Hard-working cabin crew exposed to high-flying health risks

In 2014, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a policy to improve the workplace health and safety of cabin crew.

In 2014 the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a policy to improve the workplace health and safety of cabin crew.

I wonder why the FAA took so long to act on this known serious matter.

Sleep deprivation due to timezone changes and the consequential disruption in the circadian rhythm is known to cause health issues. And cabin crew suffer from a higher incidence of cancer and melanoma than the general population.

Exposure to chemicals can also be to blame with the poor air quality in the cabin towards the end of long-haul flights. Low humidity in the cabin air causes dryness and ageing of the skin.

Concorde pilots cruising at 60,000 feet wore radiation tags to measure exposure to cosmic ionising radiation. The earth’s atmosphere protects us from these rays, but aircrew spend nearly 1000 hours a year cruising (eg 38,000 feet), above three quarters of the atmosphere.

That aircrew work long hours with shift work, often with minimum legal rest on layovers in hotels and with time away from home, means they suffer from a lack of work/life balance. Statistically, aircrew suffer a much higher divorce rate than other professions. This means that the higher incidence of stress is more of a factor.

We should not lose sight of the fact that the primary purpose of cabin crew is the safety of the passengers. Do not be surprised when in the event of an emergency your smiling cabin crew turn aggressive with authority as they are trained to do. They have to control their passengers, especially in scenarios like emergency evacuations.

The job description has changed from the glamorous air hostess of 50 years ago who spent time socialising with the well-heeled passengers. The advent of the B747 brought air travel to the masses and the explosion of budget carriers that pack the passengers in means the job of the cabin crew is much more demanding.