Ramp Worker Safety National Custom Data Collection Tool

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION N 8900.749

NOTICE

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Effective Date: 8/29/25 National Policy Cancellation Date: 8/29/26 SUBJ: Ramp Worker Safety National Custom Data Collection Tool 1. Purpose of This Notice. This notice provides information and direction regarding the Ramp Worker Safety National Custom Data Collection Tool (C DCT) to address the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Public Law (PL) 118-63) Section 353.

2. Audience. The primary audience for this notice is the Certificate Management Team (CMT), aviation safety inspectors (ASI), and managers within Flight Standards (FS) Safety Assurance offices responsible for the oversight of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) parts 121 and 135 (10 or more) certificate holders (CH). The secondary audience includes ASIs and managers within Safety Standards and Foundational Business offices.

3. Where You Can Find This Notice. You can find this notice on the MyFAA employee website at https://employees.faa.gov/tools_resources/orders_notices and the Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS) at https://drs.faa.gov . Operators and the public can find this notice on the FAA’s website at https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices and DRS.

4. Applicability. The information and policy contained in this notice are applicable to CMTs responsible for the oversight of 14 CFR parts 121 and 135 (10 or more) CHs that conduct operations on airport ramps/aprons.

5. Background. Ramp accidents and incidents occur worldwide every year, causing harm to personnel and damage to equipment. As the nation’s aviation system becomes more crowded every day, increased congestion at airports may exacerbate ground safety concerns.

a. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 was signed into law by the President on May 16, 2024. Section 353, Ramp Worker Safety Call to Action, mandates a safety review of airport ramp worker safety and ways to minimize or eliminate ingestion zone and jet blast zone accidents.

b. In addition to the safety review, the FAA is mandated to develop and publish training and related educational materials about aircraft engine ingestion and jet blast hazards for ground crews, including supervisory and contract employees, that includes information on: Distribution: Electronic Only Initiated By: AFS-300

8/29/25 N 8900.749 (1) The specific dangers and consequences of entering engine ingestion or jet blast zones; (2) Proper protocols to avoid entering an engine ingestion or jet blast zone; and (3) On-the-job, instructor-led training to physically demonstrate the engine ingestion zone boundaries and jet blast zones for each kind of aircraft the ground crew may encounter.

c. The term “ramp worker” does not have an established Federal definition. For this review, consider ramp workers as personnel working on the ground in the ramp/apron area of an airport, who conduct or are responsible for marshalling, fueling, cargo and baggage loading, deicing, and servicing of an aircraft.

6. Discussion.

a. For the FAA to meet Section 353, the Office of Safety Standards needs support from Safety Assurance to collect information from the CH’s manuals on: (1) Devices and methods for communication on the airport ramp, including recommendations and considerations of requirements for operable radios and headsets.

(2) Aircraft engine safety protocols.

(3) Aircraft jet blast and engine intake safety markings, and gate markings used to define restriction, staging, safety, or hazard zones, to indicate the engine ingestion zones and the envelope of safety for the variety of aircraft that may park at the same gate of the airport.

(4) Training for ground personnel who have operational job duties on the airport ramp/apron.

b. Safety at airports in the United States is a shared responsibility among the FAA, airlines, airport tenants, and airport operators. The FAA oversees activity in the movement areas (runways and taxiways), but airlines and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provide primary safety oversight in the nonmovement areas (ramps/apron). Although ground handling is the responsibility of the air carrier, the current state of industry points to existing contractual and operational relationships between the aircraft operator and the ground handling service provider (GHSP).

c. Standards for ramp workers are primarily driven by industry and dictated by individual company policies and procedures. Title 14 CFR §§ 121.133(a), 121.135, 135.21, and 135.23 specify topics that an operator’s manual system must address. The CH’s manual system must contain the duties and responsibilities for each category of employee. The manual system must also provide sufficient policy, direction, and guidance to its employees for the safe and efficient performance of their duties.

7. Action. CMTs will conduct a review of the carrier’s manual system and training program to complete the data collection.

8/29/25 N 8900.749 a. C DCT. Use the “Ramp Worker Safety” Design Assessment for Operation and Airworthiness National/Divisional (N/D) C DCT available in the Safety Assurance System (SAS) to capture data for 14 CFR parts 121 and 135 (10 or more) operations.

DISCLAIMER: These questions may address operational areas that are not required by 14 CFR parts 121 and 135. This C DCT is intended to gather information so the Air Transportation Division (AFS-200) and the Aircraft Maintenance Division (AFS-300) can conduct a safety review mandated by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (PL 118-63) Section 353. Therefore, responses are not meant to evaluate whether the carrier is operating in compliance with regulatory requirements.

b. Requirements. While adding the C DCT to the Comprehensive Assessment Plan (CAP), CMTs must not add or delete questions from the C DCT template. The C DCT will be assigned according to office policy and must be completed and closed by December 31, 2025. Inspectors will not interface with the carrier to collect this information.

c. SAS Assistance. For additional assistance in loading the C DCT, refer to the SAS Quick Reference Card (Q-Card) Q3-10, Custom DCT: Using a National/Divisional Template, which can be found in the SAS Resource Guide (SRG) under the quick link “Q-Cards and Checklists.” 8. Disposition. We will not incorporate the information in this notice into FAA Order 8900.1 before this notice expires. Direct questions or comments concerning the information in this notice to AFS-200 at 202-267-8166 or 9-AFS-200-Correspondence@faa.gov, or AFS-300 at 202-267-1675 or 9-AWA-AFS-300-Correspondence@faa.gov.

Robert Reckert for Lawrence Fields Executive Director, Flight Standards Service