Occupational and aviation safety

Protecting people and infrastructure from injury, damage, accidents or criminal acts is a top priority for the Zurich Airport Group. The aim therefore is to avoid incidents and accidents involving people or material objects. Efforts in this direction fall into the category of safety. As the licence holder for the airport, Flughafen Zürich AG is obliged to take precautions against wilful acts and must be ready to limit any resulting damage. Such matters fall into the category of security. The responsibility for both safety and security and implementing appropriate measures at Zurich Airport extends beyond the company to the airport as a whole. For matters relating to occupational health and safety on the other hand, Flughafen Zürich AG’s responsibility extends only to the company itself.

For its International division too, ensuring safety and security is one of Flughafen Zürich AG’s core responsibilities. However, owing to the specific terms of the concession models in the various countries, this may be handled organisationally in different ways at the airports. In Brazil, the airport operator is responsible for drafting and implementing safety and security concepts. These must be approved by various government agencies at different levels (security, customs and regulatory authorities). In Chile, on the other hand, all aspects of operational safety are a matter for the government, namely through the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC). The licence holder companies then have responsibility for safety solely in the publicly accessible passenger zones.

The company operates an integrated management system (IMS) for the systematic management of all safety and security aspects relating to flight operations at Zurich Airport. As well as safety and security, this also encompasses occupational health and safety. The aim of the integrated management system is firstly to reduce organisational risks by putting clear processes and organisational structures in place, and secondly to systematically improve prevention so that injuries and material damage are avoided from the outset.

The IMS at Zurich Airport also includes a Safety Management System which provides a comprehensive and systematic way of managing risks and hazards in order to ensure safe and compliant flight operations. The aim is to prevent both personal injury and material damage. The key principles of the safety and reporting culture and the Safety Management System are anchored in the company’s safety policy, which also details the respective responsibilities. In addition, the aerodrome manual published annually by the Safety Office lists all safety-relevant management processes. This fulfils the requirements of EU Regulation 139/2014.

Both the authorities and Flughafen Zürich AG itself regularly conduct inspections and airport operation audits to verify that rules and safety procedures are being followed in day-to-day operations. During the year under review, FOCA carried out 3 audits and inspections at Zurich Airport. In addition, the internal Safety Office performed 11 (including emergency drill) audits. A few findings and a few dozen recommendations were identified, but no significant deficiencies were discovered.

Zurich Airport is obliged to implement many national and international regulations relating to security in the air. This is based on the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NASP) issued by FOCA. The airport operator is responsible for ensuring and verifying that its processes comply with all legislation. However, the Zurich cantonal police and private security firms are responsible for carrying out the actual security checks at doors and gates, and for passengers, baggage and freight.

Both the authorities and Flughafen Zürich AG itself regularly carry out spot checks and audits at the checkpoints to verify the quality of the service and compliance with the regulations. Compared with other European airports, compliance with regulations is very high, and Zurich Airport frequently receives high ratings for the customer-friendliness of its passenger security checkpoints.

For the Zurich Airport Group, occupational safety is not merely about complying with legislation, it is also a matter of attitude and showing leadership at all levels. Safety at work makes a valuable contribution both to preventing suffering and to avoiding – or at least reducing – the costs associated with absences. Switzerland’s accident insurance legislation obliges Flughafen Zürich AG to take all technically feasible steps deemed necessary according to experience in the circumstances to prevent occupational illnesses and workplace accidents. The company has set out its position in its occupational safety policy.

Flughafen Zürich AG regularly conducts internal inspections and audits. Inspections are also carried out by various official bodies. As well as day-to-day operations, the latter also review the systematic implementation of occupational health and safety measures.