NWA AFA Health
» CABIN FEVER IV: MR. HEAT MISER
“I was sweating from the time I got on the plane and throughout the flight. We are working not in shorts, tank tops and flip-flops, but in fabrics that do not breathe, along with panty hose. This seems to be a common occurrence to have only one pack working. This is unacceptable and will cease to be a cost saving measure when you lose your customers.”
Since summer’s hot streak first began, your NWA-AFA MEC and ASHS Committee have been pulling out the stops to cool down aircraft cabins on your behalf. It is no exaggeration to suggest member pleas for corrective action are nothing short of desperate. We are certain IFS reporting data will substantiate this trend. In addition to possibly over-zealous compliance with the company’s APU fuel efficiency plan, Cabin Fever has been susceptible to a domino-like series of operational challenges in an infrastructure apparently unable to bear the weight of its overly aggressive summer flight plan. Over the years, each of us has experienced the occasional inop APU, broken air cart or temperamental temperature gauge, but no one recalls Cabin Fever to this degree. Help us triage this epidemic with your intake on this outbreak; we’ll measure Delta’s remedy as the mercury drops. Share your continued feedback, hot or cold, HERE.
“If we are all about saving money due to fuel costs, how about cutting all the air conditioning "luxury" corporate-wide? All buildings owned and maintained by Delta airlines could join in the cost savings and experience the same effect that we are onboard!”
A lack of Cabin Fever response from Inflight Services prompted THIS LETTER to Richard Anderson and Joanne Smith. Our request for cooler cabins synopsizes how cost-cutting plans from a pencil pusher’s air conditioned office have turned our workspace into steaming saunas. Additionally, excessive and sometimes conflicting layers of internal protocols and priorities often hamper response to immediate flight attendant air conditioning requests. The overall lack of interdepartmental coordination was emphasized as a prime culprit—particularly Inflight Services’ exclusion from the cooling equation, when we bear the brunt of the heat. We respectfully insisted on immediate corrective action for the health, safety and comfort of passengers and crew, with effective contingency plans that include flight attendants, to prevent overheated cabins.
“I must have apologized a hundred times to passengers.”
“Never cooled off before we started boarding pax. Pilots kept calling for air carts since the APU was inop. One family [got off the aircraft] due to the heat. The gauge in the cockpit showed the aft cabin temp to be 102 degrees. Hard to look professional and gracious with sweat running down your face!”
Fortunately, key members of management agree that cabin comfort should never be compromised—and “never at the expense of passenger and crew comfort and safety.” These comforting words do not equal cool air yet, but they mark an inroad to rectification. Sharing member feedback with Delta leaders at the quarterly, contractual Joint Safety meeting earlier this month, your MEC Air Safety Health and Security Committee emphasized that Flight Attendants must be provided with procedures to follow and numbers to contact when faced with extreme cabin conditions. ASHS Committee Chairs Jeannie Elliott and Gary Helton secured a commitment from Delta management to issue a memo directly to Flight Attendants regarding cabin environment, with options to secure cooler air.
In the meantime, this is what you need to know, pending further details and information from the company, in the event you encounter extreme cabin heat:
- Share safety and cabin comfort concerns with the pilots immediately. Request air conditioning as soon as possible to permit adequate cooling time prior to passenger boarding. If they decline APU utilization or the APU is inoperative, suggest they secure an air cart. The value of CRM skills and an assertive—not aggressive—statement, such as "Captain, I am concerned for the safety of our passengers," cannot be understated, as previously discussed.
- If your pilots have not yet arrived, make the same cabin cooling request of ACS personnel, so they might coordinate with maintenance or ground staff or call the OCC for further action.
- Open air vents and close window shades, if time permits. Advise passengers to do the same, if boarding has commenced.
- If your pilots have not arrived, ACS staff cannot accommodate your request or you are minimum crew on a flight that has begun boarding, Flight Attendants may call the OCC directly. Coordinate with the Purser/Flight Leader to contact OCC at (800) 233-4638, and identify yourself, your city, flight number and gate. Explain the urgency of the situation and your lack of other options to reduce dangerous cabin temperatures. Document procedures you take to rectify the situation and indicate whether they are effective.
Your MEC ASHS Committee has made additional inroads with other key safety and service related areas, providing valuable input that helped shape the company’s recently published “Safety and Service Must Work Together.” Changes to harmonized service design, while slow in coming, are beginning to coordinate safety factors called out by our AFA Safety committee and alert members. Reports on additional progress will follow in an upcoming eNews.
