was to wait
and hope that my hook would catch the arresting
cable. For those counting, that would be another
seemingly long 3 seconds to cable engagement.
At approximately 120 Knots and just over 1000ft of
runway remaining, I felt the rapid deceleration from
the successful cable arrestment. It was a tremendous
relief, as I was all ready to call for barrier engagement
as my last line of defence before hitting the waters
south of Singapore. After the aircraft stopped, I saw
the prompt emergence of the fire services, airfield
maintenance personnel and tower controller. Their
presence brought not only assurance and peace of
mind, but also light to my lonely moment embraced
only by the darkness of Pulau Sudong.
I arrived back in the squadron some 11 hours later
the next morning, long after the rush of adrenaline
had subsided during my unplanned ‘staycation’ on
the Island. As I reviewed my tape of the incident, I
realised that the entire episode only took a mere
10 seconds. But boy did it feel way longer than that.
Time seems to slow down when such things happen.
I guess temporal distortion is a good thing as it
provided time for me to make the right decision.
On reflection, I could only conclude that knowledge
and experience had a huge part in the safe
outcome. Knowledge gained in hitting all the orders,
procedures and manuals gave me more confidence
5 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
”
in exercising my available options. Experiences
gained through shear hard work of realistic scenarios
discussed during daily emergency handling,
practised over and over again in the simulators,
drilled into me the clarity of thought, the composure
and the skill to react and recover timely from a totally
unexpected and undesired situation. While a smart
person may come to a logical conclusion faster with
no stress from time compression, it was the regular
practices and hard work that prepared me to deal
with a situation via reflex action that really surprised
me. Tough and realistic training had saved me from
a potentially catastrophic situation. Similarly, I
am sure the quick responses from the fire services,
maintenance personnel and tower controller was
borne out from countless practices and simulations
for which I would be eternally grateful for. Perhaps
luck also dealt me a hand. Had the bird strike
happened slightly earlier or later, or had it resulted in
a dual rather than single engine seizure, or there was
a fire or further damages to my airframe and control
surfaces, I would have been exposed to much greater
danger.
10 seconds was all I had to avert this high mishap
potential incident. Through my experience, I hope
that everyone would ask the question “if you had
done enough everyday to be able to protect yourself
if you have to dance with the devil in the pale
moonlight.” I am glad I did as it was the best sunrise I
ever saw at Pulau Sudong the next morning.
Note: Post-incident assessment indicates that the
left engine seizure was due to the extensive damage
caused by bird ingestion.
FOCUS
Safety Awards
CAF Safety Award
CPT Elvin Eng Boon Tat
144 SQN
On 19 February 2013, CPT Eng was part of a 3-ship formation conducting
a Night Air-to-Air TI 3v2 mission. After the intercept training, the formation
proceeded to conduct a practice diversion to Sudong via a trail straight-in
approach. During the roller, CPT Eng experienced a birdstrike as his aircraft
was lifting off at 168 KIAS and approximately 2500ft past the threshold.
The birdstrike caused a seizure of the left engine and resulted in his aircraft
sinking back onto the runway due to a loss of thrust. CPT Eng made the
correct split second decision to abort the roller and successfully engaged the
departure-end cable at approximately 120 KIAS. Any hesitation in decisionmaking or pilot’s responses would have potentially resulted in a catastrophic
accident as the aircraft would not have sufficient runway to continue with
the take-off.
For having displayed exceptional professionalism and timely pilots actions
in averting a potentially catastrophic mishap during a critical phase of flight,
CPT Elvin Eng was awarded the Chief of Air Force Safety Award.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
6
Struck by Lightning!!
Struck by Lightning!!
MAJ Chan Tze Yang
MAJ Chan is currently the Deputy Officer Commanding and Standards agent in 123 SQN. He has over 2000 flying hours and previously
flown the Super Puma helicopters before becoming one of the core pilots in the Naval Helicopter program being trained in the USA.
Artist‘s Illustration
We often hear and read about the dangers of
lightning and thunderstorm. This is especially so
for local operations, where signs of lightning strikes
on the dispersals or on aircraft during post-flight
inspections are fairly common. But I would never
imagine that I would ever experience a lightning
strike at close proximity, and walk away from this
episode with a renewed respect for the weather...
Having just returned from operational deployment
of the Naval Helicopter (NH) in the Gulf of Aden, I
“
was trying to get back “into the groove” of the Sqn’s
high operations and training tempo. As I was also a
flying instructor in the Sqn, my flying tasks were also
gradually being ramped up.
The sortie was a standard Anti-Submarine Warfare
(AsuW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASW) mission
training in the South China Sea. Mission details
and weather forecast were briefed as per standard
requirements. The air exercise was conducted in the
training area uneventfully, and we subsequently
started to make our way back to base.
My Operations (Ops) room informed us that weather was to the north
and east of Singapore moving in quickly.
7 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
”
FOCUS
Struck by Lightning!!
Burnt marks were discovered on parts of the rotor blade where the lightning had struck during the thunderstorm.
“
”
Almost immediately after the DCC was safely seated inside the cabin, multiple flashes
of lightning were observed within close proximity of the aircraft.
After a brief holding time, we were given clearance to
carry out our SINJON crossing. During the recovery
phase, I noticed the weather overhead the island was
deteriorating fast, in particular over Paya Lebar. A
quick sweep from the weather radar confirmed that
it was getting bad and moving south-westerly fast.
I radio-ed back to my Operations (Ops) room to
enquire about the weather back in the base and they
informed us that weather was to the north and east
of Singapore moving in quickly, which corresponded
with the picture on my weather radar. However, no
CAT 11 warning in Sembawang Airbase was issued
yet. I told them we would be landing at 1440H.
After the shut down, the Dedicated Crew Chief (DCC)
grounded the aircraft and joined us in the aircraft
cabin, taking refuge from the downpour while
waiting for the vehicle to arrive.
