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Fatigue in Aviation
Fatigue in Aviation
"My mind clicks on and off. I try letting one eyelid close at a
time while I prop the other with my will. But the effect is too
much, sleep is winning, my whole body argues dully that
nothing, nothing life can attain is quite so desirable as sleep.
My mind is losing resolution and control."
• Is your Operation looking at the role Fatigue may play in running the safest operation possible?
• Pride in Achievement.
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL!
• All Air Carriers do NOT operate in the same or even a similar manner. If we become further
regulated, the rules might fit some but will cause confusion and organizational difficulty in others.
• Our operations may actually result in lower levels of daily flying and significant opportunities for rest
IF we monitor and manage ourselves.
• Taking a “wait and see” attitude may only result in increased regulation which will have the impact of
imposing restrictions upon our ability to serve our customers in a cost effective manner. This in turn
could have dramatic economic implications to everyone involved… the company, the customer, the pilot
himself!
• We instruct our pilots on the affects that Drugs and Alcohol have in their performance. It is time to
add to our Safety process by alerting them to the dangers of flying without adequate rest.
• With around-the-clock activities, our 24/7 society can keep us from allocating enough time for sleep or
put us on irregular schedules. Feeling sleepy is a common experience, particularly for millions of
Americans working non-traditional “shifts”. The body never adjusts to “shift” work! Working
nontraditional schedules is a risk for on-the-job accidents. It is often difficult to get quality sleep
during the day and support from others is important but often difficult.
• Symptoms of Fatigue
• Sleep disruption.
• Poor Diet.
• Environmental stressors.
• Fixation
• Distractibility
• Sloppy skills
• Loss of initiative
• Personality changes
• Depression
AS AN OPERATOR OR AS A PILOT:
• Give your crewmember adequate time to rest free from restriction interruption
or even the possibility of interruption.
• Don’t constantly change the shift assignment. Changes in work and rest
schedules that do not have a fixed pattern result in fatigue management
challenges that are extremely difficult to address.
Remember its not just how much time they have had off, it is how/where their
duty time falls into their circadian rhythm.
• Educate your crewmembers on fatigue and the effects on a recurrent, not one-
time basis.
• Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) and nicotine (cigarettes,
tobacco products) close to bedtime, which can delay the onset of sleep.
• Avoid alcohol as it can lead to disrupted sleep and also delay the onset of sleep.
• Exercise regularly, but complete your workout at least 3 hours before bedtime.
• Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet and preferably cool and
comfortable.
• If you are in a hotel room, pay attention to the potential for noise sources as you
check in and request a different room if you are in an area of noise sources.
ITS IMPORTANT
• RECOGNIZE!
• EDUCATE!
• SUPPORT!
Thanks for the info:
• REFERENCES:
• Flight Safety Foundation Principles and Guidelines for Duty and Rest.
• 11 Proven Sleep Tips to Help You Rest Well In Any Strange or Noisy Hotel by
Pilot Paul.