AVIA 2100 Week 8 Human Factors and Cabin

AVIA 2100 - Week 8 Human Factors and Cabin Crew Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew • Cabin crew are an integral part of the aircraft operating crew • Their role is primarily concerned with safety even though service may take up the majority of their time Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew • Cabin crew are the public face of safety within the airline environment • The actions and lead of cabin crew will have a significant effect on customer behaviour Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew as employees • Cabin crew are employees working in a hostile environment • On average, there are more losttime injuries suffered by cabin crew than by. Joggers • Injuries to cabin crew are a serious issue for most airlines even when OH&S legislations does not cover their work environment Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew as employees • Hazards encountered by cabin crew include – – – – Lifting injuries (pax, luggage, catering trolleys) Burns and scalds Turbulence related injuries RSI DVT Food poisoning Sunburn (lifestyle) Violent acts by passengers Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew as employees • Hazards can be mitigated in a number of ways: • Procedures – No service during turbulence – Lifting protocols – Reporting systems • Ergonomics – – Design Downloaded from www. avhf. com of of lifting harnesses galleys uniforms repeatedly used equipment e. g. trays

Cabin crew as safety professionals • Cabin crew have a safety role to play both in flight and in the event of an accident • In flight, the safety role can cover passenger health as well as aircraft emergencies • A level of medical training is given to all cabin crew and equipment is carried on board • The changing demographics of travelers has placed new pressure upon this role Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew as medical experts • All cabin crew are expected to be able to provide assistance to doctors on board or to 3 rd party medical services such as Med. Air • Some airlines carry defibrillators for use by the cabin crew • Cabin crew must also be trained to deal with the deceased • Are cabin crew adequately prepared for this role? Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew as safety professionals • All cabin crew receive emergency procedures training both as ab intios and annually • Key areas are the management of evacuations, firefighting, operating exits, teamwork and passenger management Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew as safety professionals • A number of accidents have highlighted the critical role that cabin crew can play in flight • Lack of technical knowledge has been shown to be an issue Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew technical knowledge • Cabin crew don’t know what they don’t know… Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew and CRM • Many airlines now have either separate or integrated CRM courses for cabin crew • For some carriers, this was a late development • The two cultures could be very different and communication was often very poor or non-existent Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Cabin crew and CRM • The flight deck door was generally seen as a barrier to communication, or indeed an excuse • The concept of a ‘sterile cockpit’ could be confusing • Neither crew seemed to understand each other’s role and needs • Increased security post S 11 has had a negative effect on crew communication Downloaded from www. avhf. com

The life of cabin crew • Several human factors issues are associated with the lifestyle including; – – – – Party-hard mentality Exposure to disease Isolation Unsociable hours Pace of work Sleep loss / disturbance Workplace injury Sexuality (STDs, discrimination, harassment) Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Aircraft emergencies • Up to 70% of aircraft accidents are now survivable • Assertive cabin crew can expedite emergency evacuations • Commercial pressures threaten crew complements (1: 36 to 1: 50) • Passengers look to cabin crew for their lead Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Aircraft emergencies • The ability of cabin crew to perform in an emergency is a function of: – Training – Preparation – Crashworthiness – Leadership – Equipment – Experience Downloaded from www. avhf. com

Aircraft emergencies • Experience of emergencies may be very limited • Simulation facilities tend to be much less realistic than for flight deck crew • Many airlines underestimate the need for training to de-sensitise crew Downloaded from www. avhf. com

The future? • Increased pressure from aging population and increased cabin crew to passenger ration • Increasing threat of inflight violence • Larger aircraft - more difficult to communicate • Increase in survivable accidents? Downloaded from www. avhf. com