Fatigue In Aviation

INTRODUCION

Aviation industry is one of the most lucrative service industries in the world that has expanded itself drastically over the past decade. Today aviation has become a totally different dimension with the sophistication of the industry by the means of science and technology. Over the period the frequency of the use of aviation services has also increased with the increasing need of transportation of people and freight. This has also lead to the increase of aviation related accidents in the present day. Aviation being one of the most vulnerable modes of transport to accidents has made the operators of the industry accountable for maintaining of a strict set of guidelines and safety initiatives to make aviation a safer mode for travel

According to the US Federal Aviation Authority, fatigue can be defined as a “condition characterized by increased discomfort with and lessened capacity for work, reduced work efficiency, loss of energy or capacity to respond to stimulation, and is usually accompanied by a feeling of weariness and tiredness.”
Due to the increasing demand for air travel the services has to run 24 hours 7 days basis in the whole year making the employees working in the aviation services to perform long duty days, circadian disruptions from night flying or time zone changes scheduling change, work under pressure in dynamic environments causing them to bear higher stress level. These irregular work schedules and higher stress levels may lead to deterioration of the physical and mental stamina causing fatigue.
Aviation related organizations such as ICAO IATA has performed different researches to identify the causes for fatigue, symptoms of fatigue and determined directives to prevent fatigue. Throughout the history there are many accident investigations related to aviation concluded the prime reason as “fatigue of the crew member” or the engineer that has led to the accident. Every mistake in the history has added directives to be followed by the employees in future to minimize the accident related to

Some factors like diseases like heart diseases anemia are out of the control of the persons to eliminate fatigue. Factors that contributes to fatigue may propagate both on duty while working in the flight and off duty.
• Sleep Apnea may stops breathing throughout the night while each interruption wakes the person continuously without the awareness of the person. Lack of continuous sleep may lead to fatigue
• Anemia a leading cause of fatigue in women. Menstrual blood loss can cause an iron deficiency leading most women in service vulnerable to fatigue.
• Depression work overload unbearable responsibilities may lead to fatigue.
• Caffeine can improve alertness and concentration in moderate doses, but too much can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and jitteriness causing consumers of caffeine to suffer with fatigue conditions
• Lack of sleep.
• Diabetes due to abnormally high levels of sugar remain in the bloodstream may also lead to