Almost immediately after the DCC was safely seated
inside the cabin, multiple flashes of lightning were
observed within close proximity of the aircraft. Even
if the vehicle had arrived, we were extremely hesitant
about leaving the aircraft at that juncture, as we saw
one particular flash very close to us, accompanied
by an almost simultaneous loud ‘bang’!
Shortly after landing, the Ops room called to update
that CAT 1 weather warning would be enforced at
1500H. We acknowledged and informed that we
were taxying back to shut down the aircraft.
As the lightning activity around us was unusually
high, I instructed Ops room using my phone through
text messages to hold the ferry vehicle, and told my
co-pilot and DCC to stop using their handphones,
hoping to reduce the possibility of a lightning strike
close to us again.
Prior to completing our shut down checks on the
aircraft at 1450h, the rain fell on us rather heavily.
We again radio-ed back to Ops room to request a
vehicle to ferry us back to the squadron building, as
the downpour was too intense to walk or even run
through with our flight gear. We then proceeded to
shut down the aircraft.
It was a good one-and-a-half hours before we
received an SMS from the Ops room that the CAT 1
warning was finally downgraded to CAT 2. We exited
the aircraft and proceeded to carry out a postflight visual inspection in the subsiding rain. We
noticed the bonding cable connecting the aircraft
and grounding point had broken to bits and burnt
1. Very high lightning risk and lightning producing cumulo-nimbus(CB) clouds over the area are extremely probable. This is issued
covering an area up to 6km radius of a particular airfield.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
8
Struck by Lightning!!
through. Several burnt marks were also observed
around the ground of the aircraft parking bay, when
there were none prior. We returned to the squadron
to relate the event to the Squadron Executive Officer
(SXO).
Together with the SXO, we went back out to the aircraft
after the rain had stopped to re-inspect the aircraft,
and further assess if there were more damages that
we might have missed out. Upon closer inspection,
we realised that the rear wheel tyres were deflated.
The 2 DCCs who were carrying out the checks with
us also observed some burnt marks on one of the
main rotor blade tip, which was not visible from the
ground up.
thunderstorm, it was still probably the safer option
when compared to running into a mini-van in
the downpour with high lightning activity in the
vicinity. We realised then that the parked aircraft
had protected us from the exterior environmental
hazards, as well as dissipating the lightning charge
that hit the aircraft.
Looking back at the situation that unfolded, we were
thankful that we were not out in the open when
the lightning activity was happening all around
us. Although it seemed improbable to be struck by
lightning while sitting inside an aircraft during a
“ ”
We noticed the bonding cable connecting
the aircraft and grounding point broken to
bits and burnt through.
9 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
Did you know?
Singapore has one of the highest rate of lightning
activity in the world. Lying near the Equator, the
weather is hot and humid almost all year round.
Conditions are favourable for the development
of lightning producing thunderstorm clouds.
An average of 171 thunderstorm days (days
when thunder is heard) are recorded annually in
Singapore.
Source: Meteorological Service Singapore, National
Environment Agency
FOCUS
Struck by Lightning!!
“ ”
Close up shots of burnt marks on the blades where the lightning had contacted.
Upon closer inspection, we realised that the rear wheel tyres were deflated. We
were thankful that we were not out in the open when the lightning activity was
happening all around us.
Some of the lessons learnt that we shared after this incident were:
•
•
•
•
To give ample time for shut down and proceed to shelter whenever CAT 1 weather warning
is issued. Even then, it is important to know that there is still a possibility of lightning activity
occurring earlier than the forecasted onset timing.Keep the options for diversion to other
airfields as one of the main considerations if CAT 1 was declared at the home base during
the expected recovery window.
If time permits, give considerations for ample time of at least 15-20 min prior to the onset of
CAT 1 for the ground crew to tow the aircraft back into the weather shed safely.
Although there are extremely rare cases of being struck by lightning through the use of
mobile phones, it is recommended to refrain from using them during a thunderstorm
with high lightning activity. In our case, we limited our communication to just critical text
messages to minimise our exposure.
Do not take weather, especially thunderstorms for granted since it is almost a daily
occurrence. The unpredictable nature of the inter-monsoon period was also highlighted.
We were very lucky to have walked away from this incident unscathed. Has this episode scarred
us? Well, it did shake us up a little for a few days but we were back in full operational frame of
mind in no time. However, we will definitely give more respect to thunderstorms in future and
to remember to always take the conservative approach to weather warnings during peacetime
training operations.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 10
Struck when you least expected it!
Struck when you least expect it!
LTC Ong Choon Hui
LTC Ong is currently a branch head in AOD. He is a fighter pilot by vocation and had achieved more than 1,000 F-5 flying hours. He
graduated from the Singapore Command and Staff College (now Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College) in 2008.
Lightnings and thunderstorms are fairly common in our region, especially during the inter-monsoon seasons.
Even though modern aircraft designs are capable of being operated under all-weather conditions, pilots have
always been trained to avoid flying through bad weather, whenever possible, to avoid turbulence and potential
lightning strikes.
rsely affec
n often adve
-up ca
Weather build SS NEA
:M
Picture source
“
”
t the safety of
ions.
flying operat
Before I could request for deviation of track due to weather, there
was a static noise heard on my aircraft radio comms, which was
quickly followed by a lightning flash observed on the nose of my
aircraft.
11 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
FOCUS
….. press!
On 14th February 2013, I was the flight lead and flight
supervisor for a 4-ship training mission. The weather
forecast during the pre-flight brief that morning
called for “isolated showers and thunderstorms”
during our planned flying period. The first wave was
subsequently cancelled due to weather. Fortunately,
the weather cleared and was deemed suitable to
launch the following wave. A final check on the
weather radar before we walked for our mission did
not show any meteorological warning/advisory, and
gave us the assurance that the weather was good
enough for flying.
