Cabin safety bulletin 13 – Management of odours, smoke and fumes during flight

Die australische Luftfahrtbehörde (Civil Aviation Safety Authority - kurz "CASA") hat zu dem Problem der kontaminierten Kabinenluft ein spezifisches "safety-bulletin" veröffentlicht (Nov. 2018)

Hintergrund der Veröffentlichung ist dabei die hohe Zahl von über 1000 Vorfällen zwischen 2013 und 2017 in Australien, die mit Feuer, Rauch oder Geruch in Verbindung stehen. 

"In some instances, fume events may impair crew members and could potentially impact the safe operation of the aircraft. Cabin crew members should be able to recognise, characterise, respond to, and report fume events."

Das Bulletin soll Airlines und Cockpit- und Kabinencrews also dabei helfen, sich auf den Umgang mit Smell-Events vorzubereiten.

"This bulletin provides information and guidance which may be considered in preparing for these events, reviewing strategies to mitigate risks, facilitating standardised reporting and comprehensive data collation for trend analyses."

Wir möchten hier einige wichtige Punkte aus dem Rundschreiben vorstellen. Das vollständige Dokument gibt es unten zum Download.

AWARENESS AND TRAINING CONTENT 
 
" Operators should ensure cabin crew training encompasses the following:

• sources and types of on-board fumes
• odour descriptors to recognise the presence of oil and hydraulic fluid fumes
• potential for impairment
• procedures to apply in fume events
• reporting of fumes events. ." 

SOURCES AND TYPES OF ONBOARD FUMES
 
"Fumes in the cabin and/or flight deck can be sourced to:

• Ventilation air supply system. This system can distribute contaminants such as de-icing and/or anti-icing fluid fumes, electrical fumes, engine compressor wash fumes, engine oil fumes, exhaust fumes, fuel fumes, hydraulic fluid fumes, recirculation fan fumes. Oil fumes from the engines, APU or the environmental control system may also contaminate the aircraft air supply system. In such instances, the oil fumes may contaminate the downstream ventilation ducting and the air carried through those ducts to the cabin, flight deck or both. 

ODOUR DESCRIPTORS

• "Sometimes oil fumes do not smell like oil and may typically be described as mouldy/musty or dirty socks. Hydraulic fluid often has a distinctive and recognisable odour that is described as acrid/unpleasant/pungent. Odour is subjective and olfactory fatigue reduces a person’s ability to detect odours over time. "

 und weiter

• "Of all of these potential contaminants, particular concerns have been raised regarding the negative impact on flight safety when crew members are exposed to oil or hydraulic fluid fumes or smoke and experience acute symptoms in flight (ICAO, 2015)."

Die CASA fordert:

• "Operator procedures should also address the means by which the effects of fume events will be minimised for all aircraft occupants."

und

• "Cabin crew members should be trained to recognise and respond to fume events[...]"

Zusätzlich zum Crew-Training wird auch eine Schulung des "managerial personnels" gefordert:

• "Managerial/supervisory personnel should receive an orientation to fume event causality and the potential impact on flight safety. The depth of training may be commensurate with the management role." 

Auch wird empfohlen Standard-Reporting Forms im Flubetrieb zu etablieren

• "Standardised smoke and fumes reporting forms should be developed and/or reviewed by a cross disciplinary team (for example, flight operations, engineering, cabin crew, safety departments) in order to validate user experniece and verify data collection effectiveness."

diese sollen beinhalten:

• flight and report details
• smoke or fire information, as appropriate
• fume information (including the nature and apparent source of fumes)
• other observations
• symptoms/reactions
• maintenance follow-up and information.

Die Vereinigung Cockpit bedankt sich bei der CASA für die Unterstützung und die Bereitstellung der Dokumente.

Originalquelle: https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft/publication/cabin-safety-bulletin-13-management-odours-smoke-and-fumes-during-flight

Hier kann das offizielle Dokument der CASA sowie eine Vorlage für den Report heruntergeladen werden: