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Health and Safety for Aviation and Aerospace:Ground Operations, Hangar, COSHH, and Compliance

Qualified aviation and aerospace health and safety consultants. Ground operations safety · Hangar risk assessment · Fuel handling · COSHH · Manual handling · Fire risk assessments · Compliance for aviation operators, MROs, and aerospace manufacturers across the UK and 50+ countries.

Aviation and aerospace sits at the intersection of CAA-regulated airworthiness and air safety, and HSE-regulated workplace health and safety. The two regimes run in parallel: a CAA Part-145 maintenance organisation must operate to MRO standards on airworthiness, and to HSWA 1974, MHSWR 1999, PUWER 1998, COSHH 2002, and the full UK workplace H&S framework on workplace safety. Aerospace manufacturers add the manufacturing H&S load to that. Arinite delivers the workplace H&S stack alongside your CAA approvals.

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ABOUT

About This Sector

Aviation and aerospace covers commercial airline operators, business and general aviation operators, ground handling operators, MROs (Part-145 maintenance, repair, and overhaul), CAMOs, training and simulator operators, aircraft component manufacturers, aerospace tier suppliers, and the airworthiness functions of larger employers. The compliance profile combines aviation regulatory duty (CAA, EASA where applicable) and workplace H&S duty (HSE).

Arinite does not advise on airworthiness, ATM, or air safety regulation. We deliver the workplace H&S stack alongside your CAA approvals, in coordination with your safety management system.

Arinite provides Qualified consultants and compliance software to aviation and aerospace employers across the UK and 50+ countries.

COMPLIANCE GAPS

Common Compliance Failures We Find
in Aviation and Aerospace

Workplace H&S subordinated to airworthiness

Strong CAA compliance posture, weaker HSWA 1974 / MHSWR 1999 documentation. Common in MROs.

Hangar and workshop machinery PUWER assessments incomplete

Machine-by-machine PUWER assessments missing for general workshop equipment.

COSHH inventory incomplete

Aviation chemicals captured; cleaning chemicals, paint shop substances, and process chemicals often missing.

Noise risk assessment generic

Hangar, run-up, ground-handling, and apron operations noise not formally assessed.

Manual handling generic

Component handling, line maintenance manual handling, and stores activities not task-specifically assessed.

Working at height arrangements informal

Maintenance access platforms, ladders, and dock arrangements not consistently assessed.

Fire risk assessment not reflecting fuel and chemical inventory

Particularly where hangar and stores fuel and chemical loads have increased over time.

HANGAR AND GROUND OPS

Hangar, Ground Operations,
and Apron Safety

Hangar and apron operations carry an elevated risk profile combining:

1

Ground vehicle and pedestrian interface

GSE, tugs, fuel trucks, cargo loaders working alongside pedestrians.

2

Working at height

Aircraft maintenance access, hangar platforms, ladders.

3

Fuel and oil handling

Fuel transfer, draining, and disposal.

4

Manual handling

Heavy components, panels, and tools.

5

Hot work

Welding, soldering, structural repairs under permit.

6

Confined space

Tank entry, wing voids, ducting.

7

Electrical

Aircraft electrical systems, GPU operations, isolation.

8

Noise

Engine ground runs, APUs, GSE.

9

Chemical exposure

Sealants, paints, solvents, anti-icing fluids, hydraulic fluids.

10

Emergency response

Fire, fuel spill, evacuation.

EMPLOYER DUTIES

Core Employer Duties for
Aviation and Aerospace

1

MHSWR Regulation 3 documented risk assessment covering hangar, apron, workshop, office, and project activities.

2

PUWER assessments for workshop and hangar work equipment.

3

LOLER thorough examination for lifting equipment including jacks, stands, hoists, and ground handling lifting gear.

4

COSHH inventory and assessment.

5

Noise risk assessment under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.

6

Manual handling task-specific assessment.

7

Permit-to-work for hot work, confined space, work at height, and electrical isolation.

8

Fire risk assessment under the RRO 2005 reflecting fuel, chemical, and aircraft fire load.

9

Competent person under MHSWR Regulation 7.

10

Written health and safety policy.

11

RIDDOR reporting arrangements.

12

Coordination with CAA Safety Management System where in place.

REGULATIONS

Sector-Specific Regulations for
Aviation and Aerospace

HSWA 1974

General duties; Section 37 director liability.