During the taxy to the end-of-runway, a visual
check on the weather along the departure route
to South China Sea training area appeared to be
satisfactory and there was no adverse weather pirep
(pilot’s report). The departure profile was carried
out, in accordance with the established Air Traffic
Control procedure, with occasional Instrument
Meteorological Conditions encountered through
some broken 5-7 oktas cumulus clouds between
10,000 ft to about 30,000 ft. Throughout the
departure routing, the weather was assessed to be
mild as there were neither a noticeable weather
build-up nor any lightning activities sighted.
After the air exercise, I gathered my formation “chicks”
and set course for recovery. The recovery route was
“
Fortunately, the weather cleared
and was deemed suitable to
launch the following wave.
”
almost a reciprocal track of the departure route. I
assessed that the en-route weather was as mild
as the weather encountered during the departure
some 30 minutes ago. In addition, a pair of F-16s had
just entered the South China Sea training area at an
altitude of about 18,000 ft, via the same departure
track, with no adverse weather reported. We
maintained a recovery altitude of 15,000 ft to 16,000
ft, strung out the individual formation members
to 1 Nm trail, and maintained the best weather
penetration airspeed, in anticipation of any weather
en-route.
The Zapp!
While established within the recovery corridor
heading west, the flight went through the layered
clouds but the flight was stable and calm. However,
five minutes into the transit through the weather,
slight precipitation was felt and the flight became
bumpy with slight to moderate turbulence. Before I
could request for deviation of track due to weather,
there was a static noise heard on my aircraft radio,
which was quickly followed by a lightning flash
observed on the nose of my aircraft. At the same time,
I noticed my onboard digital displays had flickered
momentarily. The left-hand engine RPM indicator
Artist’s Illustration
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 12
Struck when you least expected it!
Weather’s good…
Struck when you least expected it!
was observed to be winding down too. I instinctively
retarded the left-hand throttle, hoping to arrest the
RPM rollback. However, it was to no avail and the
left-hand engine flamed out.
I immediately informed the Arrival Controller of my
situation and the rest of the formation members took
avoidance action by taking an alternate route for
recovery. Fortunately, the F-5 has two engines and
it is totally flyable with only one engine operating,
for the aircraft configuration that I was in. At the
altitude of 15,500 ft, I knew I had some time to react
to the situation. I managed to fly out of the weather
shortly after, as it was not widespread. Thereafter, I
executed a successful air start and landed the aircraft
uneventfully.
During the post-flight walk-around checks, burnt
marks were observed at the tail fin of the Air Combat
Maneuvering Instrumentation pod at the wing tip
station and the top ILS GS/LOC antenna located at
the top of the vertical stabilizer.
Post-incident analysis of the engine parameters by
technical specialists suggested that the lightning
heated and expanded the air around the aircraft,
which significantly reduced the quality of air
entering the engine. The reduction of airflow was
severe enough to cause air starvation and eventual
engine flameout.
Although uncommon, this was not the first time an
F-5 encountered engine flameout due to lightning
strike, as there were similar occurrences back in
2006 and 2008. In commercial flying, there had been
similar incidents of lightning strike in flight too. In the
U.S. commercial fleet alone, each aircraft is estimated
to have been struck by lightning on the average of
more than once a year1.
Expect the unexpected!
This incident serves as a good reminder that lightning
strikes may still occur in a seemingly mild weather.
All aircrew should stay vigilant even when transiting
through mild weather and be ready to handle such
occurrences.
“ ”
Technical specialists suggested that the lightning heated and expanded
the air around the aircraft, which significantly reduced the quality of air
entering the engine.
1.
Edward J. Rupke, “What happens when lightning strikes an airplane?” Aug 14, 2006, Scientific American.
13 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
FOCUS
Venue: Air Force Training Command Auditorium
Date : 3 April 2013
Chief of Air Force,
BG Hoo Cher Mou
Head Air Force Inspectorate,
COL Aw Kwee Siong
Head Air Engineering and Logistics,
ME8 Lee Ling Wee
Head Air Operations,
BG Neo Hong Keat
Guest speaker:
Chief Executive DSTA,
Mr Tan Peng Yam
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 14
Annual Safety Conference 2013
Annual Safety Conference 2013
Annual Safety Awards
Annual Safety Awards
OUTSTANDING Safety Officers
Command
Rank/Name
Unit
ADOC
MAJ Huang Song Heng, Jason
160 SQN
AFTC
MAJ Lim Seng Tong, Ashley
AGC
ACC
CPT Ng Han Lin, Max
149 SQN
UC
CPT Lim Ee Meng
128 SQN
PC
CPT Tan Wee Lee
126 SQN
APGC
MR Hum Yew Fei, Gary
807 SQN
AFSC
ME3 Wong Mui Kim
7 SD
OUTSTANDING Safety WarriorS
Command
Rank/Name
Unit
AFTC
ME3 Lee Chwee Chin
AETI TSF
ADOC
SSG Leong Wei Kia, Andrew
165 SQN
PC
SSG Mah Siew Fai
126 SQN
ACC
1SG Lim Zhan Ye, Zealous
112 SQN
UC
ME2 Yee Choon Leong
AELS
APGC
ME2 Ong Chou Wei, Harry
816 SQN
FTC
ME1 Tan See Hiang, Adrian
FTC
Zero Accident in Motor Transport Safety
Command
Air Combat Command
Air Defence and Operations Command
Participation Command
UAV Command
15 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
FOCUS
Unit
Accident-Free
Flying Years
Unit
Accident-Free
Flying Years
120 SQN
2
112 SQN
13
PEACE CARVIN 2
2
PEACE PRAIRIE
17
123 SQN
3
127 SQN
17
PEACE CARVIN V
3
145 SQN
20
125 SQN
4
140 SQN
21
111 SQN
6
144 SQN
21
UAV TRAINING SCHOOL
6
143 SQN
23
130 SQN
6
AIR GRADING CENTRE
23
116 SQN
6
150 SQN
23
128 SQN
7
124 SQN
26
119 SQN
8
149 SQN
26
126 SQN
9
122 SQN
36
TRIALS SQN
9
STANDARDS SQN
37
PEACE VANGUARD
9
121 SQN
40
122 SQN
STANDARDS SQN
121 SQN
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 16
Annual Safety Awards
Accident-Free Flying YEARS
Laser and Aviation Safety
Laser and Aviation Safety
CPT (DR) Magdalene Lee
“
CPT(DR) Lee is an Aviation Medical Officer at the RSAF Aeromedical Centre (ARMC). She currently holds
the post of Staff Officer (Flight Environment) in Crew Safety and Flight Environment (CSAFE) Branch which
is involved in the development of 3rd generation Aviation Physiology Training. She attained Bachelor
of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS and is a resident of
Emergency Medical Department of National University Hospital.
