B767 CREW BLINDED AND CONCERNED OVER HIGH INTENSITY STROBES ON FUEL TRUCKS AT TUS.

Narrative

WHILE DOING PREFLT WALK AROUND; I HAD TO SHADE MY EYES FROM A VERY BRIGHT YELLOW STROBE. THIS STROBE WAS ON TOP OF THE FUEL TRUCK; ABOUT HEAD LEVEL HIGH. ALL THE FUEL TRUCKS HAVE THEM AND THEY CANNOT BE TURNED OFF. THE RAMP AGENTS WERE ALSO BLINDED BY THE BRILLIANT FLASH AND HAD TO WALK WITH THEIR HEADS TURNED AWAY TO AVOID BEING BLINDED / DISORIENTED BY THE FLASH. THIS COULD CAUSE 'FLICKER VERTIGO;' NAUSEA; OR TEMPORARY BLINDNESS. THE RAMP AREA AROUND ACFT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ON THE ARPT AND THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY BAD ADDITION TO THE DANGER. I ASKED THE DRIVER AND HE SAID HE COULD NOT TURN OFF THE STROBE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE EFFECT IF IT WERE A PROP ACFT. THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY DANGER. IT DOES NOT ENHANCE SAFETY; IN FACT DETRACTS FROM IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR REITERATES THE POTENTIAL HAZARD OF THE TOO BRIGHT HIGH INTENSITY STROBE LIGHTS ON THE FUELING TRUCK. HE ALSO CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THESE LIGHTS ARE NOT ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED BY THE FUEL VEHICLE DRIVER. HE STATES THAT THE TEMPORARY BLINDNESS AND DISORIENTATION CAUSED BY THE LIGHTS IS 'AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.' ALL FUELING VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME BRIGHT STROBES.