MEMO ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS-CWA, AFL-CIO

To: Air Safety, Health and Security Committee Members

From: AFA International Office, Air Safety, Health and Security Department

Subject: Working on Aircraft with High Cabin Temperatures

Date: June 14, 2006

Attached: AFA Hot Aircraft flyer

The Air Safety, Health and Security Department has produced the attached one-page flyer on working on hot aircraft for you to post at your local base(s). Please feel free to make additional copies and distribute individually if you wish. Like other flyers that we have produced, this is our continuing effort to ensure that flight attendants are aware of safety, health and security hazards on and around the aircraft. Additional information is provided below, along with relevant links to Internet websites, to assist you in the event a flight attendant seeks information not clearly answered by the flyer. You or any AFA Member are also welcome to call us in the International Office for further assistance, 800-424-2401, ext. 595. Fly Safe!

Heat exhaustion is caused by loss of body fluids, and in rare cases, important salts. When the body overheats it tries to cool off by sending more blood to the skin. The problem is that less blood goes to the brain, muscles, and other organs. Because of this, workers will likely feel weak and tired. According to OSHA, workers still sweat, but may have clammy skin, giddiness, nausea, or headache. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can develop into heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a very serious medical condition that can kill. The body systems that regulate core temperature break down until the worker stops sweating. According to OSHA, skin will be dry and hot, and one may experience rapid breathing, disorientation, convulsions, and coma. If workers have the symptoms of heat exhaustion, they need to cool their bodies down and drink juice or an electrolyte solution. (Drinking too much water when experiencing heat exhaustion can lead to painful muscle cramps.) If they can’t get to a cooler environment right away, try to cover them with towels or blankets soaked in cool water. With mild cases, people can feel better in a few minutes. Others may require more care. If workers have the symptoms of heat stroke, medical assistance should be requested immediately. A person with heat stroke needs to be cooled down. Soaking their clothes in cool water, applying blankets/towels soaked in cool water, and fanning can all help. If flight attendants are working on a hot aircraft, they should drink a steady supply of cool water and juice to stay hydrated. They can also bring a small thermometer on board to document the actual temperature in the cabin. If they feel unable to continue working due to extreme heat, they should immediately notify the captain and Inflight of the situation. It is also critical that they contact their local union safety and health representative and submit a written report to AFA and the airline.

The bottom line is that the work environment should not be hot enough to cause either of these medical conditions. The systems should be designed to handle the high heat loads, and broken equipment should be promptly fixed. To address the second point, AFA is pushing for the airlines to set and enforce tighter requirements to promptly fix faulty or broken equipment that regulate the temperature in the cabin. AFA also recommends that airlines conducting operations in hot weather follow FAA guidance set forth in AC 121-35, Management of Passengers during Ground Operations without Cabin Ventilation. This Advisory Circular document recommends the use of full ventilation or ground carts, and “removal of passengers from an airplane within but no later than 30 minutes after a ventilation failure or shutdown on the ground” as necessary. Although only a guideline and not a standard, AC 121-35 represents a small step forward for the FAA, and management should be reminded of its existence whenever flight attendants are faced with working on hot aircraft.

Selected Links to Further Information:

Heat Stress page, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/index.html

Heat Stress Card (pdf), OSHA Publication 3154, (2002):

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf

Working in Hot Environments, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Publication No. 86-112, (1992): http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hotenvt.html

Heat Stress, OSHA Technical Manual, (1999, January 20):

http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iii/otm_iii_4.html

          HEAT EXHAUSTION

Overexposure to high temperatures and humidity can quickly lead to heat exhaustion. It is imperative that you learn to recognize the early signs and symptoms to avoid serious consequences.

What is it?

Heat exhaustion is caused by loss of body fluids and, in rare cases, important salts. It occurs when the body is unable to maintain a normal body temperature and overheats. When the body overheats it directs most of its attention to cooling off. To maintain a normal temperature as body heat rises, vessels in the skin fill with blood, allowing heat to radiate out. With so much blood moving to the skin, less can go to the brain, muscles and other organs. Consequently, people who work in hot environments may feel tired sooner and less mentally alert.

What are the symptoms?

Headache, muscle weakness, dizziness, extreme fatigue, clammy skin, profuse sweating and nausea.

What can be done to combat heat exhaustion?

During a hot work day, always drink plenty of cool water. You may not be thirsty, but your body can still lose water in hot weather. If you feel you have heat exhaustion, you should get to a cool environment and drink juice or electrolyte solution. (Drinking too much water can lead to painful muscle cramps.) You can also use cold towels to cool down.

With mild cases, most people can feel better in a few minutes. Others may require more care. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke!

The key symptom to look for with heat stroke is disorientation. Heat stroke is the most severe heat emergency. It is a serious medical emergency caused when body systems stop functioning. Medical assistance should be requested.

Symptoms include: rapid breathing, strong pulse, high body temperature, flushed skin, disorientation, and irritable aggressive behavior.

If you feel you are unable to continue working due to extreme heat conditions on your aircraft, you should immediately notify your captain and Inflight of the situation. A small thermometer to measure cabin temperature, to include in a written report to the airline and AFA-CWA, would be helpful.

Remember — If you don’t report it, it didn’t happen.