Although lasers have legitimate uses such as for outdoor public displays,
astronomical teaching and even in survivor packs as laser distress signals,
the misuse of laser devices pose a serious threat to aviation safety.
Aircraft Lasered!
”
At 2200H, a C-130 callsign Kingfisher 1 was conducting an instrument landing approach to land at the
destination airfield, when the crew noticed the cabin being illuminated by a bright green light. Looking up,
the aircraft captain was suddenly blinded by the light source and quickly informs his crew of the situation.
Overwhelmed by flash-blindness, he promptly hands over control to his co-pilot, who fortunately was not
affected. The landing was successfully completed by the co-pilot.
Although this laser incident is fictitious and the outcome was uneventful, it is based on actual events and
personal interviews with aircrew who have been exposed to laser beams while flying.
Background on Lasers.
Laser pointers have become increasingly popular and available to public. The apparent brightness of the lasers
has greatly increased while the cost of acquiring them has drastically decreased1. One may easily purchase
a 5 mW laser (Class IIIa) online or at a gadget store in Singapore. See Table 1 for the classification of Lasers.
Although lasers have legitimate uses such as for outdoor public displays, astronomical teaching and even in
survivor packs as laser distress signals, the misuse of laser devices pose a serious threat to aviation safety.
Class
I
II (<1mW)
IIIa (1-5 nW)
IIIb (5-500mW)
IV (>500mW)
Examples
Laser Printers, CD Players, Geological
Survey Equipment
Laser pointers, Aiming devices
Laser pointers, laser scanners
Entertainment displays, spectrometry
(Helium-Neon Laser)
Surgery, Drilling and Welding in
Micromachinery.
CAUTION!
No Safety Requirements needed
Avoid looking into the beam. Exposure (>15
minutes) will cause damage to the eyes
Do NOT view directly
Severe eye injuries if viewed directly. Wear
proper eye protection.
Fire Hazard. Hazardous to eye and skin even
on reflection.
Table 1: Revised Classification as specified by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 60825-1).2
There were a total of 24 incidents of laser light pointing at aircraft taking off or landing at Changi Airport in
20113. While laser shows are strictly regulated and the cases thus far have been assessed to be acts of mischief
1.
2.
3.
Van B. Nakagawara, et al Laser Pointers: Their Potential Affects on Vision and Aviation Safety (Apr 2001)
In Singapore, anyone acquiring a class IIIb or more laser would require a licence from National Environment Agency. The individual
is required to undergo an eye examination before certified fit to be engaged in radiation work using the irradiation apparatus.
Channel News Asia. More incidents of laser light pointing at aircraft in Changi. (9 Mar 2012)
17 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
FOCUS
Diagram 2: Laser Show at Sentosa.
by the unknowing public, it is prudent for aircrew
to be cognisant of this threat to aviation safety and
attuned to immediate recovery actions.
The Mischievous Individual(s) and the
Laser Pointer.
Most reported cases of illumination on in-flight
aircraft suggest that green lasers were popular among
laser enthusiasts. While a green laser is considerably
more expensive than a red laser pointer due to the
cost of the diode, it appears much brighter such that
even weaker ones can be seen at night. Therein lies
the danger, as the human eye is 10-50 times more
sensitive to green light than red. The wavelength
Visual effect hazards, and hazard distances,
of a 5 milliwatt green laser pointer
inset photos were taken in an FAA flight simulator. They show what a pilot sees on a landing approach, during a
5 mW laser illumination. The closer the aircraft is to laser, the more difficult it is to see out the windscreen.
To calculate hazard distances for more powerful lasers, multiply the hazard distance by the squar root of the
power increase. For example, a 125 mW laser pointer is 25 times more powerful than the 5 mW laser shown here.
The square root of 25 is 5. Therefore, the maximum Glare/Disruption Hazard Distance for a 125 mW laser is 5x1,200 ft,
or 6,000 ft (over 1 mile). The maximum Distraction Hazard Distance is 5x11,700 ft, or 58,500 ft (11 miles).
Diagram 34: Illusion of Laser Ending Mid-Air
Caused by PBL
(532nm) of the green laser is at the peak sensitivity
to the dark-adapted eye.
To the user who points a 5mW laser into the sky, the
beam seems to end after a few hundred meters but
the green light is visible well above 10,000ft.
This illusion is due to the planetary boundary layer
(PBL). For the laser beam to be visible to the ground
user, it must be reflected off particles like dust and
water vapour. Beyond the PBL, the air is cleaner and
less light is reflected back causing the beam to stop
in mid-air. The mischievous laser pointer is therefore
tricked that his laser is not powerful enough to reach
the aircraft. Diagram 3 illustrates the illusion caused
by the PBL.
Hazards
The main problems with a
laser attack are that they are
always sudden, very bright,
distracting and can cause
temporary visual disturbance
for some time after the
attack5. These visual effects
may potentially disorientate
the pilot, causing a loss of
situational awareness6 and
are most hazardous during
critical phases of flight.
The extent of the hazard faced
by the pilot is determined
by the distance from the
distance of the laser. Diagram
4 illustrates the visual hazards
with increasing distance.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Diagram with courtesy from www.laserpointersafety.com. Why Laser Beams Outdoors Seem To End.
Rockwell Laser Industried (RLI) Analysis of 6903 laser incidents in FAA’s Database. US: Laser Beams Usually are not tracking aircraft;
Most Do Not Enter Cockpit Windows.
Patrick Murphy. International Laser Display Association. Lasers and Aviation Safety. Visual Effect and Hazards Distances of a 5mW
Green Laser Pointer (Sep 2009)
Diagram with courtesy from www.laserpointersafety.com. What Makes Lasers Hazardous to Aviation.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 18
Laser and Aviation Safety
Diagram 1: Laser Show at Marina
Bay Sands
Laser and Aviation Safety
Glare. A person’s visual field will be obscured when
a bright light source comes into his line of sight.
When this occurs, his vision, especially night vision
will start to deteriorate.
Diagram 58: Glare Experienced By The Pilot In The Cockpit
By A 5mW Laser 330 ft Away.
Temporary Flash-blindness and Afterimages.
Depending on the power and distance of the laser, a
portion of the visual field may be completely knocked
out temporarily, with afterimages similar to the aftereffects of a bright camera flash. Afterimages may
take up to 5-10 minutes to fade. However, if after this
time the spots are still visible, injury to the eye might
have been sustained.
“
The human eye is 10-50 times
more sensitive to green light
than red.
”
The retina is an extension of the brain and consists
of several complex layers of nerve cells involve in
colour and light vision (rods for night and peripheral
vision and cones for colour vision and resolution).
Akin to a magnifying glass focussing the sun rays to
burn wood, the lens in the human eye focusses the
laser beam into a tiny spot that can burn the retina,
up to 200 000 times more intensely than at the point
where the laser beam enters the eye. The human eye
can compensate for small areas of retina burns but
large areas can present as permanent vision loss.
Diagram 711: Absorption Energy Of Different Wavelengths
By Different Eye Tissues
Diagram 69: Flashblindness Experienced By Pilot In The
CockpitBy A 5mW Laser 1000 ft Away.
Eye Injury. If you have been involved in a laser
incident, you would be concerned about what effect
the laser might have had on your eyes. Other than
the temporary visual hazards mentioned above,
high energy lasers can cause serious thermal injuries.
It is reassuring to note that of all the thousands of
reported laser incidents, only a handful reported eye
injuries and none had permanent and recordable
eye injury10.
The location of the eye injury is directly related to the
wavelength of the laser and the energy absorption
characteristics of the eye tissues. For visible lasers
(wavelength 400-760nm), most of the radiation is
transmitted to the retina.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Diagram 812: Concentration Of Laser Beam On The Retina
“
Akin to a magnifying glass
focussing the sun rays to burn
wood, the lens in the human eye
focusses the laser beam into a
tiny spot that can burn the retina.
”
Diagram with courtesy from www.fbi.gov Laser Pointer Attackes Taking Off: Pose Serious Threat to Aviation Security (Oct 2012)
Diagram with courtesy from www.boeing.com Reducing The Threat of Laser Illuminations
US: Latest 2012 Laser/Aircraft Incident Statistics. U.S Federal Aviation Administration (Jan 2013)
Diagram with courtesy from muldoonshealthphysician.com Laser Biological Hazards.
Diagram with courtesy from www.laserfx.com Basic Laser Safety – Eye and Skin Hazards
19 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
FOCUS
Under the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Air
Navigation Order (ANO), it is a criminal offence for any person to
shine any light, or cause or permit any light to be directed or shone
at an aircraft such that the safety of the aircraft is or likely to be
endangered.
Any person convicted of such an offence could be fined up to
S$20,000. Repeat offenders can be fined up to S$40,000 and/or
jailed up to 15 months13.
Diagram 9: CAAS Sign Placed At Fishing
Hotspots In Singapore
“
It is a criminal offence for any person to shine any light, or cause or permit
any light to be directed or shone at an aircraft such that the safety of the
aircraft is or likely to be endangered.
WHAT TO DO WHEN LASERED?
Recognise and Recover
”
In the event that laser illumination of the
aircraft is encountered, the following actions are
recommended14:
a. Do not panic. Avoid looking directly at the source
of these laser beams and turn away. Shield
eyes to the maximum extent possible without
compromising aircraft control and safety.
b. Avoid rubbing eyes to reduce the potential for
corneal abrasion.
c. If lased, single-seat pilots should transfer to
instrument flying. In a multi-crew environment,
flight controls should be handed over to nonaffected crew or transfer to instrument flying. If
NVGs are used and then shut down as a result
of laser illumination, similar actions should be
adopted.
d. Aircraft operating at low-level altitudes especially
helicopters, are advised to step up as necessary
during this transition.
e. Report the incident to ATC as soon as possible.
The report should include the position of the
aircraft, colour of the light, originating direction
and position. The information could be used by
law enforcement authorities to investigate and
take the necessary action to safeguard the safety
of aviation operations.
f. After landing, aircrew feeling any discomfort in
the eyes are advised to consult the Medical Officer
as soon as possible.
Laser Protective Eyewear
Anti-laser glasses currently can only protect against
one or a few specific wavelengths of laser light. Other
types of laser safety eyewear like those made for
laboratory use, should not be used as these limit too
wide a range of colours and are effective against the
most common laser pointer colours. Laser Protective
Eyewear (LPE) reduce visible light transmittance
and may adversely affect how cockpit instruments
and runway lights are perceived. Due to the wide
variety of laser wavelengths to guard against, if all
wavelengths are to be protected against, the LPE
would essentially be opaque. Till the appropriate
technology can be developed for responsive
protection from a wide range of wavelengths, it is
not recommended for use in-flight and recovery
actions by the pilot would suffice.
Did you know?
In 2012, 3482 laser events were logged with the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with 90%
of the cases being illumination. In the remaining
10% of events, pilots see a laser beam outside
their aircraft but the light does not enter the
windscreen and illuminate the cockpit. No
accidents have been attributed to the events
but 36 aircrew have reported temporary adverse
visual effect. Out of which, 4 had more severe
and long-lasting eye injury. However, there has
not been an incident (in 2012 or in previous
years) of permanent eye damage.
