Reporter states the communication switching unit is not properly grounded resulting in static electr...

Attributes
ACN	349192
Time
Date	199607
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pdk
State Reference	GA
Environment
Light	Night
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : non radar
ASRS Report	349192
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

The pdk tower integrated communications switching system (icss) is not properly grounded. As a result, static electricity at times will cause an operational position to fail or go OTS, requiring a technician to reset the position. This is a serious safety problem. This situation can occur at any time, even while the position is being used to control traffic, as it did on the evening of jul/wed/96. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that they still have the problem but indicated that the technicians are working on correcting it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES THE COM SWITCHING UNIT IS NOT PROPERLY GNDED RESULTING IN STATIC ELECTRICITY AT TIMES CAUSING AN OPS POS TO FAIL. A TECHNICIAN IS REQUIRED TO RESET THE POS.

Narrative: THE PDK TWR INTEGRATED COMS SWITCHING SYS (ICSS) IS NOT PROPERLY GNDED. AS A RESULT, STATIC ELECTRICITY AT TIMES WILL CAUSE AN OPERATIONAL POS TO FAIL OR GO OTS, REQUIRING A TECHNICIAN TO RESET THE POS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROB. THIS SIT CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME, EVEN WHILE THE POS IS BEING USED TO CTL TFC, AS IT DID ON THE EVENING OF JUL/WED/96. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THEY STILL HAVE THE PROB BUT INDICATED THAT THE TECHNICIANS ARE WORKING ON CORRECTING IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Reporter states the communication switching unit is not properly grounded resulting in static electricity at times causing an operations position to fail. A technician is required to reset the position.