Downloaded from AVIA Week 8 Human Factors and Cabin Crew

Downloaded from 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 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 Cabin crew as employees Cabin crew are employees working in a hostile environment On average, there are more lost- time injuries suffered by cabin crew than byJoggers Injuries to cabin crew are a serious issue for most airlines even when OH&S legislations does not cover their work environment

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

Downloaded from 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 Cabin crew as medical experts All cabin crew are expected to be able to provide assistance to doctors on board or to 3rd party medical services such as MedAir 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 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 Cabin crew as safety professionals

Downloaded from 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 Cabin crew as safety professionals

Downloaded from Cabin crew technical knowledge Cabin crew don’t know what they don’t know…

Downloaded from 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 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 S11 has had a negative effect on crew communication

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

Downloaded from 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 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?