13. Channel News Asia. More incidents of laser light pointing at aircraft in Changi. (9 Mar 12)
14. Patirck J. Clark Lt Col, USAF, BSC, et al (Sep 2008) United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Laser Injury Guidebook.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 20
Laser and Aviation Safety
Air Navigation Order and Legal Implications
Safety in Daily Operations
Everyday Safety In 507 SQN
3SG Kang Zi Yang and
LCP Joshua Leung Rong Tai
3SG Kang Zi Yang is a National Service Fulltime (NSF) Air Force Technician with the Jet Fuel Station team in the Infrastructure & Systems
Recovery Flight, 507 SQN. He graduated from Raffles Institution in 2011 and will be furthering his studies at Stanford University in 2014.
LCP Joshua Leung Rong Tai is an NSF Field Engineer Pioneer serving with the Infrastructure Maintenance Section in the Infrastructure &
Systems Recovery Flight, 507 SQN. He graduated from Anglo-Chinese Junior College in 2011 and will be pursuing a degree in Political
Science at the National University of Singapore in 2014.
507 Squadron’s role is to maintain the functionality and operability of the air base, including the airfields, the
surrounding buildings and any infrastructure that keeps the base running. This entails weekly checks on mobile
generators conducted by I&SRF as shown.
Introduction
When considering the issue of safety, it is common
to associate safe practices with training, exercises,
and deployments. Safety is often given the utmost
priority in these activities, and much has been written
about ensuring safety in these areas. However, one
aspect that we often overlook is ensuring safety in
our daily tasks. After all, safety is an all-encompassing
mindset that the SAF is cultivating. The safety aspect
of our daily work processes is equally important and
it cannot be neglected.
Unfortunately, it is all too easy to neglect safety in
daily operations. When our daily work becomes
routine and we give it the same treatment as drills
21 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
– executing the same actions upon a given prompt
– we tend to forget that human life is fragile and
that, at times, seemingly unlikely occurrences in our
daily life can cause injury or death. Obviously, we
should not advocate extreme paranoia; yet we must
recognise that no matter what we do, or how routine
a job is, danger in some form is always present. If
precautions are not taken, negligence and unsafe
practices can be costly, and a limb or a life may be
lost.
About 507 Squadron
507 Squadron is part of the Airbase Civil Engineering
(ACE) community. Our squadron’s role is to maintain
the functionality and operability of the airbase,
FOCUS
”
Regular inspection of facilities is an example of constant
vigilance as part of safety awareness that must be
exercised in order to ensure safety at all times.
including the airfields, the surrounding buildings
and any infrastructure that keeps the base running.
Our job scope is rather broad, ranging from runway
repair to pipe repair to building maintenance to
round base checks. The Airfield Damage Recovery
Flight (ADRF) inspects and maintains various aspects
of the airfield to ensure safe flying for our pilots,
from machinery that aids landing, to the runway our
planes take off from and land on, to the lightings that
ensure safe night operations. On the other hand, the
Infrastructure and Systems Recovery Flight (I&SRF)
handles base structures and facilities such as fire
pump houses, camouflage nettings, the interior
of buildings and pipe systems. In addition, the
Operations Support Flight (OSF) provides essential
ground logistics support for the air base, including
jet fuel refuelling to aircraft and the operation of
Aviation Specialist Vehicles (ASVs). The constant
flying, usage of facilities and training conducted
to keep the RSAF operationally ready means that
maintenance support is a daily endeavour for our
squadron.
With such a job scope, safety is always a concern
as our personnel are vulnerable to a variety of risks.
Following SOPs is crucial to ensuring safety in daily work,
no matter how experienced or adept we might think we
are in carrying out the assigned task.
From flying aircraft to handling sharp tools, from
operating heavy machinery and electrical systems
to wild snakes, there are plenty of both known and
unknown dangers that can threaten our men’s wellbeing. Besides our own squadron personnel, we also
oversee the safety of contractors that we sometimes
bring in to do jobs for us. Moreover, our work affects
the safety of other users of the airfield as well. With
so much responsibility on our shoulders, we, as a
squadron, take the issue of safety very seriously. Even
in our daily briefings we note safety incidents that
have occurred in the entire SAF and draw lessons
applicable to our personnel, no matter how remote
the connection may seem, to make our lives and the
lives of others a little safer everyday. We also firmly
believe in the RSAF principle that zero accident
is an achievable goal and that it is an indicator of
operational capability. To achieve zero accident in
our daily lives, we must all apply the principles of
behavioural based safety – Safety Awareness, Team
Excellence, inculcating a Safe Working Culture,
Reinforcing Safe Behaviour and Eliminating Unsafe
Behaviour.
Safety Awareness is a Must
Safety awareness is simply being aware of potential
dangers and measures that are taken to remain
safe when facing them. This information is usually
encapsulated in a set of Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs), which dictate the way jobs should
be done and the precautions one must take when
approaching these jobs. In our daily work, it can be
easy to forget that such SOPs exist, and we blindly
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 22
Safety in Daily Operations
“
If precautions are not taken, negligence and unsafe practices can be costly,
and a limb or a life may be lost.
Safety in Daily Operations
FOD killers are operated by the OSF to eliminate FOD in the airfield, which is essential in the RSAF’s mission to ensure
safety in operations.
follow anecdotal instructions to perform a task or
ignore measures meant to protect us. This creates
an unnecessary element of risk which may lead
to accidents. For instance, some of the jobs I&SRF
undertakes on a regular basis is to maintain electronic
systems such as generators, air-conditioning, and
communications systems. It is stated in the SOPs that
we must wear gloves while handling such systems
to protect us from electrical shocks. Failure to wear
such gloves makes exposed wires a potential hazard
that may cause possible burns or death. Another
example is wearing protective clothing and masks
while repairing gas pipes. As the gas contained
within might be hazardous if breathed in, or if it
comes into direct contact with our eyes and skin,
personnel repairing the pipes must wear protective
clothing, goggles and a mask. By ignoring any of
these precautions, he puts his safety and health at
risk as well as the lives of his team members. Safety
awareness is key; as many would put it, “knowledge
is power” and in this case, knowledge grants us the
power to prevent accidents.
