SHIFT WORK & Aircraft Pilots

Abby, Alison, Maria, and Paula

SHIFT WORKWhat does it mean?

Group of pilots and cabin crew working together

alternating with other groups to create a cohesive and

productive workplace 24/7.(Adapted from

http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/shiftwork/sld002.htm)

Is it relevant to me?Yes! Unless you only spend your

holidays in this country or drive to France…

Effects of shift work on pilots

• Mostly negative including:• Shift or jet lag• Stress• Fatigue• Affected social life/relationships – although

preferable to those avoiding their wives/husbands!

• Lack of communication between teams• Lack of sleep• Increased error rates• Potentially fatal

Evidence• Fatigue involved in at least 4-8% of aviation accidents

with insufficient rest and extended duty being the main cause (Caldwell & Caldwell, 2004).

• 20% of aviation accidents occur during the 10th hour or above that the pilot has been on duty; increasing with every hour after the initial 8-hour schedule (Goode, 2003).

• PET scans – frontal lobes active in a rested person, but sluggish after 24 hours of wakefulness (Simmons, 1987-88).

• However, some research found fatigued crew performed significantly better than rested one (NASA).

• No amounts of training will prevent fatigue associated with circadian variations in alertness. (US Institute of Medicine, 2004). As you can see…

Recommendations

• Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) rules say no more than 9 hours on duty with extra 3 ‘discretion’ hours to cope with delays – however, airlines, particularly budget ones have been found to use this extra time as part of their daily roster to cram in more flights (Jackson, 2006).

• Shift design to be assessed in terms of team work (Schrage, 2000).

• Minimise the build up of fatigue.

• Take rest seriously. Pilots to report for duty well rested.

• Consider pilots’ commute to work.

To sum up:• Shift work in pilots may result in fatigue

and lack of concentration, which can potentially be fatal.

• To avoid this, it is important to examine shift work patterns, avoid fatigue accumulation and further research the link between pilot fatigue and work schedules.

• The following is just one of many cognitive errors, effects of which can be devastating: