MOC VTOL.2320(a)(2) Occupant physical environment

A hazard that originates from high energy should be understood to cover all possible serious injury mechanisms involving one or more of the aircraft’s energy sources. This might involve, for example, contact with a high speed rotating part, with a high temperature surface, with a high velocity and/or temperature gas jet, or with an electrically live conductor.

With the aircraft in its normal pre-take-off/post-landing attitude on the ground it should be substantiated that no person in contact with the ground or entering/exiting the aircraft can place any part of their body in a position where serious injury could occur.

This may be achieved by the provision of physical barriers, designed to prevent contact with aircraft parts or reduce the risk of inadvertent movement into dangerous areas, design precautions to prevent the aircraft presenting identified hazards when flight is not intended, or an appropriate combination of both. The complete range of human anthropometry, including children, should be considered.

In the case of physical barrier means, all possible positioning of persons should be considered, without any assumptions of likelihood of a person taking up such a position. However, if full prevention is not feasible, for example against movement into a high velocity and/or temperature gas jet, a partial barrier solution may be acceptable. In such a case, precautions such as highly visible markings, pre-flight briefings to passengers, a requirement for trained ground personnel to be present, etc. might be considered by the Agency to provide a comparable level of safety. Furthermore, the possibility of persons becoming distracted by one potential hazard and moving into another hazardous area, including in the case of darkness, should be considered.

In the case of a design precaution to prevent the presence of high energy at a critical location, the reliability of the precaution should be commensurate with its failure to function as intended being classified as catastrophic. Appropriate mechanical, electrical or software interlocks could form the basis of design precautions, using inputs such as proximity detection of objects around the aircraft, exit locking status, etc. If design precautions based on passivating or shutting down systems are used to protect occupants while entering/exiting the aircraft, these must be supplemented by other design provisions or physical barriers to protect people on the ground. 

The chosen means of protection should also cover the case where at the end of flight a passenger immediately opens an exit and egresses the aircraft.

"Serious Injury" should be taken to mean any injury which involves one or more of the following;

(1)     hospitalisation for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date the injury wasreceived;

(2)     a fracture of any bone (except simple fracture of fingers, toes, or nose);

(3)     laceration which causes severe haemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendondamage;

(4)     injury to any internalorgan;

(5)     second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface; or

(6)     verified exposure to infectious substances or harmful radiation.

(Source: ICAO, Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation)