CHAPTER FIVE
IMPACT OF AIR QUALITY ON AIR SAFETY
Introduction
5.1 The Committee received conflicting evidence on the critical issue of air safety as it relates to air quality. Submissions arguing that contamination of cabin air represented a safety hazard relied on evidence where pilots and flight attendants have been incapacitated by exposure to fumes.
5.2 Submissions arguing that contamination of cabin air did not represent a safety hazard, also argued that engine oil seal failures as a source, have been adequately investigated. These submissions argued there is no implication for flight safety as existing procedures control potential hazard. These aircraft accordingly continue to be certified as airworthy as modifications have either remedied or significantly diminished the problem.
Safety implications of illnesses
5.3 The Australian Federation of Air Pilots is of the view that:
There has been a noticeable effort made by industry to distance short-term repetitive symptoms that are affecting crew duties, from the forum of flight safety. The nature of health symptoms encountered and in many cases documented, all have the ability and in many cases do degrade the level of safety required by the Civil Aviation Act and Regulations.1
5.4 The AFAP in a supplementary submission to the inquiry argued that:
… the Industry and the regulator, CASA are clearly ignoring the relationship between … acknowledged short term health effects suffered and their effect on air safety. … while industry is happy to say that the long term symptoms are a health issue not related to air safety, these longer term symptoms were once short term repetitive symptoms suffered by BAe 146
2
crew.
5.5 Dr Richard Teo told the inquiry that he had observed and treated five patients who were referred to him for assessment for “… brain function deficit as a consequence of their exposure to chemicals in the workplace as flight crews of the BAe 146 aircraft.”3 These patients included two pilots and three flight attendants.
1 Submission 14A, AFAP, p 9; see also Submission 24, FAAA, p 1; see also ATSB, Evidence, 13 March 2000, p 198
2 Submission 14B, AFAP, p 6
3 Submission 3, Dr Richard Teo, p 1
5.6 According to Dr Teo:
The results of the assessments indicated that in each case, there was a significant dysfunction in their ability to process information efficiently. This dysfunction has impacted on their ability, adversely affecting their performance on mental and psychomotor tasks. This could significantly increase the risk of air safety should they be performing tasks required of aircrews as part of their employment schedules. This risk could be exacerbated during the course of their duties as flight crews as a consequence of further exposure to the aircraft environment of the BAe 146 aircraft. 4
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