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Cabin Crew & The Dirty Dozen: Spot It, Stop It

The “Dirty Dozen” are 12 common human factors that can lead to mistakes/errors. As cabin crew are often the first line of defence when it comes to safety, these factors are crucial for cabin crew to recognise.

The Dirty Dozen

  1. Pressure – Tight schedules or demanding passengers can lead to rushed decisions.
  2. Complacency – It won’t happen to me…
  3. Communication – Misunderstandings or a lack of communication between crew can lead to errors.
  4. Distraction – Juggling multiple tasks.
  5. Knowledge – Keep up with training and procedures.
  6. Fatigue – Long duty days, flying through the WOCL, early starts, late finishes. Humans get tired, being aware of that can help prevent errors.
  7. Stress – Stressful situations can affect judgment.
  8. Assertiveness – Speak up when something feels off, even if it’s uncomfortable.
  9. Teamwork – Work together to ensure smooth operations.
  10. Awareness – Having completed the same task so many times e.g. door operation crew can develop a lack of awareness.
  11. Resources – A lack of resources can interfere with your ability to complete a task
  12. Deviation – Failure to follow procedures, skipping steps can be dangerous.

 

The human factors and aviation safety world recently lost one of its greats – Dr James Reason. A British psychologist, Dr. Reason revolutionised how we think about errors in aviation. Understanding human factors that contribute to errors is key to preventing accidents, and Dr. Reason was instrumental in shaping our approach to this.

 

Human error is universal and inevitable – it is not a moral failing. While human fallibility can be moderated, it can never be entirely eliminated.”
Dr James Reason CBE, May 1938 – Feb 2025

 

His “Swiss Cheese Model” explains how multiple weaknesses in systems can line up to cause accidents. Instead of blaming individuals, he highlighted the role of systems, culture, and human behaviour.  The Swiss Cheese Model explains how accidents happen when multiple small errors align. Imagine layers of Swiss cheese, where each slice is a safety system (an SOP), and the holes represent weaknesses (eg. any of the the dirty dozen common human factors). Normally, the holes don’t line up, so the safety system works. But if they do align, a mistake/errror can slip through, causing a near miss/incident/accident.

As cabin crew, your understanding of these common human factors—and your ability to recognise, avoid, and mitigate them—can make all the difference. Several of the reports included in this edition show a breakdown in communication between the crew.  Safety is a shared responsibility; by staying vigilant, communicating well, and working as a team, you can help reduce the risk of errors.

Stay safe,

Jennifer Curran