As always, report incidents of Cabin Fever and other service/safety concerns to the company via the FACC/FAST form and an automated Inflight Incident Report, if the situation warrants. And keep on keeping us in the loop via our Online Feedback Form HERE. There’s a whole lot of reporting going on this summer. But remember, if you don’t report it, it didn’t happen.
READ PREVIOUS ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES:
CABIN FEVER I: FEELIN’ HOT HOT HOT!!!
CABIN FEVER II: THE HEAT IS ON!!!
CABIN FEVER III: HEATWAVE!!!
Posted by soltersdorf on 07/27 at 08:50 AM
» CABIN FEVER III: HEATWAVE!!!
“On boarding, hot air was coming out of the gasper valves. We tried to adjust it but it just got hotter and hotter. It was miserable. Heat in the summer makes the AC unsafe, especially for elderly and those in less than perfect health.”
Airline analysts widely predict Delta’s just-announced $549 million second quarter profit—our best financial performance in a decade—could blaze the trail to an industry-wide recovery. The trend toward tepidity ending, business travel is heating up and moving bottom lines out of the red with higher yield fares on fuller flights. This is, of course, fantastic news, and it’s forecast to continue beyond second quarter results. With an eye toward collective success, we hope our sizzling summer stays hot on the books, but that sold-out seats grow cold. Or get cooler, at least, with gasper valves pumping fresh air toward the deserving customers who make profits possible.
“Passengers were red faced, fanning themselves and asking for air.”
After conveying everything from simmering irritation to searing frustration over unresolved cabin fever and safety issues via our ONLINE FEEDBACK FORM, our members’ unanimous concern boils down to one more common theme: “What about our passengers?” Indeed, even while facing a cabin heatwave, customer service remains our chief focus.
“Within minutes of boarding, the air conditioning was shut off. The aircraft became hotter and hotter. Conditions on the plane were intolerable. Passengers complained loudly, several became dizzy and nauseous.”
“We can’t have our passengers passing out before we even take off. . .99 degree cabins is not good customer service.”
With today’s upbeat announcement, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Hank Halter also acknowledged, “We know we have to work hard to earn and keep our customers’ business. As the economy stabilizes, it’s more important than ever that we focus on providing a reliable operation and excellent customer service while maintaining our revenue momentum and cost discipline.”
We agree. After all, we are solution-oriented, safety-minded customer service professionals. Excellent customer service is imperative, and we’re onboard to make it happen. However, from the air conditioned office where cost-cutting, policy-makers write memos that shut down APUs to save cash, cooler heads must prevail. Comfortable, happy passengers bring repeat business. Hot, miserable ones do not.
“Let’s all work together to serve our customers in the most efficient, productive, and friendly manner possible. Let’s make Delta Air Lines not just survive but thrive as the best airline in the world.”
Now, more than ever, the penny-wise cost disciplines of cutting cabin air can’t override the greater need to live up to the product we promote. Delta must provide the travel experience our passengers expect with the comfort and service they deserve, or this financial turn-around will continue full circle. Just where would that leave us?
Delta policy maintains the Captain is empowered to assess the overall situation, costs, and comforts and provide power and air accordingly. These days, however, tighter scheduling and irregular operations frequently prevent our pilots from being present at boarding time. Even when present, reports suggest some appear to be more concerned with APU operating costs, or simply may not recognize how truly hot it is.
AFA-CWA is leading the charge to gain OSHA safety protections in the workplace for crewmembers. According to OSHA, factors leading to heat stress include high temperature or humidity, direct sun or heat, limited air movement, poor physical condition, some medicines, inadequate tolerance for hot workplaces, and insufficient water intake. OSHA has provided this HEAT STRESS QUICK CARD and THIS FACT SHEET with helpful information to protect workers from heat borne danger. You may find it useful, whether fanning yourself in a hot galley or tending to a passenger experiencing heat stroke.
Flight Attendant feedback suggests Cabin Fever is primarily due to:
- APUs that are turned off to save money, per company directive
- APUs that are completely inoperative for unknown reasons
- Pilots not arriving at the aircraft in time to cool it down
- Gate staff boarding flights prematurely or without complete understanding of onboard heat safety dangers
- Lack of company communication and the requisite coordination above and below wing to have air carts available and hooked up as a necessary alternative
“Putting passengers and crew on an aircraft and turning off the air conditioning in 90 degree heat is inhumane. This was a very dangerous situation—high heat, no air conditioning, and a full 757-8000.”
“90-plus degrees in Atlanta. Agent insists on boarding aircraft although there are no pilots and no air conditioning on the ground. We are told by the agent that we do not wait for pilots to board the aircraft. The plane is sweltering. Complaints by passengers. Waited onboard for approximately an hour with no explanation from agent.”
“not enough water bottles to even do one water walk”
Your NWA-AFA MEC once again asserts that Delta must take immediate corrective action for the health, safety and comfort of both passengers and crew. Contingency plans must be implemented to address these scenarios, stop Cabin Fever in its tracks, and turn things around. Our passengers expect it. Our bodies require it. Our future depends on it.
READ PREVIOUS ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES:
CABIN FEVER I: FEELIN’ HOT HOT HOT!!!
CABIN FEVER II: THE HEAT IS ON!!!
Posted by soltersdorf on 07/20 at 08:32 AM
» CABIN FEVER II: THE HEAT IS ON!!!
"WARMLY welcome each customer as they make their way onboard and help them locate their seats if necessary." ~ June 3, 2010, IFS Customer Satisfaction focus
Little did we know just how WARM that greeting would get until they pulled the plug on the APUs. Last week’s Cabin Fever story examined the company’s cost-cutting onboard heat wave and drew heated member response. It seems no one recognized this policy-driven perspiration problem had permeated the system so widely.
The disconnect is not just between you the air cart. There appears to be a fundamental kink in Delta’s behind-the-scenes communication pipeline. Exactly who has a direct relationship with the air conditioning switch? The lag time that lapses before corrective action occurs seems stretched beyond the pale.
“This aircraft was actually blowing HOT air upon passenger boarding this morning. Nearly every flight I’ve worked since June 1st has had a broken APU, only one pack working for airflow, or involved an air start for the engines while we sit sweltering and waiting. This is getting crazy.”
Customer Service Multiple Choice Quiz – What Would You Do?
How would you respond when the customer seated in 2B waves you down (and that quick breeze is practically refreshing!) to ask if it’s going to take an Act of Congress to cool down the cabin? Do you:
1) Fan him with the Emergency Briefing Card and graciously reply, “Yes, Mr. HVC, it would be my pleasure, if only fuel weren’t so expensive, and we could turn on the APU to get some air.”
2) Offer the last bits of unmelted ice for his warm Dasani.
3) Consider the Passenger Bill of Rights before you answer. (Cabin ventilation is a primary passenger complaint during excessive tarmac delays - impetus for the new federal rules. Even the oft-edited FAA Reauthorization Bill once included a study to determine whether onboard temperature standards are necessary to protect cabin and cockpit crew members and passengers from excessive heat.)
Of course, we know the dangers of heat-related illness are no laughing matter. That is why we are raising Cabin Fever workplace awareness and collecting your onboard experiences to share with the company. Symptoms of hyperthermia, or heat stroke, can include dizziness, disorientation, sluggishness, hot, dry skin, a rapid heartbeat and hallucinations. Check out this HEAT EXHAUSTION BULLETIN for more information. Let’s raise Delta’s awareness of this dangerously hot topic so they’ll jumpstart the aircarts and get those APUs running before summer’s heat waves goodbye.
“When the pilots arrived, they told me the inside temp was 99 degrees. When have you ever seen it cooler outside the aircraft in July?"
It might be helpful to utilize CRM skills with our cockpit crews and/or gate staff when politely requesting they postpone boarding until the aircraft provides "a comfortable passenger environment." The value of an assertive—not aggressive—statement, such as "Captain, I am concerned for the safety of our passengers," cannot be understated. As always, report incidents of Cabin Fever to the company via the FACC/FAST form and an automated Inflight Incident Report, if the situation warrants. And keep on keeping us in the loop via our Online Feedback Form HERE . Let’s cool down and fix this, together. Yes, it’s a lot of reporting. But remember, if you don’t report it, it didn’t happen.
“It was over 100 degrees in the cabin when we boarded, though the turn time is only 35 minutes.”
Your AFA MEC Air Safety, Security and Health Committee will address this hot topic—with your input—at their contractual quarterly joint Safety, Security and Health Committee meeting with the company in ATL this Thursday, July 15.
