interphone.” (Brown 2010) Both Brown and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants have strongly supported the need for a hands-free, wireless communication device that flight attendants can use to notify the flight deck in case of an attack on board. Brown asks, “Why is there 1950s technology on board sophisticated state-of-the-art aircraft in the 21st century?”
“
...there is a desperate need for specific training in the areas of behavioural risk assessment, situational awareness, and cultural diversity...”
New technology is being developed to overcome communication barriers in the cabin in the form of wireless, discreet, secure Crew Alert Monitoring Devices. Discreet ‘panic buttons’ could be provided to cabin crew members, which, upon activation, would provide the flight deck with an audible alert, a visible annunciation signal and a ‘zonal’ location of the security breach. In 2007 the FAA issued new rules to provide a means for cabin crew members to discreetly notify the cockpit crew of problems in the cabin. Opposition cited the cost of such devices. Ultimately the reduction in compliance time from an expected two years to six months effectively precluded the use of wireless devices in favour of the continued use of cabin interphones. As it stands, flight attendants must still depend upon that 1950s technology.
Expand Safety-Related Training Besides the fundamental need for improvements in CRM and security programmes, there is a desperate need for specific training in the areas of behavioural risk assessment, situational awareness, and cultural diversity. Although these areas are a subset of CRM, they need to be emphasised and trained in their own right. We can no longer rely on pre -9/11 methods of onboard surveillance and assessment. We can no longer pretend that cultural differences don’t matter in communication – important differences do exist from national culture to the specific cultures within the airline industry itself. Another critical area to address is the safety risk inherent in fatigued flight attendants due to stressful work rules. “The NTSB [National Transportation Security Board] itself has recognised the danger posed by fatigue in the transportation industry…however, the industry needs to realise that flight attendant fatigue is also a serious concern, particularly in the era of heightened security awareness and large scale evacuations like US Air 1549.” (Friend 2007). “A web-based survey conducted after 9/11 assessed the fatigue of flight attendants working for a major US airline…with the authors concluding that [flight attendants] were clearly one of the most fatigued populations we have studied.” (Brown 2009).
It is doubtful that individual airlines will improve legal
rest and work rules for flight attendants until forced to do so, but in the meantime training in sleep and fatigue management needs to be developed to help flight attendants reduce their levels of fatigue and avoid factors that may increase those levels.
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Make Certification Count Another important step in improving the image of flight attendants would be to set serious standards for the job. Congress did pass a reorganisation bill to certify flight attendants for their role as safety professionals. It was hailed by the AFA as “an important milestone…which will help strengthen our role as air safety professionals and better define our status onboard the aircraft to passengers and crew alike... [providing] overdue respect and recognition.” AFA’s hope was that certification would also help improve training and require it to be standardised throughout the industry and no longer subject to the individual whims of each carrier.
Sadly, none of that has come to pass.
The shift in perception from ‘servers’ to ‘safety’ can be accomplished, but it will take money, time and serious initiative. What is paramount, however, is that the industry takes a long hard look at its cabin crew training with the serious goal of making onboard safety its first priority. Management, cabin and flight deck crews also need to come together with mutual respect and support. As long as the flying public, the company, and those behind the flight deck door regard their fellow crew members in the cabin as gays, grannies and grandees - flight attendants may as well dance on.
Sherry Saehlenou holds a Master of Education, along with 28 years experience as a flight attendant with two major US airlines. She is presently a safety trainer and programme developer with an airframe manufacturer and an airline industry consultant.
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