Safety is paramount in aviation, especially in ground support operations. As you’ve read in the pages of this issue, there are numerous companies and individuals dedicating their lives to keeping ground handlers safe.
But we also know about the rigors of ground handling and the demands put on ground support personnel to turn aircraft around quickly.
So considering the challenging work asked of ground handlers, and the serious nature of the work, it stands to reason that ground personnel should be alert at all times. Being vigilant on the ramp starts with getting appropriate rest away from work.
In a press release announcing the launch of the Sleep Works for You Campaign, partners at the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project, American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Sleep Research Society (SRS) and the National Safety Council (NSC) say more than 37 percent of workers are sleep-deprived.
While many may view working long hours as a necessity, it often means those people are not getting the recommended seven-plus hours of sleep each night.
Fatigued workers can lead to a higher rate of safety incidents, and as a result cost employers approximately $1,200 to $3,100 per employee in declining job performance per year, according to the NSC. Additionally tired workers cost employers an estimated $136 billion a year in health-related lost productivity.
Organizers of the Sleep Works for You campaign encourage employers to promote sleep health with their staff by learning about fatigue in the workplace; educating employees about sleep health; and investigating causes of fatigue in the workplace in order to implement risk management factors into their safety management system.
Consider learning more about sleep health by visiting www.sleepeducation.org. The safety of the men and women on the ramp, as well as the passengers onboard the aircraft, depend on safe, reliable work being performed during the turnaround process.
