Applied Solutions to Ensure Safe Human Performance

The first new project is a system for conducting normal operations audits of ramp and maintenance environments. Such audits shall be conducted by peers, in a nonthreatening manner, which shows not only the weaknesses of an organization but also the strengths. This method has been used on the flight decks for many years and has shown a positive influence on safety culture. Such systems are also complimentary to the evolving safety managements required by ICAO for 2009.

FAA Flight Standards will continue to develop applied materials to support fatigue risk management systems rather than trying to establish duty-time regulations. Example research and development products are likely to include guides for scheduling, educational materials and job-aids for workers, and assistance with identifying and testing new alertness technologies that may lessen fatigue-related risk. In any case, you can be sure that the outcomes will be practical and useful to the industry at large.

The Operator’s Manual for Human Factors in Airport Operations is available at the newly revised Web site: http://hfskyway.faa.gov.