february2021 - 31

INTERNATIONAL

ture-controlled and monitored cold storage
rooms for the handling of all medical air cargo,
including vaccines.
" We work closely with the air cargo supply
chain from shippers to consignees, government agencies and regulatory authorities as
well as airlines and airports, " says Goovaerts.
" Our pharma and perishable handling center at Changi Airport was designed and built
with flexibility and unique product handling
requirements in mind, taking advantage
of the latest cold storage technologies and
designs. The temperature-controlled areas
in the facility are modular, enabling teams
to manage changing handling demands with
dedicated climate control capability. A webbased monitoring system is also in place to
facilitate real-time management of all areas. "

Training and Qualification
There is indeed a high level of skill and expertise required for handling medical supplies,
therefore cargo handling companies need to
constantly update and refresh their skills.
" As for this large scale, global vaccine movement - it is the first of its kind so the global
exportation will really set a precedent for the
future. All staff members involved in the transportation, storage or handling of vaccines must
be trained on the safe handling of the vaccination, " say officials at UAS.
" This training should be conducted upon
orientation, every time new vaccines are
added, as recommendations are updated and
annually. The training should also be documented and include the type, date and names
of participants. "
dnata has invested in equipment, facilities
and training to ensure the uncompromised
integrity of pharmaceuticals in its air cargo
supply chain.
" We have a dedicated team at Singapore
Changi Airport based at our pharma and perishable handling center. These staff have all
been certified under the IATA CEIV pharma
program, " says Goovaerts. " The CEIV Pharma
certification ensures that all facilities, equipment, operations and staff in the certified
organizations comply with the highest standards, in line with the World Health Organization's pharmaceutical handling guidelines. "
dnata's pharma teams have completed
advanced training in quality systems, temperature control and active container handling.

" The staff training on handling exceptions
and emergency response has been a major
focus for us. For example, constant human
intervention and monitoring are important
for our dedicated pharma handling team to
respond swiftly if required to regulate the
container's temperature by removing or adding dry ice if the temperature is incorrect, "
says Goovaerts.

Still air cargo supplies had to keep going.
" Our ground handling business has been
busy throughout this period with the increase
of passenger freighters. This demand was
mainly due to the distribution of shipments
like personal protective equipment (PPE) and
increased e-commerce volumes resulting from
lockdowns and people staying home to avoid
crowds, " says Goovaerts.
" We re-deployed staff from other business
units and generally pivoted much of our business investments and developments towards
cargo, " he adds. " Although we do not expect the
vaccine to give a significant boost on its own, it
might displace other cargo, which could create
supply chain inventory stock challenges. "

Business Outlook
It is well known that for the aircraft ground
handling business 2020 was an annus horribilis as passenger flights were severely impacted
by approximately two-thirds of the world's
fleet being grounded as the pandemic started.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mario Pierobon is a safety management consultant and content producer. He
currently is working on a research project investigating aircraft ground handling
safety. You may reach him at marioprbn@gmail.com.

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