TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION

Health & Safety Weekly News - Special

November 30, 2009

 

Aviation Air Quality

 

Crew and passengers regularly report problems with aircraft air quality. Ever noticed that the air in the cabin gets stuffy, and that sometimes the air conditioning is turned off completely on the ground? Ever found the aircraft far too hot or too cold and you are just left to deal with it? Ever noticed that some aircraft have those air nozzles ("gaspers") over each seat and some don't? (And that some of them work and some don't?) Ever found that sometimes you can't get a deep enough breathe, like there isn't enough oxygen? That the cabin regularly smells like fuel, deicing fluid, or diesel exhaust before takeoff? That the galley is freezing? Ever smelled heated hydraulic fluid or oil that comes from the air supply vents overhead, or noticed that you seem to regularly get a cold or some other bug after flying? These are documented and routine complaints with aircraft air quality.

When you consider that air quality on aircraft is effectively unregulated - unlike almost all other indoor environments - and that there is no government reporting system to systematically collect the data, it's no big surprise. The airlines and manufacturers can get away with cutting corners to save money, leaving crew and passengers with symptoms that range from headaches and nausea to fainting and nerve damage. Crew and passengers need to unite and speak out to the airlines and the FAA.

 

Currently the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is asking for crewmember input on oil fume events. They are seeking regulation for:

·         Aircraft air supply monitoring, so that pilots know when a malfunction is occurring and can take appropriate action.

·         Mandatory reporting of all oil fume events, as the issue is grossly under reported and has serious safety of flight and health implications for crew and passenger alike.

 

And here is where we need your help.  If YOU have been exposed to fumes, please take the time to complete the short online EASA survey for cabin crew. Any documentation that you can submit (irregularity reports, medical records, aircraft maintenance records, etc) will increase the validity and value of your report. This could lead to a regulatory action by EASA which in turn may force the FAA to act on the matter.

 

More details can be found on the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive (GCAQE) website. You can access the survey by clicking here.

 

The deadline for submission is January 8th, 2010.

 

 

Health and Safety Task Force

Ed Watt       Mark Johnson       Michael Massoni       Michael Conigliaro       Bobby Romaine