The Crux of the Problem with Regulation- EASA/CAA/FAA:
‘Bad air: Pilots worldwide complain of unsafe cabin fumes -
But regulators in the EU and the US aren’t convinced that any danger posed to crews warrants significant action.’
https://www.politico.eu/article/bad-air-pilots-complain-unhealthy-cabin-fumes-worldwide/
How much more evidence and research is needed? Fumes onboard aircraft continue to make people sick and are responsible for numerous deaths, but rather than address the problem which involves finding suitable systems to stop harmful chemicals from contaminating the aircraft cabin air, the regulators insist there is not a problem and continue to deny the health effects in order to protect a multi-billion pound Industry.
UK To Leave EASA:
‘So, the powers will revert to the CAA, who are probably one of the world’s leading regulators and the expertise will need to come home to do that, but we’ll do it in a gradual way,” Shapps said.’
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51783580
When we contacted the Department for Transport UK we were told that on the issue of Contaminated Air In Aircraft:
‘Due to the international nature of the aviation industry, it is the Department’s view that an international approach to any future research investigations is appropriate. We support the current EASA managed FACTS project (“Facts about cabin air quality on-board large transport aircraft”) that aims to characterise the composition and concentration of pollutants in the cabin following a contamination event, and to assess the potential health impact as well as potential mitigation means. The project involves in-flight and on the ground tests where the chemical composition and possible toxicity of air samples will be analysed after being deliberately contaminated with engine oil.’
• Clearly the view of an ‘International Approach’ has changed.
• Plus, the CAA already allow airlines to self-regulate on matters of Health and Safety of employees, meaning there is no protection for airline employees with regards to breathing contaminated air in aircraft because there is no legislation, no published exposure limits for chemicals produced from aircraft oil, hydraulic fluid or exhaust from other aircraft and no monitoring of these harmful toxins (some of which are carcinogenic, others which are known to cause neurotoxicity) onboard any aircraft. This legislation for all other Industries is set out clearly by the HSE in the U.K. and employers are bound by law to comply with regulations regarding harmful chemicals and exposure limits.
This does not apply within the Aviation Industry:
‘The CAA will enforce health and safety requirements, based on the evidence and good practice guidance such as
that set out in CAP 757 (Occupational Health and Safety on-board Aircraft, Guidance on Good Practice). Employers are not bound by this guidance, although the CAA, when looking at an operator’s working practice, would expect to see equivalent arrangements in place to meet their duties under Regulation 6.’
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/607632/response/1454435/attach/html/3/20191022Reply.pdf.html
Regulation 6 - Chapter 6 Control of Biohazards in the Aircraft Environment. - Nothing to do with this issue whatsoever!
There are no regulations in CAP757 regarding Contamination of the Onboard Air Supply from harmful chemicals.
In other News:
EASA Workshop on Future Cabin Air Quality Research, 30-31 January 2020 - Cologne, Germany:
https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/Save%20the%20Date%2030%20%26%2031%20January%202020%20-%20Cabin-Air%20Research%20Workshop.pdf
EASA Cabin Air Quality Workshop - Reported by BASSA (British Airways Stewards & Stewardesses Association (Part of Unite the Union) who were in attendance:
Ninety stakeholders attended from Europe and USA composed of Airline Manufacturers, Airlines, Aviation Medical Experts, Pilots Cabin Crew and interested parties, BASSA being one. What was unanimously agreed was:
1 A Standard Medical Protocol is needed.
2 Practical preventative measures that could be implemented eg. detection systems, filters and portable breathing equipment for cabin crew.
3 Comparative epidemiological research study for people having experienced fume events.
Many interesting points came out of the meeting, presentations and discussions, including but not limited to:
• Underreporting is a major problem - crews are simply failing to report all events. One airline quoted they had only 20 recorded fume events and that these were not specifically from the engines. This is harming workers efforts to resolve the problem.
Several Airlines said there were no long term health effects!
Several Airlines deny some of the health effects but nobody denied these events occur which is a big step forward. They are looking at how to deal with events and the crews after an event.
• Sven Schuchart of Fraunhofer, a research institute in Germany, suggested exposing people in a chamber or an aircraft to heated engine oils and then to do medical tests on them. He said nobody has died from contaminated air or ever would. This was one of the most shocking statements to come out of the conference: The total ignorance! They also suggested a psychosocial study to assess peoples reactions to fume events.
• The Pall Aerospace 'Cabin Air Quality Sensor (CAQS)' due to be certificated on Airbus A320 this summer.
• There were sadly a number of inaccuracies presented by some groups which BASSA fed back to EASA and the EU Commission about.
• All workers groups agreed any further research should not be at the expense of not taking action now.
• The CAA and FAA did not attend and we were told they had no travel budget.
• BASSA stressed to the EU Commission crew representative bodies needed to be involved more.
• EU commission has 1.5 million Euro for further research into this issue under 'Horizon 2020' and more money available from next year under 'Horizon Europe'.
Many thanks to Bassa for their report on the workshop.
Perhaps Sven Schuchart along with the Airlines who said there were no long term health effects and those Airlines who deny some of the health effects should volunteer to ‘be placed in a chamber or an aircraft and be exposed to heated engine oils’ with CAA, FAA and EASA representatives for 6 months (using a 5 day on/2 day off roster system) for 8 hours each day and then to do medical tests on THEM!
It is rather disconcerting that the CAA didn’t even have enough money in their budget to attend the EASA workshop on Future Cabin Air Quality Research.
‘CAA, who are probably one of the world’s leading regulators’?
And finally:
The latest from Lufthansa Group on Coronavirus:
“The air on board of all our airplanes at Lufthansa Group Airlines is cleaner than the air on Earth. It consists of 60% fresh air from outside. The air circulating in the cabin is filtered and freed from contamination like dust, bacteria and viruses. The filtering power and air distribution meet the standards of clinical operating units. We are also well prepared for Corona suspect cases onboard
Then, the tried and tested procedures that our medical services have generally developed for passengers suffering from infectious diseases and our crews are trained for would take effect.
I would like to thank you personally for your loyalty and trust in the Lufthansa Group also in these times."
QUOTE by:
Heike Birlenbach
Senior Vice President
Sales Lufthansa Group Network Ailrines
CCO Hub Frankfurt
Lufthansa Group
Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings.’
No Heike, you are wrong. The air onboard bleed-air aircraft (all aircraft except for the Boeing 787) is not ‘fresh air from outside’. It is drawn from the aircraft engines.
Please read the link below for further information on filtration systems:
https://www.aerotoxicteam.com/guest-articles.html
Thanks to Aerotoxic Team (www.aerotoxicteam.com - in particular to Bearnairdine Beaumont who works tirelessly to provide the crew community and the public with the truth about contaminated air in aircraft - despite having being injured herself.
If you have been involved in a Fume Event please let us know:
http://fumes.dallasmcintosh.co.uk
Crew - please also report to your airline and trade union ensuring you take a screenshot for yourself for future reference if required.