SHIFT WORK & Aircraft Pilots Abby, Alison, Maria, and Paula

SHIFT WORK What 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 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 10 th 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, ). 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: