Aerospace Health And Safety Today And The Future

Aviation plays vital roles in commerce, defense, science and leisure travel. Irrespective of the purpose of flight, crew and passengers are challenged by exposure to a variety of environmental conditions that can differ widely from work and travel environments on the surface of the Earth. With anticipated changes in aviation and space technology, new challenges to health and safety of crew and passengers can be expected. In this Research Topic, we welcome contributions from those whose work and interests are relevant to the health and safety of crew and passengers. This includes, but is not limited to, health and safety professionals, FAA examiners, corporate medical officers, aerospace and occupational physicians, physiologists, military and scientific team members, public health professionals, as well as engineers who are tasked with crew and passenger health and safety design projects. While 4.1 billion passengers fly on commercial airlines annually (and this figure is even higher when taking into account privately owned aircraft and military flight), for the most part aviation is safe. Passengers do arrive at their destinations with little concern to their own well-being and flight is generally well tolerated. However, older flyers, people with (diagnosed or undiagnosed) preexisting disease, and other vulnerable passengers (such as young children and pregnant women) may be at risk of complications and crew may be at special risk due to the frequency and duration of their many flight-related exposures. Health and safety issues for crew and passengers include but are not limited to: potentially severe circadian rhythm disruption, potential health effects of low-level cosmic ionizing radiation exposure at altitude, reduced oxygen delivery and tissue hypoxia at cabin pressurization, cabin air contamination by engine gases, toxic materials used in uniforms and some cabin seat materials, occupational noise, pesticides used for cabin disinsection, lack of adequate crew rest on layovers or between flights, cardiovascular demands of flight and effects of flight-related dehydration, the current absence of screening protocols especially in the context of a rising number of elderly and vulnerable flyers, lack of healthy nutrition at airports and in flight, availability of food and hydration as well as adequate cabin temperature under delay conditions, effects of alcohol use on flight-related physiological and behavioral health risks, anxiety and psychological distress associated with air travel, the effects of long-haul or ultra-long-haul flights on thromboembolic events as well as smoking cessation efforts and related psychological outcomes, job-related stress and harassment among crew. Cosmic ionizing and non-ionizing radiation exposure have drawn attention as have historic exposures of crew and passengers to second-hand cigarette smoke. The threat of political and interpersonal violence and altercations involving aviation cannot be overlooked. On-board medical emergencies run a wide gamut and the capacity to respond becomes more problematic as the duration of flights becomes longer or in the case of flight over oceans and the poles. In addition, in-flight and post flight embolisms and myocardial infarctions are more prevalent than might be expected. We hence encourage manuscripts that address in-flight medical response, including the capabilities on different types of aircraft on potential interventions by crew and medical volunteers. In addition, aviation as a vector for the carriage of disease is a significant concern to public health and security of populations world-wide, and we welcome submissions regarding infectious disease epidemiology and medicine as it relates to air travel. Insects and occasional unplanned travel by birds and rodents can present additional public health concerns. We are approaching an era where space travel may soon be increasingly common. Future flights for near-Earth orbit by leisure travelers and as well as travel to the moon and Mars raise a host of new questions with health and safety implications. What are the proposed health and safety accommodations going to be? Who will be allowed to travel? Perhaps the most interesting question is - who will make the rules?

Safety has traditionally been defined as a condition where the number of adverse outcomes was as low as possible (Safety-I). From a Safety-I perspective, the purpose of safety management is to make sure that the number of accidents and incidents is kept as low as possible, or as low as is reasonably practicable. This means that safety management must start from the manifestations of the absence of safety and that - paradoxically - safety is measured by counting the number of cases where it fails rather than by the number of cases where it succeeds. This unavoidably leads to a reactive approach based on responding to what goes wrong or what is identified as a risk - as something that could go wrong. Focusing on what goes right, rather than on what goes wrong, changes the definition of safety from ’avoiding that something goes wrong’ to ’ensuring that everything goes right’. More precisely, Safety-II is the ability to succeed under varying conditions, so that the number of intended and acceptable outcomes is as high as possible. From a Safety-II perspective, the purpose of safety management is to ensure that as much as possible goes right, in the sense that everyday work achieves its objectives. This means that safety is managed by what it achieves (successes, things that go right), and that likewise it is measured by counting the number of cases where things go right. In order to do this, safety management cannot only be reactive, it must also be proactive. But it must be proactive with regard to how actions succeed, to everyday acceptable performance, rather than with regard to how they can fail, as traditional risk analysis does. This book analyses and explains the principles behind both approaches and uses this to consider the past and future of safety management practices. The analysis makes use of common examples and cases from domains such as aviation, nuclear power production, process management and health care. The final chapters explain the theoret

Every issue of Ashgate's Human Factors and Aerospace Safety: An International Journal publishes an invited, critical review of a key area from a widely-respected researcher. To celebrate a successful first three years of the journal and to make these papers available to a wider audience, they have been collated here into a single volume. The book is divided into three sections, with articles addressing safety issues in flight deck design, aviation operations and training, and air traffic management. These articles describe the state of current research within a practical context and present a potential future research agenda. Contemporary Issues in Human Factors and Aviation Safety will appeal to both professionals and researchers in aviation and associated industries who are interested in learning more about current issues in flight safety.

