Airports

Sample Use Case: Crowded Cargo Ramp

Congratulations! It is your first day on your new job as cargo ramp manager. Surveying the area for the first time, you’re highly impressed that this much chaos can fit into such a small apron. For instance, FOD control is weak, with broken pallets, loose packaging materials, and a perpetual wind that blows debris into fences and corners. It’s time to clean house, in more ways than one.

Your budget is limited, but you have enough funds on hand to purchase some additional equipment to combat FOD, the inefficient loading procedures, and aging vehicles. First, though, you want to get oriented and your priorities straight.

Suggested Resources

Check out our articles on How To Prevent FOD at Your Airport or How to Set Up a FOD Program for more great ideas.

So you make a few phone calls, talk to some experts and eventually reach someone at The FOD Control Corporation to discuss your debris issues. Always happy to talk shop, we:

Cargo Ramp
  • Provide you with any internal white papers, news article or other materials that may prove relevant to your operations;
  • Locate and send you third-party links to literature on improving ramp operations, such as the Flight Safety Foundation’s Ramp Operations Safety Procedures Template;
  • Provide you with information and price quotes on selected equipment from our product lines;
  • Refer you to appropriate third-party suppliers of used GSE equipment outside of our purview, such as jacks and belt loaders;

After assessing your needs and budget, you acquire from us the following FOD control equipment:

  • One compact, heavy-duty, tow-behind surface sweeper, the TracSweep®, for its easy maneuverability and because its rotating brush is height-adjustable to reach cracks and other shallow depressions. 
  • One portable, rapid-response FOD-Razor® friction-mat style sweeper to be deployed for time critical clean-ups. Easily stored, carried, and deployable by one person to remote locations.  
  • Two walk-behind industrial vacuums: The CrackSweep, whose enhanced suction lifts embedded FOD from recessed areas like post holes; and the RAMP VAC, whose hose attachment reaches tight areas, such as between pallets or around tires.
  • A safety awareness video, signage, disposal containers and other miscellaneous, low-cost FOD prevention items.

At your option, we also:

  • Schedule an annual or semi-annual phone or chat meeting to follow up on your FOD program.
  • Subscribe you to our free newsletter, which covers news media reports relevant to FOD issues.