Appendix A A-4 A.3.3 Message Delivery.
For both cargo shippers and passengers, the messaging content and method of delivery should be appropriate for the location. For example, local operating characteristics should be taken into consideration and technology should be widely considered to support effectiveness and efficiency of message delivery.
• Appropriate information should be included, such as:
1. Information required by regulation;
2. Commonly confiscated/rejected items from specific locations or globally;
3. Information gathered from previous incidents or reports;
4. Regional or seasonal operating characteristics; and
5. Other regionally or globally known information.
• Examples of methods of delivery to communicate information:
1. Electronic displays;
2. Websites;
3. Verbal discussions;
4. Applications on smartphones;
5. Kiosks;
6. Printed matter;
7. Personal contact;
8. Announcements; and
9. Letters and information attached to general business correspondence or regular general communication.
• Technology should continually be reviewed for improved processes to communicate information. As new technologies, such as self-check-in or electronic shipping papers, are developed or incorporated into the certificate holder’s processes, the manual should be updated to reflect those changes.
A.3.4 Incentives for Safety.
An effective plan to mitigate the risk of undeclared dangerous goods offered for transportation by air from shippers or passengers should result in an increased level of safety. Promoting educational information on the prevention of undeclared dangerous goods to certificate holder’s customers should focus the information on the highest-risk group known. For certificate holders with cargo shippers and passengers, the plan should include appropriate interaction between all parties to inform them about the risks inherent to the air transportation of undeclared dangerous goods. The plan should also be flexible to recognize and accommodate any other means that might be available to cargo shippers and passengers to prevent or reduce the introduction of undeclared
Appendix A A-5 dangerous goods in the transport system, as doing so, will also contribute to reducing the level a risk.
A.4 Reactive Actions to Prevent Undeclared Shipments.
A.4.1 Legal Requirement.
In accordance with 14 CFR part 121, subpart G and part 135, subpart A, each certificate holder must ensure that the procedures and information described in its manual are sufficient to assist each person performing or directly supervising the acceptance, rejection, handling, storage, packaging, and loading, of items for transport onboard an aircraft in identifying and rejecting packages and baggage that show signs of containing undeclared dangerous goods.
A.4.2 Identifying.
A.4.2.1 Transporting Cargo.
Procedures and training for personnel to recognize signs of undeclared or noncompliant dangerous goods shipments in general cargo should include, but is not limited to, the following information:
• Hazard labels or markings on a package that may indicate the presence of dangerous goods;
• Packaging characteristics, such as metal or plastic drums, that generally are used for dangerous goods transport;
• Packages that, when handled, provide indications that a dangerous good may be inside;
• Documents, when provided, that indicate that there may be a dangerous good being offered; and
• Other available information in the certificate holders’ systems.
A.4.2.2 Transporting Passenger.
When passenger’s carry-on and checked baggage are being processed for air transportation, procedures and training for personnel to recognize signs of an undeclared or noncompliant baggage should include, but are not limited to, the following information:
• Hazard labels or marking on the outside of a box that may indicate the presence of dangerous goods;
• Suspicious baggage or boxes that may contain dangerous goods;
• Questions that passenger asks regarding possible prohibited items; and
Appendix A A-6
• Providing adequate communication to the passenger for them to identify a prohibited item.
A.4.3 Rejecting.
Certificate holders are required to reject packages or baggage that show signs of containing undeclared dangerous goods.
A.4.3.1 Transporting Cargo.
Procedures for rejecting cargo shipments should include, but are not limited to:
• How the shipment is removed from the cargo stream;
• How the shipment is returned, disposed of, or stored;
• How record keeping of rejected shipments is implemented; and
• How the originator and others in the transport system are notified of a non-compliant shipment.
A.4.3.2 Transporting Passenger.
Procedures for rejecting dangerous goods in passenger baggage should include, but are not limited to:
• How the dangerous goods are removed from baggage, if prior to screening during check in;
• How to coordinate with security screening personnel to handle prohibited items found in screening;
• How the method of returning, disposing, or storing these items is determined;
• How record keeping of rejected shipments is implemented; and
• How the originator and others involved are notified.
A.4.4 Notifying.
Where the barriers to prevent undeclared dangerous goods entering the air transportation system fail, the certificate holder is required to notify the FAA when packages or baggage are found to contain undeclared dangerous goods, subsequent to their being offered and accepted for transportation. The procedures to notify and provide information to support oversight activities are essential to reducing the risk of future undeclared shipments. These procedures are part of the aviation safety system, as they provide the FAA information to evaluate compliance of others in the transport chain, and continually conduct safety trend analysis. This collaboration is a significant mitigation for risk management in aviation safety.
A.4.5 Evaluating.
Appendix A A-7 The certificate holder should implement processes and procedures for correction and evaluation of the root cause to prevent reoccurrence of undeclared dangerous goods.
This process should include the means to mitigate the risk of undeclared shipments in the certificate holder’s policies for risk management.
A.5 Plan Considering Proactive and Reactive Actions.
It is essential to educate personnel that conduct acceptance, rejection, handling, storage, packaging, and loading of items for transport onboard an aircraft on the techniques for preventing the transport of undeclared dangerous goods by air. Certificate holders have historically trained their personnel in the transport job functions to prevent noncompliant and undeclared dangerous goods shipments from entering the air transportation system. However, most actions performed by certificate holder’s personnel could be considered reactive, as the undeclared shipment has already entered the air transportation system when offered by the shipper. In this Appendix, proactive is an action that could prevent a shipper or passenger from offering undeclared dangerous goods to be transported by the certificate holder. The object of a complete plan would be to complement the reactive with proactive actions to mitigate the risk of having the noncompliant shipment in the system.
Advisory Circular Feedback If you find an error in this AC, have recommendations for improving it, or have suggestions for new items/subjects to be added, you may let us know by (1) emailing this form to Thomas.L.Kenny@faa.gov or (2) faxing it to the attention of the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety – Systems Oversight at (202) 267-9450.
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