Re: Crew Rest and Hospital Duties

["Robert L. Carnevale" <cw5aso@erols.com>]

To All,

This could be an easy hazard to fix, but it is not.  AAMS and CAMTS, or your program could develop standards for crew rest.  That is the easy part.  Since you are dealing with budget issues (personnel costs) there could be some apprehension from some administrators, managers who have personnel issues, and even other flight personnel who want to work more
than a 12 hour shift.

As studies go, there are numerous studies in aviation on fatigue and it's causal factors in accidents.  Unfortunately, it took accidents before there was a crew rest standard written for flight crew personnel.
What are the fatigue issues in the medical community, and how are they being addressed?  Are we having or could we have the same issues for our ground and flight medical personnel?  These are questions that need to be addressed by our programs and Associations.  There needs to be an honest look at how we go about our business and how we schedule our
personnel.  Is working beyond 12 hours safe, or is it just convenient?  Does your hospital or program limit the number of hours you can work in a 24-hour period?  Does your work schedule take into consideration the stresses imposed by flight?  Does the schedule reflect what is in the best interest of the staff and patient, or what is in the best interest
of the schedule?

Even with the mandatory FAA training the program/vendor is required to give to the medical crews, they are not considered crewmembers by the FAA.  The pilot can assign duties to the medical crew for flight for which they have been trained; this does not make them a flight crewmember as defined by the FAA, or subject them to FAA crew rest standards.  AAMS,
and CAMTS could and should collectively develop a crew rest standard for medical crews.  Standards should be developed for both ground and flight personnel.

Bob Carnevale
Safety Manager
MedSTAR

Ken Lawson-Williams wrote:

> Unless your program assigns some of the FAA defined flight crew duties to the medical crew - such as preflight safety briefings, securing passengers and cargo (kits) etc, assisting with spotting obstacles or nav etc... As far as I know this has to be spelled out in the Flight Operations Manual as well as the medical SOP's. Perhaps Bob C. could comment?
>
> Fly Safe.
> Ken L-W CCEMT-P/RN etc
>
> --- "Mark Frederick" <Mark.Frederick@north-slope.org> wrote:
> >rules that apply to what the FAA very strictly defines as flightcrew members (a person piloting, copiloting, serving as a flight engineer or navigator) don't apply to what we do...
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: William Wingfield [mailto:will@willwingfield.com]
> >Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 9:10 PM
> >To: flightmed@flightweb.com
> >Subject: Re: Crew Rest and Hospital Duties
> >
> >
> >Review the FAR's part 135.  You might find some help there as flight
> >crewmembers.
> >
> >Good luck, you've got a tough fight ahead of you
> >Will Wingfield
> >
> >---- Original message ----
> >>Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 19:13:21 -0600
> >>From: "Michael Lummus" <impavidu@sbcglobal.net>
> >>Subject: Crew Rest and Hospital Duties
> >>To: <flightmed@flightweb.com>
> >>
> >>I am a member of a flight crew that is employed by a hospital that
> >>contracts with an aircraft vendor.  That being said...
> >>The flight crews normally work 24 hour shifts and up until this
> >point we
> >>were required to help with in house arrests, difficult IV starts,
> >major
> >>traumas, etc...  The hospital now wants the crews to work 14 hours
> >a day
> >>in the ED or ICU when not flying.
> >>
> >>I was wondering what other hospital based crews are required to do
> >as
> >>far as helping out in the hospital.  I can understand crews that are
> >>working 12 hour shifts having to be in the unit when not preforming
> >>flight related functions, but does anyone know of crews that are
> >>required to spend over half of a 24 hour shift in the unit?
> >>
> >>Does anyone have any research on crew rest?  Does anyone have
> >protocols
> >>on working within a hospital while not on flights?
> >>Thank you for your help.
> >>
> >>M.L.
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
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