A recent report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has shed light on significant safety and staffing issues within the aviation sector. The report, which investigates a 2022 incident at Brisbane’s Cairns Airport, highlights a concerning lapse in air traffic control safety.
On December 9, 2022, an air traffic controller was discovered asleep on the job at 5:15 am. This controller was the sole individual overseeing flights arriving and departing from the airport’s northern sector. Despite the alarming discovery, no accidents or safety breaches occurred during the period of the controller’s nap.
The ATSB investigation revealed that the controller was suffering from severe fatigue, having worked ten-night shifts over a span of 12 days with inadequate rest periods. The report emphasizes that the controller’s exhaustion was a significant factor in the incident, calling attention to broader issues of work scheduling and fatigue management.
The report recommends urgent reforms to improve workplace safety, including better fatigue risk management and adjustments to shift patterns. Additionally, it points to a broader issue of labour shortages in the aviation sector, which has exacerbated the challenges faced by air traffic control services.
Since the incident, Airservices Australia has increased the number of air traffic controllers to address these concerns. Despite these measures, ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell stressed that fatigue remains a critical concern for transport safety. “We urge transport operators to thoroughly investigate fatigue events to identify and address deficiencies in work scheduling and risk management,” Mitchell stated according to reports.
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