Aerospace Events

TBD delivers 700 container dollies

Posted 10 October 2017

South Wales based ground support equipment and specialist access solutions provider for the global aviation industry, TBD, has delivered 700 container dollies featuring their patented safety hoop design to a flag carrier airline as part of a safety initiative.

Above: A TBD ACD15 container dolly.
Courtesy TBD

TBD announced the news at this week’s Inter Airport Europe in Munich.

Following close discussions with the airline, TBD developed the safety hoop system which is designed to eliminate fatalities and life-changing injuries to ground handling staff. A common activity amongst operators working adjacent to cargo handling systems is to cross over the bar between adjacent dollies or trailers to reach the other side of the train. This can result in life-changing injuries – and, in several devastating cases, death – when the train starts to move during the crossover.

TBD designed a highly effective bright yellow safety hoop to be attached to the drawbar of its ACD157 container dolly, providing a visible deterrent to discourage operators from taking the shortcut between adjacent trollies or trailers.

TBD is rolling out this patented safety hoop system across its full range of baggage and cargo handling products. Passengers flying through Heathrow are now unlikely to travel through the airport without seeing this effective solution in action.

Steve Williams, Engineering Director at TBD, said: “In an airport environment where injuries are commonplace, safety is absolutely paramount. Equipment needs to be robust enough to withstand heavy usage and be used by inexperienced operatives in an industry with a high staff turnover.

"A solution to this problem is TBD’s highly effective safety hoop system. We are showcasing this at Inter Airport Europe in Munich and we are anticipating high interest from safety conscious airlines, aircraft operators and GSE lessors.”