COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Aircraft - General
AD/GENERAL/48
Amdt 3
Fire Protection In Toilet Areas 4/99
Applicability: All aeroplanes for which the initial Australian certificate of airworthiness for the type was issued after 1 January 1958 in the Transport Category.
Requirement: For aircraft that have one or more toilets equipped with paper or linen waste receptacles:
- Inspect all toilet paper and linen waste receptacle enclosure access doors and disposal doors for proper operation, fit, sealing and latching for the containment of possible waste fires.
2. (a) Install a conspicuous placard either on each side of each toilet door over the door knob, or on each side of each toilet door, or adjacent to each side of each toilet door. The placards must either contain the legible words, “No Smoking in Toilet” or “No Smoking”; or contain “No Smoking” symbology in lieu of words; or contain both wording or symbology; to indicate that smoking is prohibited in the toilet.
2. (b) Install a placard on or near each toilet paper or linen waste disposal receptacle door, containing the legible words or symbology indicating “No Cigarette Disposal”.
3. If smoking is permitted in the aircraft cabin, install a self-contained, removable ashtray on or near the entry side of each toilet door. One ashtray may serve more than one toilet door if the ashtray can be seen readily from the cabin side of each toilet door served.
For applicable aeroplanes of 31 passenger seats or more:
4. Install in each toilet compartment a smoke detector system or equivalent, in a manner acceptable to the Authority, that provides a warning in the flight crew compartment or the passenger cabin which will be readily detected by a crew member, taking into consideration the position of cabin crew throughout the passenger cabin during various phases of flight.
5. Install a built-in fire extinguisher system in a manner acceptable to the Authority for each disposal receptacle containing paper or linen waste located within the toilet compartment. The built-in fire extinguisher must be designed to discharge automatically into each disposal receptacle upon occurrence of a fire in the receptacle.
Compliance: 1. Before 1 December 1974, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 1000 hours time in service.
2. Unless already accomplished in accordance with the initial issue of this Directive or in accordance with CAO 101.0 para. 3.60 (7); before 31 October 1995.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
3. Unless already accomplished in accordance with the previous issues of this Directive or in accordance with CAO 101.0 para. 3.50; before 30 April 1999.
4. Before the issue of a certificate of airworthiness after 31 December 1986, or before further flight after 26 November 1988, whichever is applicable.
5. Before the issue of a certificate of airworthiness after 30 April 1987, or before further flight after 26 November 1988, whichever is applicable.
The compliance of Requirements 1, 2, 4, and 5 remain unchanged, while Requirement 3 is re-incorporated into this Directive. This Directive is effective from 22 April 1999.
Note: FAA AD 74-08-09 and 74-08-09 R1 refer to Requirements 1, 2, and 3.
This Amendment becomes effective on 22 April 1999.
Background: Investigations into overseas in-flight fires indicated that additional measures were needed for protection against cabin fires. Amendment 1 introduced a smoke detector and a built-in fire extinguishing system to the toilet area. Amendment 2 was issued in response to a revision of FAA AD 74-08-09 which provides for an alternative action regarding the current requirement to install specific placards at certain locations.
Amendment 2 re-incorporated into this Directive requirements contained in CAO
101.0 to allow for Transport Category aircraft imported under CAR 22A. Amendment 3 is issued to remove the requirement for ashtrays in aircraft where smoking is not permitted in any part of the aircraft cabin.
Amendment 2 of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 12 October 1995. Amendment 1 of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 31 March 1986. The original issue of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on
31 October 1974.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, established by the Parliament of Australia, aim to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation. Part 39 - 105 Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, specifically AD/GENERAL/48 Amendment 3, addresses the problem of fire risks in aircraft toilet areas, particularly those related to waste receptacles. This legislation was introduced to enhance fire protection measures in aircraft toilets, requiring regular inspections of waste receptacles and the installation of placards prohibiting smoking and cigarette disposal in these areas. The policy objective is to mitigate the risk of in-flight fires originating in the toilet compartments. The amendment process reflects ongoing assessments and revisions in response to both domestic and international safety standards, ensuring that aircraft maintain the highest level of safety against potential fire hazards.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, specifically AD/GENERAL/48 Amendment 3, applies to all aeroplanes for which the initial Australian certificate of airworthiness for the type was issued after 1 January 1958 and are in the Transport Category. The Act mandates several requirements aimed at enhancing fire safety in aircraft toilet areas. It requires the inspection and proper functioning of all toilet paper and linen waste receptacle access and disposal doors, installation of placards indicating "No Smoking" and "No Cigarette Disposal" in the toilet areas, and the installation of a smoke detector system in aircraft with 31 passenger seats or more. If smoking is permitted, the installation of a self-contained ashtray is also mandated, though this requirement has been removed for aircraft where smoking is not permitted in any cabin area. The compliance schedule mandates inspections and installations at specific intervals and before certain events such as issuing a certificate of airworthiness or further flight. The amendment extends to aircraft imported under Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, part 22A, and the directive is subject to further adjustments through subordinate instruments issued by CASA.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39, Section 105, includes the Airworthiness Directive AD/GENERAL/48 Amendment 3 concerning fire protection in toilet areas of aeroplanes. This directive applies to all aeroplanes in the Transport Category for which the initial Australian certificate of airworthiness was issued after 1 January 1958. It mandates that these aeroplanes must be inspected for proper operation, fit, sealing, and latching of toilet paper and linen waste receptacle enclosures to prevent potential waste fires (Section 1). Additionally, it requires the installation of placards indicating "No Smoking" in the toilet areas and "No Cigarette Disposal" on or near each toilet paper or linen waste disposal receptacle door (Section 2). If smoking is allowed in the cabin, a self-contained, removable ashtray must be installed on or near each toilet door (Section 3). For aeroplanes with 31 or more passenger seats, a smoke detector system and a built-in fire extinguisher system must be installed in each toilet compartment (Sections 4 and 5).
Operators of aeroplanes subject to these requirements must ensure compliance with the outlined provisions. Specifically, inspections and installations must be carried out before certain dates and intervals. For instance, inspections and installations must be completed before 1 December 1974, and subsequently at intervals not exceeding 1000 hours of service time (Section 1). For aeroplanes with 31 or more passenger seats, the installation of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers must be completed before the issue of a certificate of airworthiness after 30 April 1987 (Sections 4 and 5). Additionally, aeroplanes must not be flown without compliance with these requirements before the specified deadlines.
Failure to comply with the provisions of this Airworthiness Directive may result in significant legal and safety consequences. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) may take enforcement actions against operators who do not adhere to the requirements, which could include fines, suspension or revocation of airworthiness certificates, or other regulatory actions. Non-compliance may also result in potential safety hazards, which could lead to more severe consequences such as accidents or incidents. The specific penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in the legislative instrument but may be addressed in other sections of the Civil Aviation Regulations or related legislation.