How to become AIRCARE™ Accredited

You no longer need to be a member of the Aviation Industry Assn (AIA) to participate in this program. But if you want to join application can be made on-line at www.aia.org.nz or www.nzaaa.co.nz

Part A: Getting going

Download SMS Manual, the Noise Abatement Code of Practice and the Fly Neighbourly Guide from www.aircare.co.nz/resources and study these.

Complete Noise Abatement Training for all pilots and operational staff at Regional Training Sessions. The dates of these are available on www.aircare.co.nz or make your own arrangements with the Noise Abatement Trainer –John Fogden. john@totalaviationquality.co.nz You will see at Para 4.2 of the Noise Abatement Code of Practice (CoP) that you can deliver the training yourself under certain conditions.

To be AIRCARE™ Accredited each organisation must satisfy the audit requirements for Part 2 of the SMS Manual and the Noise Abatement Code of Practice, and must also satisfy the audit requirements for each activity it undertakes, ie fertiliser, spraying, VTA, Flight Training, AA/AR. (See the list of standards that follows)

AIRCARE™ Code of Practice for Noise Abatement – compulsory
SPREADMARK™ CoP for the Placement of Fertilisers in NZ
GROWSAFE^® Management of Agrichemicals (NZS8409:2004)
AIRCARE™ CoP for Aerial Spreading Vertebrate Toxic Agents (VTA Poison bait application)
AIRCARE™ CoP for Flight Training
AIRCARE™ Air Rescue/Air Ambulance Standard

All but one of these standards can be downloaded at www.aircare.co.nz/resources

Download the standards that are applicable to your organization and study them.

Download the audit checklist at www.aircare.co.nz/resources and do what you have to do to be compliant. The audit checklist tells you what evidence will be needed to satisfy the audit for each of the standards above AND the SMS Manual itself and it also offers some useful hints on how you might comply.

Changes to the audit protocol mean that the initial audit is similar to the CAA Entry Audit where you must show that you have the systems in place for Safety and Quality but that these will not be assessed until the second audit when you’ve had a year to use them.

Part B: Pattern tests – NZAAA Members Only

For each activity – fertiliser, sprays or bait, some evidence will be needed on the performance of the application equipment you are using. The information required for Spreadmark can be found in the Spreadmark Code of Practice. Your local ground spreading tester is able to provide a testing service for fertilisers only. Russell Horrell can provide a pattern testing services for fertiliser, sprays and baits.

Russell Horrell
AgCal NZ Ltd
mobile: 027 220 6610
ph: (03) 322 8760
agcal@clear.net.nz

Note that you will need to provide evidence at your next audit that the application equipment you are using is unchanged so consider keeping a detailed description (including photos?) of the equipment being tested now.

Part C: The Home Straight

1) Print the AIRCARE™ Accreditation Application Agreement Form (Annex A in the SMS manual), complete it and send it in to the AIA Office with the application fee or do this on-line at www.aircare.co.nz/resources but note that the auditors will not be alerted to the need to audit you until they have evidence that you have paid your fees.

2) The auditor will contact you to arrange an audit. You must then satisfy the auditor that your business is compliant with the respective standards and the SMS Manual.

There is some other helpful stuff on www.aircare.co.nz/resources that may assist you in keeping your processes simple. In particular, if you haven’t run a Safety and Quality system before have a look at How to build a Quality & Safety System - Helpful stuff for operators who have not previously run a formal management system.

The reason you need the management system is because the management system gives you the ability to demonstrate that you are complying with the standards.

The standards (CoP’s) themselves are about managing the risks of those activities and there is information on managing risk and a risk matrix available on the website. See Some Help on Risk Management and SMS and AIRCARE™ Risk Matrix.

If after following all this advice you still have questions contact
John Sinclair
03 5775679
027 3142151
sinclairjg@gmail.com