23 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
Good Teamwork Begets Safety
eam excellence is one of the RSAF’s core values.
One aspect of team excellence is to look after one
another and help ensure each other’s safety. We are
taught during Basic Military Training (BMT) to always
operate in a buddy system no matter how routine
the job is. The buddy system can be carried out by
one doing and one watching or both doing the
same thing, but the core principle is the same: one
can always help to prevent incidents, and should an
accident occurs, there will always be one present to
aid the other and inform others of the situation. A
great example of this principle in action is the way 507
Squadron approaches jobs involving heights. When
inspecting camouflage nettings or water tanks three
to four storeys high, we always have two people
climbing up. They will wear safety harnesses with a
safety rope connecting one climber to the other. In
this setup, one can warn the other if he is too close
to the edge and provide aid in the event that a snake
is discovered hiding on the roof. Furthermore, safety
harnesses afford personnel more safety in climbing.
In the event that one climber falls over the edge, the
FOCUS
Inculcating a Safe Working Culture
An organisation’s culture influences the way its
employees think, act and work. The RSAF is no
different. If the RSAF strives towards building a
safe working culture, our personnel will, in turn, act
more responsibly and practise good habits when
performing jobs. An example of this is the prevention
“
of foreign object debris (FOD) risk. As an ACE squadron,
we often enter the Aircraft Manoeuvring Area (AMA)
for our jobs, in which aircraft will be operating on a
regular basis. It is a well known fact that anything
that enters the engines of the aircraft, no matter
how small, can damage or even destroy the engine,
putting the pilot and crew member at risk. Thus, we
have developed a culture of meticulousness, always
accounting for all the tools and small objects around
our work area in the airfield.
Consider the following: ADRF often takes out tools to
repair the Mobile Arrestor Gear (MAG), hookwire or
lightings; these small tools are tools like screwdrivers,
wrenches, screws, or bulbs. If these go missing, it can
only mean one thing – that they were left somewhere
on the airfield and thus pose an FOD risk to aircraft.
In order to prevent such incidents, all personnel have
been drilled to account for every tool taken out of
the tools store. This practice has now become a habit
to them.
Excellent teamwork on the buddy level helps to prevent accidents and
save lives if incidents do occur.
”
Safe behaviour such as the wearing of back support and gloves is of paramount importance and should be reinforced,
especially in potentially dangerous operations such as deploying the MAG.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 24
Safety in Daily Operations
other can take the role of a belayer, by holding on
to the 0.5-metre-high ridge of the roof and acting
as an anchoring point to stop his buddy from falling
to the ground. The belayer can then use the ridge
of the roof as a pivot to hoist his buddy up. Another
example of this is the operation of heavy plants like
excavators. There will always be an assistant who acts
as a second pair of eyes for the operator and directs
his movement. This prevents the plant operator from
running over others or driving his plant into ditches.
Excellent teamwork on the buddy level helps to
prevent accidents and save lives.
Safety in Daily Operations
Unsafe behaviour, such as negligence and failure to wear gloves when carrying out tests on electrical equipment,
must be identified and eliminated. (Note: this picture was taken for illustrative purposes; the breaker was turned off
prior to the taking of the picture.)
“ ”
By inculcating a culture of safety, we develop good habits and caution in
our servicemen.
Also consider this: OSF operates ASVs such as fuel
bowsers, which are fire hazards as jet fuel is highly
flammable. A misplaced spark from any source
would therefore be a significant danger, be it due
to vehicle accidents or external sources. Thus, we
always ensure constant vigilance when operating
in such a hazardous environment, through constant
reminders and briefs about previous Ground Accident
and Incident Reports (GAIRs). By inculcating a culture
of safety, we develop good habits and caution in our
servicemen. These traits can be passed on to future
batches of personnel entering the squadron.
Reinforcing Safe Behaviour
There is a significant difference between behaviour
and habit. Behaviour can be temporary: a simple
reminder can make us behave safely, but often this
is lost by the next day. A habit, on the other hand, is
more permanent: once we have ingrained a habit, it
25 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
tends to stick with us until we try to rid ourselves of
it. In order to make safe behaviour a habit, we must
constantly reinforce safe behaviour where possible.
For instance, in BMT, we are told to drink water often,
every hour if possible. This has a purpose – to prevent
dehydration and heat injuries from occurring. After
BMT, depending on which unit we are posted to, we
may lose this behaviour as dehydration and heat
injuries become a seemingly remote possibility. 507
Squadron constantly reminds its personnel to drink
a lot of water and keep hydrated, reinforcing the
safe behaviour we have practiced since BMT and
gradually turning it into a habit for our servicemen.
This helps to prevent dehydration and heat injury,
and keeps our personnel safe. Another example
is keeping our back straight while moving heavy
objects such as the MAG either by lifting them, or
pulling them. Personnel are constantly reminded
to do so in order to prevent back injury. Through
numerous reminders, our personnel have made it a
FOCUS
Eliminating Unsafe Behaviour
When carrying out any given task, we must always
look out for unsafe behaviour and make it a point
“”
accident. A common accident that occurs in the office
is being hit by a swinging door. We should be wary
around closed doors and we should also remember
to open doors slowly so that anyone behind them
will not sustain random concussions. The putting of
reflective tape on the floor to demarcate the radius of
the swinging door is also a good practice to reduce
accidents. Another possible accident is burns or
scalds resulting from the mishandling of hot food or
Safety is not limited to training exercises, deployment in the field or in
operations.
to eliminate them. It is easy to reprimand others
for unsafe behaviour, but this does not always
achieve the desired results. Punishment may lead to
resentment, which may in turn lead to defiance or
non-compliance in an unsupervised environment.