MHSWR 1999

PUWER 1998

LOLER 1998

COSHH 2002

Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005

Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

Work at Height Regulations 2005

Confined Spaces Regulations 1997

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989

DSEAR 2002

(Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations) for fuel handling.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

RIDDOR 2013

CAA / UK Reg (EU) regulations on airworthiness and ATM operate in parallel

OUR SERVICES

Our Health and Safety Services
for Aviation and Aerospace

Aviation workplace risk assessments

Hangar, apron, workshop, office, and project activity risk assessment.

Machinery PUWER and LOLER

Workshop machinery PUWER assessment and LOLER coordination for lifting equipment including jacks, stands, and hoists.

COSHH

Hazardous substance inventory, SDS management, LEV examination, and health surveillance.

Noise and vibration

Workplace noise and vibration assessment, hearing protection programme.

Manual handling

Task-specific TILE assessments and training.

DSEAR and fuel handling

Dangerous substance and explosive atmospheres risk assessment.

Fire risk assessments

PAS 79:2020 fire risk assessments for hangars, stores, and offices.

Health and safety policy, audits, and competent person retainer

See our health and safety policy, health and safety audit, and competent person services.

Health and safety software

Centralised platform. See our health and safety software.

TRAINING

Health and Safety Training
for Aviation and Aerospace

Workshop machinery safety and lockout-tagout

Manual handling task-specific training

Hearing conservation

For hangar and apron staff.

Permit-to-work training

Working at height training

Confined space entry training

COSHH awareness

DSEAR awareness

For fuel handling staff.

Fire safety and first aid

Mental health awareness

Particularly for high-pressure shift-based environments.

See our health and safety training service.

TYPICAL ENGAGEMENT

A Typical Aviation and
Aerospace Engagement With Arinite

The following is an illustrative example of how Arinite engagement typically runs for an aviation or aerospace business.

A mid-market aerospace MRO business with 220 employees across two hangars approaches Arinite after a CAA Part 145 audit identified workplace H&S documentation gaps adjacent to airworthiness regulation. The firm holds strong airworthiness compliance through its CAA Form 4 holder but inconsistent workplace H&S documentation, no documented DSEAR assessment, and no current Section 37 personal liability briefing for the senior leadership team.

Mo
1

Arinite's free gap analysis call identifies the priority gaps. We agree a 90-day remediation programme. In month one, we deliver: a refreshed health and safety policy signed by the accountable manager, a current MHSWR Regulation 3 risk assessment covering hangar, line maintenance, workshop, and office activities, a competent person appointment integrating with the Part 145 quality management system, and DSE self-declarations for office and engineering technical roles.

Mo
2

In month two: we deliver DSEAR assessment under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 for hangar fuel system work and any aircraft fuel system maintenance, LOLER thorough examination programme for hangar lifting equipment including aircraft jacks and engine stands, COSHH assessment for hangar chemicals, noise survey, PAS 79:2020 fire risk assessment for both hangars, and Worker Protection Act 2023 documentation.

Mo
3

In month three: we deliver Section 37 personal liability briefing to the senior leadership team and Form 4 holder, mental health awareness training, hand over to ongoing competent person retainer with quarterly Part 145 quality system alignment reviews.

The next CAA Part 145 audit closes without workplace H&S findings. The competent person retainer continues.

WHY ARINITE

Why Aviation and Aerospace
Businesses Choose Arinite

Five practical reasons aviation and aerospace businesses appoint Arinite as their outsourced competent person:

Parallel-regulator capability

Workplace H&S documentation that integrates rather than conflicts with CAA Part 145, Part M, and Part 21 airworthiness regulation.

DSEAR and aviation fuel expertise

Documented DSEAR assessment for aviation fuel system work and aircraft fuel system maintenance.

LOLER for aviation lifting

Thorough examination programme for hangar lifting equipment including aircraft jacks and engine stands.

Section 37 capability for accountable managers

Documented Section 37 personal liability briefing for accountable managers and Form 4 holders.

Qualified consultants, not generalists

MHSWR Regulation 7 requires competent advice.

RELATED SECTORS

Related Sectors

If you operate adjacent to aviation and aerospace, you may also find these sector pages relevant:

Book a Free Gap Analysis Call

Book a free gap analysis call with one of our Qualified health and safety consultants. In 30 minutes, we will assess your current aviation and aerospace health and safety arrangements, identify the compliance gaps that matter most, and give you a clear recommendation and indicative cost.

Book My Free Gap Analysis Call+44 (0)20 7947 9581