A Guide to Foreign Object Debris (FOD)

Foreign object debris (FOD) is an essential quality control and safety concept within the aerospace, aviation, manufacturing, military, shipping, and warehouse fields where small debris, wildlife, and loose objects can cause injury, damage equipment, and cause safety violations. In aviation, this could create a major hazard to the aircraft, surrounding equipment, personnel, cargo or any other valuable object so FOD prevention is crucial.

Types of FOD

While FOD could really be any object or substance, the most common include, loose hardware, broken pavement fragments, pieces of luggage, trash, building materials, and even humans.

Type of Equipment for Removing/Preventing FOD

There are many common and easy pieces of equipment used for FOD prevention and a few more complicated options. The common choices include:

Aircraft and Wheel Covers

This protective equipment is common on the tarmac to protect aircraft and equipment from environmental hazards.

Tool and Parts Kitting

Very common in workshops for technicians who are working on aircraft hardware. Tool and parts kitting allow employees to track small objects during repair jobs and new installations.

Trash Bins and Bags

Trash receptacles may seem like common sense but without them, garbage will be strewn across the airport and runway. It is important to utilize OSHA-compliant containers for found debris.

The lesser-known tools for preventing FOD include:

Airfield Sweepers

Airfield sweepers are a type of machinery that cleans aprons, runways, ramps, taxiways, and aircraft parking areas of small debris.

FOD Detection Systems

A FOD detection system utilizes radar or camera to automatically scan runways for wildlife or debris. Detection systems are often used in conjunction with airfield sweepers. The system detects the FOD and sweeper cleans it up.

When is FOD Prevention Most Effective?

Airports have FOD programs as mandated by the government to ensure safety. While FOD is always important, there are four crucial areas in which FOD prevention is most effective:

Training

All airport and airline employees must receive training to identify and eliminate FOD, in addition to the consequences of ignoring an object that could cause harm or damage. The most effective training stresses safety to passengers and other personnel, damage to the equipment, direct costs associated with damage, and indirect costs related to flight delays.

Inspection

Airline employees should join airport staff for daily airside inspections which help to familiarize all parties with local conditions and promotes communication between the airline and airport. The FAA requires a daily, daytime inspection of airplane movement areas for FOD identification and removal.

Maintenance

FOD control can be achieved through manual sweeping in the airport, or an airfield sweeper on the runway, magnetic bars beneath trucks to pick up metal, rumble strips to dislodge FOD from vehicles, and FOD containers to collect debris.

Coordination

All airports have a FOD committee to control and address local conditions and specific problems. Airlines also have representatives to help coordinate FOD control.