The U.S. healthcare system is now spending many millions of dollars to improve "patient safety" and "inter-professional practice." Nevertheless, an estimated 100,000 patients still succumb to preventable medical errors or infections every year. How can health care providers reduce the terrible financial and human toll of medical errors and injuries that harm rather than heal? Beyond the Checklist argues that lives could be saved and patient care enhanced by adapting the relevant lessons of aviation safety and teamwork. In response to a series of human-error caused crashes, the airline industry developed the system of job training and information sharing known as Crew Resource Management (CRM). Under the new industry-wide system of CRM, pilots, flight attendants, and ground crews now communicate and cooperate in ways that have greatly reduced the hazards of commercial air travel. The coauthors of this book sought out the aviation professionals who made this transformation possible. Beyond the Checklist gives us an inside look at CRM training and shows how airline staff interaction that once suffered from the same dysfunction that too often undermines real teamwork in health care today has dramatically improved. Drawing on the experience of doctors, nurses, medical educators, and administrators, this book demonstrates how CRM can be adapted, more widely and effectively, to health care delivery. The authors provide case studies of three institutions that have successfully incorporated CRM-like principles into the fabric of their clinical culture by embracing practices that promote common patient safety knowledge and skills.They infuse this study with their own diverse experience and collaborative spirit: Patrick Mendenhall is a commercial airline pilot who teaches CRM; Suzanne Gordon is a nationally known health care journalist, training consultant, and speaker on issues related to nursing; and Bonnie Blair O'Connor is an ethnographer and medical educator who has spent more than two decades observing medical training and teamwork from the inside.

Questions concerning safety in aviation attract a great deal of attention, due to the growth in this industry and the number of fatal accidents in recent years. The aerospace industry has always been deeply concerned with the permanent prevention of accidents and the conscientious safeguarding of all imaginable critical factors surrounding the organization of processes in aeronautical technology. However, the developments in aircraft technology and control systems require further improvements to meet future safety demands. This book embodies the proceedings of the 1997 International Aviation Safety Conference, and contains 60 talks by internationally recognized experts on various aspects of aviation safety. Subjects covered include: Human interfaces and man-machine interactions; Flight safety engineering and operational control systems; Aircraft development and integrated safety designs; Safety strategies relating to risk insurance and economics; Corporate aspects and safety management factors --- including airlines services and airport security environment.

Practical Airport Operations, Safety, and Emergency Management: Protocols for Today and the Future focuses on the airport itself, not the aircraft, manufacturers, designers, or even the pilots. The book explores the safety of what's been called ‘the most expensive piece of pavement in any city’— the facility that operates, maintains, and ensures the safety of millions of air passengers every year. The book is organized into three helpful sections, each focusing on one of the sectors described in the title. Section One: Airport Safety, explores the airport environment, then delves into safety management systems. Section Two: Airport Operations, continues the conversation on safety management systems before outlining airside and landside operations in depth, while Section Three: Airport Emergency Management, is a careful, detailed exploration of the topic, ending with a chapter on the operational challenges airport operations managers can expect to face in the future. Written by trusted experts in the field, users will find this book to be a vital resource that provides airport operations managers and students with the information, protocols, and strategies they need to meet the unique challenges associated with running an airport. Addresses the four areas of airport management: safety, operations, emergency management, and future challenges together in one book Written by leading professionals in the field with extensive training, teaching, and practical experience in airport operations Includes section on future challenges, including spaceport, unmanned aerial vehicles, and integrated incident command Ancillary materials for readers to reinforce concepts and instructors teaching operations courses Focuses on the topics of safety, operations, emergency management, and what personnel and students studying the topic can expect to face in the future

In the vast expanse where the sky meets the stars, aerospace medicine specialists stand as pivotal guardians of human health and performance. "Aerospace Medicine Specialist - The Comprehensive Guide" is your definitive resource for navigating the intricate and thrilling world of aviation and space medicine. This comprehensive guide peels back the layers of medical practice in extreme environments, offering readers an in-depth exploration of the challenges and innovations that define this cutting-edge field. From the physiological impacts of microgravity to the nuances of providing remote medical care during long-duration space missions, this book offers a fascinating journey through the science that enables humans to fly higher, faster, and farther than ever before. Without relying on images or illustrations, this guide dives deep into the core principles and practices of aerospace medicine. It is crafted with an unwavering focus on providing the reader with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in this demanding specialty. Through vivid narrative, engaging hypothetical scenarios, and richly detailed personal anecdotes from those at the forefront of the field, this book captures the essence of aerospace medicine. It addresses not just the 'how' but the 'why', inviting readers to think critically and creatively about the future of human health in the final frontier. Whether you are a medical professional aspiring to specialize in aerospace medicine, a student curious about this multidisciplinary field, or simply an enthusiast fascinated by the intersection of medicine, aviation, and space exploration, this guide is an indispensable companion on your journey.

"This title was first published in 2003. An international journal targeted specifically at the study of the human element in the aerospace system, and its role in either avoiding or contributing to accidents and incidents, and in promoting safe operations. The journal contains both formal research and practitioner papers, describing new research in the area of human factors and aerospace safety, and activities such as successful safety and regulatory initiatives or accident case studies. In every issue there is also an invited position paper by an internationally respected author, providing a critical overview of a particular area of human factors and aerospace safety, with the aim of developing theory and setting a research agenda for the future. Other features of the journal include: a critical incidents section describing recent aviation incidents with human factors root causes, a calendar of events, listing forthcoming international conferences, seminars and workshops of interest to the reader, and occasional book reviews."--Provided by publisher.