Posted by soltersdorf on 07/13 at 10:06 AM» AIRCRAFT AIR QUALITY ACTIONS
Recent installments of our eNews Air Quality series have shined a light on AFA’s Air Safety Health and Security Committee, and ongoing efforts to improve your work environment by cleaning up the air…in the air. Airborne contamination events have taken center stage lately, with well-known suspected toxic fume exposure incidents here at Delta (highlighted in THIS LETTER TO RICHARD ANDERSON and THIS LETTER TO KENNETH HYLANDER), as well as at other carriers. AFA-CWA continues to push forward on these issues via legislation to protect aircraft occupants from harmful cabin toxins, support for OSHA improvements and crewmember coverage, support of FAA-funded ACER studies, new management protocols, and improved crewmember training, to name a few.
Despite management’s claims they are investigating these incidents, clearly there is more to be done. The first tragedy in these events is the fact that many are preventable, given comprehensive and proper carrier protocols and procedures. The second is the health consequences suffered by exposed crewmembers, including potentially permanent neurological and respiratory damage.
Almost equally tragic, however, is a disturbing trend for some airlines to brush contamination issues under the carpet, as if afflicted crewmembers and passengers were not truly ill, physically disadvantaged or disabled. In fact, some of our own Delta crewmembers remain unable to work due to recent air contamination events. Most have repeatedly been denied Workers’ Compensation for their on-the-job injuries, despite navigating myriad hoops of red tape and testing to verify disabilities and their origin. We remain hopeful the company and their in-house doctors will choose to help smooth the way for Worker’s Comp insurance approval for our afflicted members.
What steps should YOU take in the event you experience onboard chemical exposure? What specific information must you share with your doctor immediately, in order to receive proper care and follow-up? What information should you carry with you, in case of an emergency?
Culminating our ongoing series on Aircraft Air Quality, AFA and you, we offer the following resources and helpful links to point you in the right direction should you experience a contaminated air event. They contain vitally important information for you and time-saving instructions for your Health Care Provider. Bookmark these links, or click, download and save these pieces for future reference:
• ‘SICK FROM POOR AIRCRAFT QUALITY?’ INFO PACK – Here’s what you need to do. Download and save this EIGHT-PAGE INFO PACK, which provides practical advice and what-to-do checklists to get you started, if you think your symptoms could be caused by breathing contaminated aircraft air. Take the time to read through it now, so you are ahead of the game if something happens.
• QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS – Suspect you are sick from exposure to oil fumes? Print this two-page summary version for Health Care Providers, and take it to any related medical appointments. Most doctors are unfamiliar with this kind of toxic exposure, and will not likely have immediate knowledge of the airline-related contaminations, passenger symptoms, tests and treatment contained in this guide.
• ASHS AIR QUALITY INFO CARD – Download, print, carry and share this wallet-sized card with bite-sized information right at your fingertips, including NWA-AFA’s Air Safety Contacts, links, and quick tips for Contaminated Air events. This document is two-pages, front and back, and it prints a total of four cards per-page. Directions: Print page one only. Turn the sheet over according to your printer’s instructions, and print page two on the back. Cut to size and fold in quarters, as seen in the picture.
Want to learn more about potential onboard chemical exposures? Take control of your health and safety by staying informed! Much additional information, including videos, articles and links related to toxic exposure can also be found on AFA-CWA’s Air Safety, Health and Security website HERE. Additional links to informative Air Safety issues and articles can be found HERE. These are links worth bookmarking in the unfortunate event you or your colleagues experience a toxic exposure incident.
» Your Union At Work - Toxic Fume & Air Quality Awareness
April 2010 - Printable Air Quality Information Card
Nearly two years ago, a prestigious panel of aviation experts recommended: voluntary standards for on-board air circulation, lower ozone exposure, new monitoring for contaminated air from oil or hydraulic fluid leaks - and limits on pesticides used on planes. Both aviation regulators and airlines have yet to act. Finally! Legislation sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) would protect all aircraft occupants from harmful toxins in the cabin. On March 22nd, the U.S. Senate approved the measure as an amendment to the FAA Re-authorization Act, requiring the FAA to complete a comprehensive cabin air quality study within a year and provide the FAA with the authority to mandate the airlines to monitor air quality in support of the study.
Closer to home…five significant events involving suspected on-board exposures to toxic oil fumes have left those Members involved with a wide range of chronic neurological and respiratory illness. A hearing was held in DTW on April 7th to discuss all aspects of the air contamination events, the company’s investigative attempts and preventive measures - and, importantly, identifying the need for further support of those Members involved and a call for more definitive guidance to be issued to all flight attendants on how to recognize similar air quality conditions and ‘what to do’ if it occurs. Continuing AFA’s advocacy on changes needed, a letter was sent this week to CEO Richard Anderson, outlining the recent air contamination events and impact on our flight attendants, along with AFA’s request for action. Read the letter in its entirety HERE. To read Delta’s response, click HERE.