Rather, it will be more effective to justify the
implementation of safety procedures. An example
of this is when we fail to wear seat belts, either by
choice or forgetfulness, while we are driving or riding
vehicles. However, after the recent vehicle accidents
that occurred in the SAF, the putting on of seat
belts was emphasised and made compulsory. The
rationale is simple: if a vehicle accident does occur,
seat belts can save one’s life; by not wearing the
seat belt, one puts himself at risk of death. Another
example concerns the vehicle commander, whose
role is to look out for dangers on the road and advise
the driver accordingly. A vehicle commander puts
himself and all other occupants of the vehicle at
risk if he sleeps or is negligent on the job. We deter
such behaviour by reminding personnel that safety
procedures ultimately protect their well-being,
because their lives matter to us and their loved ones.
By understanding the justification behind safety
procedures, individuals will be more compliant in
following them. This will gradually eliminate unsafe
behaviour. The elimination of unsafe behaviour is a
constant on-going process: with every undesirable
action we identify and eliminate, we make our daily
jobs a little safer.
Have Good Office Practices
Not all days will be spent doing inspections,
maintenance and repairs. There will be times that we
will be doing paper work in the office. Yet, even in
such a safe, secure and hazard-free environment, it is
prudent to have some good practices to ensure zero
Personal protective equipment such as helmet and
gloves should be used at all times to prevent accidents
from occurring.
drinks: remember that anything made with hot water
or thrown into the microwave is hot enough to cause
first degree burns. Many of us also tend to overload
power points with multiple office equipment as we
need to supply power to many computers, printers
or scanners in the office. This poses a fire hazard, and
hence care must be taken not to overload power
points so as to avoid electrical fires from breaking
out. Finally, sharp objects such as scissors, knives and
paper shredders are common objects in the office. If
one is not careful, one may sustain a cut. Thus, we
should all be mindful whenever we are using any
sharp object.
Conclusion
Safety is not limited to training exercises, deployment
in the field or in operations. Safety is just as important
as we go about performing our daily tasks. If we
forget this, unexpected accidents will occur as we
carry on with our everyday office routine. By keeping
in mind the principles of behavioural psychology and
applying it to our daily life, we can all work towards
achieving our goal of zero accident.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 26
Safety in Daily Operations
habit to keep their back straight while handling heavy
objects. Where possible, good safety behaviours
should be identified and constantly reinforced to
help develop safe habits in servicemen.
COs’ Conference 2013
COs’ Conference 2013
(4-5 April 2013)
The annual RSAF Commanding Officers’ (COs’) Conference was conducted from 4 to 5 April 2013 at SAFRA Mount
Faber. The theme for this year’s conference was “Our Air Force – Sustaining Mission Success, Forging our Tribe”.
Over the years, the focus of the conference has shifted from purely safety to covering other areas such as operations,
training, team building and public standing. The sessions included topics on “Expanding Capabilities while
ensuring Zero Accident”, Sustaining Mission Success”, “Enhancing the RSAF’s public standing”, and “Developing
the COs”. Through various discussions and presentations, the two-day conference reinforced the RSAF’s workplan
imperatives and safety focus for the year, and provided the participants with the knowledge and skills to better
command and manage their squadrons safely and effectively.
27 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
FOCUS
(16 January 2013)
Venue : Airforce Training Command
HF Management Workshop
(17-18 January 2013)
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 28
Outstanding Safety Award + Safety Activities
CAF Quarterly Safety Forum
Safety Activities
Outstanding Safety Award
ME2 Palwinder Singh
808 SQN (18 February 2013)
On 18 February 2013, ME2 Singh was performing before-flight
checks on an F16D+ aircraft. During the zonal inspection of the
Nose Landing Gear (NLG) area, he noticed that one of the electrical
cable’s position was out of place, and proceeded to conduct a
more thorough inspection of the area. During further inspection, it was discovered that the bonding
attachment for the cable was slightly dislodged. A failure of the bonding attachment could potentially
cause cable chaffing or severance during the retraction and extension of the NLG, which would, in
turn, affect ground handling of the aircraft as well as some of the aircraft sub-systems. The dislodged
cable could also potentially become entangled in the NLG wheel well, affecting the extension of the
NLG in-flight.
For his professionalism and exemplary vigilance in his duties in preventing a potential critical flight
emergency from occurring, ME2 Palwinder Singh was awarded the Outstanding Safety Award.
Indian Air Force Safety Exchange Visit
(13-15 February 2013)
The Safety Exchange Meeting between the RSAF and the Indian Air Force was successfully conducted
from 13 to 14 February 2013 in Singapore. Director Aerospace Safety-1, Directorate of Aerospace
Safety IAF, GRP CAPT Jagmeet Singh Dhamoon led the 3-man IAF Safety delegation. The professional
exchanges and safety discussions were excellent. The IAF delegation also visited ARMC as part of the
exchange programme.
29 RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013
FOCUS
Safety Crossword Puzzle
FOCUS #75 - Safety Crossword Puzzle
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Across
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Safety In __________ Operations
South __________ Sea
__________ Protective Equipment
Air __________ Control
Civil __________ Authority of Singapore
Crew Safety and Flight __________
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Foreign __________ Debris
Practice __________
__________ Storm
Expect The __________
Anti-__________ Warfare
__________ Sudong
Airfield __________ Recovery Flight
__________ Strike
FOCUS #74 Crossword
Puzzle Winner:
ME2 Chan Yeow Teck, 208 SQN
Email your answers with your Rank/Name, NRIC, Unit and Contact details to AFI (2WO Steven Goh) before 31 May 2013.
All correct entries will be balloted and 3 winners will receive a $30 Popular Voucher each.
The crossword puzzle is open to all RSAF personnel except personnel from AFI and the FOCUS Editorial Board.
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013 30
RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013