Safety of the Airline Industry
The issue of safety in the airline industry is a major factor based on the federal aviation regulations. The safety precautions that the airline undertakes is critical in ensuring the safety of the passengers. The observation of the safety precautions is essential in having the people get the expected services. Evaluating the difference between the federal aviation regulations, specifically part 117 and 121 will be vital in assessing the effects of the precautionary measures taken in the management of safety issues while individuals are on board. Allowing operations of flights by medically approving the health of the people. With specific stipulations in place, it is important that the regulations are followed accordingly.
Understanding the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) part 117 and 121 of the rules evaluate the factors of the health of the individuals. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (2008), managing the crew operations is an important factor that will have an implication in the issues occurring during flights. The universal aspect of the factors that lead to poor health of the crew members include those factors that have an impact on the operations of the flights. The efficient functioning of the flights are essential in ensuring safety in the flight management. The rules and regulations under 14 CFR Part 117 evaluate the case of health factors that need to be followed by the crew, with specificity on the issues currently being faced by the team. With constant issues rising in the health factors and the risks that are encountered by the members of the crew.
Both Parts 117 and 121 recognize the fact that the aspect of fatigue has a major effect on the operations during the flights. The parts in the FAR evaluate the issue of the implication of fatigue on the crew members and the consequences of the accumulation of fatigue to the operations. Desmond, Neubauer, Matthews and Hancock (2012) assess further the implication of exhaustion on the concentration and operations of the flights. The authors indicate that the education of the crew is an important issue that affects the productivity of the employees. With increased fatigue of the flight crew members, the risk of error by the pilots affects the safety of those on board (Air Safety Week, 2008). The stipulations set by FAA are important in ensuring that the employees are not overworked, which in turn affects the issues of safety by the crew members. Then specificity of the issues that are encountered when managing the flights is a major factor that the 14CFR addresses. With the assessment of the health problems that may affect those on board, the FAA has ensured that the rules address the universal flight issues.
The mental health and awareness of the critical aspect of flying by the crew is an important factor in ensuring safety during the flights. Ferguson and Nelson (2012) indicate that the aspect of aviation safety is an important issue that should be addressed by the crew and management of the responsible parties. Initially, there was a distinction in the rules set out for the different light operations, but realizing that health issues, especially fatigue, contribute to the risk of the lives of those on board, there was the need to alternate the problems in the flight operations. The FAA has adopted the system whereby the health of the crew members should be kept in check is an important factor in reducing the risks (Rabinowitz, Breitbach & Warner, 2009). Part 121 recognizes that the flight plans should be made based on the work hours of the crew members, which ensures that those on board are kept safe. In order for the people to be declared safe to operate the airplanes, the management of the work hours is maintained into considerations and ensure that the individuals are well-rested before flight operations.
The physical and medical capabilities of the fight operators is a major factor in ensuring safety in the aviation industry. The FAR Parts 117 and 121 explicitly specify the universal factors that have an implication on the productivity and accuracy in operating the flights. The sections also state the recovery period that is an important aspect in ensuring that then individuals are in good health and state of mind during the flight management periods (Gill, 2004). The aspect of the health of the crew members should be evaluated based on the work period and the demand for work they are subjected to. The Flight Duty Period (FDP) of the crew affects the status of health, which indicates that there is the need to ensure the health of the individuals is key in ensuring the flight takes place without any hitch.
Having a well assessed physical and medical evaluation of the crew is an important factor in ensuring that the lives of people are not put at risk. The operations of the airplanes are mostly based on the functions of the pilots and their ability to ensure that the flight takes off as expected. The assessment of the physical and medical wellness of the crew is a major factor that the FAA has ensured undertaken in the flight operations. Aviation safety can be greatly compromised based on the lack of assessment of the medical wellness of the crew members. FAR specifies that the different management in the airlines should ensure that the health of the members is kept in check before they are allowed on board. Getting proper sleep and ensuring that the members reporting for duty are well assessed is important in ensuring safety for the flight.
Checking the medical status of the crew reporting for duty is an issue that the FAA takes seriously for the members. As the FDP is conducted, it is important that the crew members disclose all the medical issues that they may encounter, which plays a major role in conducting the medical assessment. The health assessment should be done on a regular basis so as to decrease the risk and liability to the company. The medical status of the individuals operating the flights is a major factor that the FAA indicates in Part 121 of the regulations. Educating and training the crew is an important factor that ensures that the people are updated on the operations of the flights. The FAA has invested in ensuring that the people on the flight are not put at risk, hence the need to continuously provide training for those operating the flights. In addition, the investment in a management system that will keep the individuals in check is an important issue that needs to be addressed in the flight operations.
References
Desmond, P. A., Neuber, C., Matthews, G., & Hancock. P. A. (2012). The Handbook of Operator Fatigue. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing.
Federal Aviation Administration. (2008). Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.
Ferguson, M., & Nelson, S. (2012). Aviation Safety: A Balanced Industry Approach. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Gill, G. K. (2004). Perception of Safety, Safety Violation and Improvement of Safety in Aviation: Findings of a Pilot Study. Journal of Air Transportation, 9(3), 43-55.
Pilot fatigue blamed for recent accidents. (2008). Air Safety Week, 22(24).
Rabinowitz, Y. G.,M.S.U.S.A., Breitbach, J. E.,M.S.U.S.A., & Warner, C. H.,M.C.U.S.A. (2009). Managing aviator fatigue in a deployed environment: The relationship between fatigue and neurocognitive functioning. Military Medicine, 174(4), 358-62.
