Fatigue Risk Management Plan (FRMP)
For those dispatchers currently employed by airlines that have adopted the FRMP into their OPSPECS, are the dispatchers included? I know one airline that is under the impression that it only applies to pilots. Based on the following verbiage below which is from that airlines OPSPECS, I disagree.
Fatigue risk management is a continuous improvement process that identifies, assesses and mitigates the risk of fatigue by guiding organizational and/or policy change and fatigue risk management promotion through training and communication. A comprehensive XYZ FRMP collects and analyzes fatigue data to proactively manage fatigue threats and ensures unacceptable risks are mitigated. Fatigue training is incorporated into annual training for all crewmembers, crew schedulers/crew resource personnel, dispatchers and operational decision-makers. The XYZ FRMP has been approved by the FAA. The FRMP scheduling limits are representative of the XYZ/XYZ Collective Bargaining Agreement. The global, 24 hour nature of operations including backside-of-the-clock flying, flights crossing multiple time zones and the range associated with modern aircraft can create challenges for air carriers and crews in managing rest. Therefore, it is imperative that XYZ Flight Operations personnel proactively manage alertness and mitigate fatigue.
My point is, after a company adopts the FRMP the scheduling practice of keeping it legal and contractual may not be in compliance with the FRMP. With the large volume of scientific evidence regarding sleep debt and multiple circadian rhythm flips, is it safe to have dispatchers exercising operational control of flights fatigued?
I am speaking about scheduling practices that do not provide adequate rest and/or build significant sleep debt throughout the week, not not self induced trades or overtime scenarios.
For those dispatchers currently employed by airlines that have adopted the FRMP into their OPSPECS, are the dispatchers included? I know one airline that is under the impression that it only applies to pilots. Based on the following verbiage below which is from that airlines OPSPECS, I disagree.
Fatigue risk management is a continuous improvement process that identifies, assesses and mitigates the risk of fatigue by guiding organizational and/or policy change and fatigue risk management promotion through training and communication. A comprehensive XYZ FRMP collects and analyzes fatigue data to proactively manage fatigue threats and ensures unacceptable risks are mitigated. Fatigue training is incorporated into annual training for all crewmembers, crew schedulers/crew resource personnel, dispatchers and operational decision-makers. The XYZ FRMP has been approved by the FAA. The FRMP scheduling limits are representative of the XYZ/XYZ Collective Bargaining Agreement. The global, 24 hour nature of operations including backside-of-the-clock flying, flights crossing multiple time zones and the range associated with modern aircraft can create challenges for air carriers and crews in managing rest. Therefore, it is imperative that XYZ Flight Operations personnel proactively manage alertness and mitigate fatigue.
My point is, after a company adopts the FRMP the scheduling practice of keeping it legal and contractual may not be in compliance with the FRMP. With the large volume of scientific evidence regarding sleep debt and multiple circadian rhythm flips, is it safe to have dispatchers exercising operational control of flights fatigued?
I am speaking about scheduling practices that do not provide adequate rest and/or build significant sleep debt throughout the week, not not self induced trades or overtime scenarios.