CC6742 - Further admin duties added prior to report time
Initial Report
My operator is conducting a trial where all allergen information must be downloaded by crew prior to our flights. This wouldn’t be an issue if we had nothing else to download/look up/log in etc and had a robust, flawless IT system. As a SCCM it takes me on average anything between 20-40 mins to download, log in, etc all docs and portals before each flight.
How much more work and how early must we actually get to work and to our report centre prior to our briefing time? Considering we already do a LOT of work prior to our FDP commencing and have to be there a long time prior, this is one step too far. I’m fed up with having to come to work early and spend so long doing work that’s unpaid and doesn’t count towards my duty when it is absolutely imperative this it is done before I fly.
If we don’t have allergen information my operator is putting the lives of customers and colleagues at risk due to potential severe allergic reaction, however it is well and truly impacting our rest prior to a duty. It may just seem like an extra 5-10 mins (our systems are quite shocking to log into) but adding that to everything else, it is just too much. We are already asked to do too much before our FDP actually starts. When is our rest time not our actual rest?
comments
Company Comment
Allergen information is currently available onboard in a paper format along with the onboard catering paperwork on each flight. There is usually a lot of information contained within the allergen lists as they pertain to all routes and all the different types of services we cater for. To help reduce the volume of information, the catering team were trialling a new proposal to communicate flight specific allergen information using an app. The trial lasted for 3 months on a small number of routes. For the trial routes only, paper copies were removed, and crew were instructed to access the allergen information via the app. The trial sought feedback from crew and was regularly reviewed by the project teams. The trial was communicated to crew formally using the operations manual as a temporary notice to alert all crew, and a reminder was included in the briefings for the trial flights only. When tested, the app opened normally using either Wi-Fi or mobile data. As all crew are supplied with a device, the accessibility to the app meant more than one could have access, instead of one paper copy currently loaded.
Whilst most of the feedback received was positive in terms of accessibility of information via the device, there were some other useful bits of feedback too. Following a review of the system and IT process, feedback from the trial the project team acknowledged that the app is not a suitable platform for this information. There was an increase in multi-factor authentication triggers, and this had been identified as a significant risk to crew being able to access allergen information.
A decision was made to migrate the allergen information from the app to DocuNet i.e. accessible to all crew in the same location that our operations manuals are located. Once fully implemented, we will communicate to all crew and update the procedure in the operations manual. There will be no further tasks to complete to what the crew have always done before i.e. ensure that DocuNet is updated prior to when the crew board the aircraft. It means that allergen information is available to all crew from their company issued device like the operations manuals, passenger lists and other operational information.
CAA Comment
A flying duty period (FDP) starts at the time of report and this should include sufficient time for the completion of pre-flight activities without crew members feeling the need to report earlier in order to achieve these duties when this additional FDP is not recorded.
Time taken to perform duties at the behest of the operator are required to be appropriately recorded for the purpose of compliance with the approved flight time limitations (FTL) scheme and monitoring cumulative duty hours.
CHIRP Comment
As aviation professionals, cabin crew are expected to stay up to date with essential preparations before reporting for duty, such as reviewing safety notices and other relevant information. However, there is a limit to how much can reasonably be expected of employees outside working hours. The small additional tasks and time spent – five minutes here and there – can accumulate into a significant amount of extra time that isn’t accounted for in your FDP and FTLs. Equally, crew should always be mindful of their FTL and avoid arriving too early for report; even a quick there and back can turn into a lengthy duty.
Of course, operators are continuously seeking ways to improve efficiency. As noted in the company comment, the trial was deemed unsuitable based on feedback from crew members. This is another reminder of why it is crucial to report any safety concerns to your operator. Without input from crew members, as if no feedback was received to suggest otherwise, trials may be implemented without full awareness of potential issues. Your feedback is essential in ensuring that changes are beneficial and practical.