Want to find out more on the potential of such on-board chemical exposures? Inform yourself by clicking on: “Exposed to Engine Oil Fumes”. Further information can also be found at: www.afanet.org. AFA has also developed an ‘Air Quality Information Card’ to help remind all Members of what to do if exposed. The clip-out card was included in the latest edition of the MEC newsletter “All Call” - and can be carried with you while on duty. AFA efforts continue on a national level as well - read our comments on OSHA’s proposed revisions to hazard communication standards HERE.
Fly safely . . . . and get informed about aircraft air quality! – MEC ASHS Chair Jeanne Elliott
Posted by jrook on 05/04 at 12:25 PM» Swine influenza Information
In response to cases of (swine) influenza A H1N1, reported in Mexico and the United States of America
Here are links to the most current information from the CDC and World Health Organization.
Current Status of H1N1…Updated Aug 7th 2009
CDC…For Flight Crews…Flight Crew Guidance from the CDC
AFA CWA…For Flight Crews…Flight Crew Guidance from the AFA
EAP…Talking to Your Child H1N1 (Swine Flu)
CDC…http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx
CDC…http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluUS.aspx
WHO…http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_20090425/
AFA…AFA Swine Flu: What flight attendants need to know
NWA/Delta…Inflight News Brief Swine Flu Update
Please also review your company email for recent updates from the company on the Swine Flu company procedures.
Current Recommendations from the company
4/25/09 Update
No change in recommendations which are:
1). Good personal hygiene incl frequent hand washing and avoidance of
touching face with hands
2). Cough etiquette (into arm/sleeve or tissue
and dispose.
3). Follow IFS OBM protocol on pax with suspected communicable disease
illness.
4). Pt no pot mask recommendation for crew or ticket/gate agents. I am
aware some will want but the point is maintenance of social distancing /
avoid prolonged, close contact with locals in Mexico.
5). OK for crew in Mexico to engage in typical crew layover activity
such as local restaurants.
6). Crew van is only used for airline crews per Mexico station mgr
conference call with OCC security last night. This mitigates
transmission risk.
7). There is norecommendatio for well-appearing crew to stay at home 72
hrs following return home. This is on the ISOS website.
8). Dr. Kozarsky following developments closely.
- Be careful in accepting food items . . . . . . . as some people may not always have the best intentions. Whenever accepting food/beverage items from unknown people, especially if not sealed, be mindful of such items where someone could place something unknown or harmful into a beverage, for example. This not only applies to bars and lounges - but items left on galley counters as well. Also, do not necessarily think that if a passenger or fellow crewmember appears 'drugged' that it was as a result of self- medication, as they could have been 'slipped' something unknowingly. Always exercise good situational awareness - both on and off the aircraft! And always use the services of EAP if you suspect a fellow crewmember being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- 'Single Serve Cart' changes and improvements continue . . . as a result of AFA's 'cart summit' held on May 16th, we have pressed for continuing improvements and changes affecting the 'single serve cart' concept and, importantly, reducing the number of OJIs as a result. In fact, a MEC grievance was filed on these facts and remains an open issue. Recently, a new cart repair tag was introduced to provide timely follow-up to unsafe, inoperable carts - and, most importantly, an accountability for their repair. Please use these repair tags - and let your ASHS and Service Committee know if the change is providing any improvement, along with any continuing issues and concerns regarding the 'single serve cart': serviceproblems@gmail.com. A 'cart care program' has been introduced to specifically address overall cart maintenance, purging of the slam-slide (square handle) carts from the domestic system and a focus on cart wheels/casters, ensuring ease of operation and improved cart maneuverability. Let us hear from you on these changes - and any further suggestions!
- Cleaning of blood/bodily fluids containing blood . . . . such 'biohazards' must be properly entered into the FA Maintenance Logbook, clearly describing 'what' and 'where' in the cabin. Your MEC ASHS Committee has been working directly with Airport Operations for a vastly improved 'cleaning checklist' to ensure all stations adhere to standardized cleaning protocols to reduce the possibility of exposure and exposed areas in the cabin going unattended, posing a risk to all. Also, don't forget to use Universal Precautions whenever dealing with such biohazards!
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