When does it get unsafe?

[bgaviator]

I think I'm about at my breaking point. My company won't hire a replacement for the dispatcher we lost.....our workload feels so high right now. I can barely keep up, and I'm one of the fast ones! Everything on my screen just seems to blur together. Can't even take the time to look and analyze the weather on flight explorer or else I'll fall behind on releases. It just isn't right....I don't want to work like this anymore, but I can't quit. Afraid you'll get fired if you bring your concerns up to management. Just don't know what to do anymore.

 

[Squirrel29]

Bring it up to your POI, do it anonymously if they are a good POI they will look into it.

 

[clr4theapch]

For me.. I would slow down and do the best you can.. but do what you know you SHOULD do... not what they want you to do... if they fall behind and are late.. so be it... I would rather cut a release I know will be alright, than do something that is wrong and unsafe or not per the regs..

A well placed call to the POI is good advise.. but it needs to be an urgent call... I would rather get fired and know I did a good job and sleep at night than God forbid.. be part of an NTSB investigation and not sleep well again..... JMHO good luck

 

[phr8dawg]

Document those issues before you make the call. Have witnesses too. Be unbiased, but honest. I was in your shoes once. Good luck.

 

[ABC123]

Does your company have ASAP program for Dispatchers? If so, do a ASAP report, and this will bring the concerns out in the open also

 

[WalterSobchak]

Safety and quality before speed and quantity. If you take delays and cancels because of dispatch...so be it. That will get their attention.

Also, I agree that an urgent call to your POI is warranted in this situation. Just make sure you have all of your ducks in a row and witnesses/other dispatchers willing to confirm the situation.

 

[bgaviator]

thanks for the advice everyone. Yes, I have done an ASAP report. We'll see if anything comes of it.

 

[Mr. Johnson]

Bring it up to your POI, do it anonymously if they are a good POI they will look into it.

Keep in mind that airlines are a small community. I'm not sure I want my former employer mentioning that to prospective employers. You could be balancing anonymity with career suicide.

 

[clr4theapch]

Keep in mind that airlines are a small community. I'm not sure I want my former employer mentioning that to prospective employers. You could be balancing anonymity with career suicide.

This unfortunatley IS a big part of the problem... as licensed Airmen, we should NEVER be afraid to bring concerns of safety to the forefront.. we should never never, be in fear of our jobs or our careers for doing so... politics and perceptions being what they are, the facts are what they are... you blow a whistle, now you can be considered trouble... thus the absolute need for anonymity.... unless you can do something else for a living... pretty important these days, I might add...

I for one, have brought up my concerns about fair pay verses responsibility of the dispatcher and done so fairly publicly, here and with the employers during the interview and hiring process.. I have been offered many jobs but I of course have not returned to dispatching the line, as the conditions still exist and getting worse... the price I paid... maybe.. You ask why, you may think I am an idiot for doing that..
I look at it as standing for what is right for me and the career field.. I would not perform this skilled position for those rates of pay and the conditions that promote unsafe or pressured releases of passenger aircraft anyway... not till it gets better... and probably not in time for my career.. but maybe it will contribute to the betterment in the future in some small way..

I realize this is easy for me to say.. many here know who I am.. and thats ok so long as I stay true to myself and beliefs.. somthing has to be done to improve situations you have outlined here.. its nothing new... this has been going on all over the airline community for a long time...

So BG... I don't know what to say to you but to stay true to yourself.. do what you can to protect yourself... make sure you get ALL the FACTS... witnesses if they will come forward... but in some way make sure the powers that be... cant shoot holes in your concern... Good Luck

 

[onewithwings]

thanks for the advice everyone. Yes, I have done an ASAP report. We'll see if anything comes of it.

ASAP reports are good as far as getting the issues on record. However they often get swept under the rug if only one person submits a report. The way to REALLY get the attention of your committee is to encourage all who are affected by the problems to submit a report. If the work group as a whole submits a report, then your job is secure and you will be in essence forcing their hand.

As they say, "There's safety in numbers".

 

[bgaviator]

my co-worker counted a block of his releases yesterday.....17 in his first 45 minutes at work.

 

[propsarebest]

WOW!

The last day I had 17 releases was 7/31/2006... My last day at OO.

These days, 8-10 in a day is alot.

 

[propsarebest]

In all fairness though, i can almost guarantee that all of your 17 were button clickers- click click send.

 

[onewithwings]

my co-worker counted a block of his releases yesterday.....17 in his first 45 minutes at work.

I walked in and there was 115 flights for me to release in a 10 hour shift. 19 flights in the first hour. How many releases per hour/shift constitutes safe? There is little/no language to that effect.

We have recently lost over 20% of our dept and the work load is overwhelming at best. The company has no plans to recall the furloughed dispatchers. We just "suck it up" and are thankful we aren't among the jobless!

 

[bgaviator]

our local FAA inspector says the industry average is around 40 releases per shift. 115 releases???? That's bonkers! I thought we were stuggling having a max of around 72 on day shift.

 

[WalterSobchak]

our local FAA inspector says the industry average is around 40 releases per shift.

Sure, if you count mainline/international desks. Regional average is probably about 60-65.

 

[bgaviator]

and people wonder why there's so much scrutiny on the regionals lately to determine if they're just as safe as the majors

 

[dispatchguy]

DLs domestics average around 50 or so releases on a domestic; around 10-15 on an international except on the africa desk, where they average about 3-4 originated releases - and they catch around 3-4 in flight; Domestic midnites - they have 4 midniters and they have around 70 per desk, between night flights they catch, and morning originators.

 

[T/SF34/A]

The regional count of 60-65 is fairly accurate. Depending on the regional, 30 of those releases are potentially IAD/CHO or IAD/MDT out and backs or something similar. On some days it may be difficult keeping up but on the standard day, those flights are really no brainers. If you feel consistently over loaded then an ASAP report is probably the best way to go about reporting the workload, a direct call to the FAA is not. I know quite a few people who felt they were buddy-buddy with the FAA who ultimately ended up getting burned by their "buddy" in the FAA in the end.

 

[AntiJedi]

The regional count of 60-65 is fairly accurate. Depending on the regional, 30 of those releases are potentially IAD/CHO or IAD/MDT out and backs or something similar.

IAD? Where's that? I know not of such place.