A FOD walkdown aboard USS George Washington. Hundreds of personnel line up shoulder-to-shoulder to sweep the flight deck for debris before flight operations.
Effective FOD prevention programs save lives and protect billions of dollars in aircraft and equipment. The four pillars of any successful program:
Training
The foundation. All personnel working in or near operational areas need initial and recurring training on identifying FOD, understanding the consequences of ignoring it, and knowing the procedures for reporting and removing it. A culture of FOD awareness starts with education.
Inspection
The FAA requires daily inspection of aircraft maneuvering areas and removal of FOD. But effective programs go further — inspections at regular intervals throughout the day, after severe weather, and before and after major operations. The U.S. military conducts formal FOD walkdowns where entire units sweep operational areas shoulder-to-shoulder.
Maintenance
Two priorities: preventing debris from being created, and removing what’s already there. This means maintaining pavement surfaces, ensuring proper tool control and accountability programs, using debris sweeping equipment, and tailoring prevention procedures to each facility’s specific risks.
Coordination
FOD control works best when everyone on the field — airport operators, airlines, ground handlers, maintenance crews, and tenants — coordinates their efforts. Shared reporting systems, joint inspections, and clear lines of responsibility turn individual awareness into collective prevention.
The bottom line: FOD is preventable, and prevention is far cheaper than the damage. Industry estimates put the annual cost of FOD at $4 billion globally. A well-run prevention program is the single most cost-effective investment an airport or military base can make.
For a comprehensive guide to building or improving your FOD prevention program — including equipment solutions and consulting — visit The FOD Control Corporation.
Learn more: What is FOD? | FOD Prevention Resources | Prevention & Technology News