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UNION PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE WEATHER AND AVIATION

UNION PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE WEATHER AND AVIATION. Capt. Joyce May Allied Pilots Association. Most jet air crewmembers receive between 1.7 and 5 mSv./year additional radiation from in-flight cosmic sources.

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UNION PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE WEATHER AND AVIATION

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  1. UNION PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE WEATHER AND AVIATION Capt. Joyce May Allied Pilots Association

  2. Most jet air crewmembers receive between 1.7 and 5 mSv./year additional radiation from in-flight cosmic sources. • As an occupational work group, aircrew are among the most highly exposed “radiation workers” (both in number of exposed, and individual doses).

  3. Most employee groups in the US who are occupationally exposed to radiation are * informed * trained * and their exposures monitored under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) legislation.

  4. European Air Crewmembers, as of May 2000, also now are regulated for their radiation exposure.

  5. ** AIR CREWMEMBERS IN THE USA RECEIVE NO REGULATORY PROTECTION FROM THEIR RADIATION EXPOSURE **

  6. Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted in 1971. • Main objective: Oversee employee protection in the workplace from occupational health hazards. • FAA took jurisdiction in 1975 from OSHA to cover aircrew safety and health matters.

  7. The FAA, in fact, never enacted any OSHA type environmental exposure laws for aircrew. • This, despite 1987 Presidential Document Radiation Protection Guidance to Federal Agencies for Occupational Exposure • and in a 1990 Advisory Circular, the FAA acknowledged that aircrew are indeed occupationally exposed to radiation.

  8. Another 1994 FAA AC recommended (not mandated) that aircrew be given training on their radiation exposure. • AC was distributed to airline management—aircrew didn’t see it. • AC was ignored by most airlines. (AA was probably the only exception among US major air carriers who published a training booklet.)

  9. Due to FAA failure to enact laws that OSHA and the 1987 Presidential Document have dictated, aircrew remain the only work group in the US not required to be informed, trained, or in any way protected from their occupational radiation exposure.

  10. * With no requirements for air crewmembers to even be informed that they are radiation workers, this doesn’t even allow them to try to manage exposure on their own.

  11. There are more than 50,000 female jet air crewmembers in the US (pilots and flight attendants). • Majority are of childbearing age.

  12. MOST US AIRLINE POLICIES PERMIT AIRCREW TO FLY THROUGH THEIR 6TH MONTH OF PREGNANCY. • MOST JET AIRCREW WOULD EXCEED THE MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED RADIATION DOSE TO THE FETUS WITHIN 2 TO 3 MONTHS OF NORMAL SCHEDULE FLYING. • OVEREXPOSURE WOULD OCCUR IN EVEN LESS TIME IF FLIGHT OCCURS DURING A “SOLAR EVENT”—POSSIBLY EVEN IN A SINGLE FLIGHT.

  13. THE RESULT: FETUSES OF US PREGNANT AIR CREWMEMBERS ARE ROUTINELY BEING OVEREXPOSURED TO RADIATION.

  14. Fetal exposure limit based on ICRP and NCRP limits of no more than: • 1 mSv. over entire pregnancy • 0.5 mSv. in any single month

  15. Not for women only! (Is not just a pregnancy issue.) • All aircrew face the prospect of higher rates of various degenerative diseases from a career of radiation exposure--most notably cancer. • Several studies show higher rate of malignant melanoma—as much as 3 to 4 times higher. • Other studies showing higher rates of other cancers as well, such as acute myeloid leukemia and pancreas.

  16. CALCULATIONS OF ESTIMATED FATAL CANCERS • Based on CAMI statistical estimates: • At AA alone, of the approximately 10,000 pilots presently on the flying schedule, by the time of normal retirement age, 35 of them would already have died from cancer after 30 years of flying a typical AA flight schedule, attributed to their in-flight radiation exposure.* • For flight attendants who often fly more hours, over more years, their deaths from cancer would be even higher.

  17. It is clear that the issue of aircrew radiation exposure has not been properly addressed in the USA.

  18. Thanks to help from the scientific community, information did reach aircrews. Unions have been working to get aircrews better informed. • This still means, though, that aircrew and airlines must manage this issue on their own.

  19. Serious obstacles remain, particularly • Current dire financial situation of airlines: • Airlines are even less inclined now to address radiation exposure concerns. • Aircrew themselves, after serious pay cuts and many other give-backs, are more focused on immediate plight of financial survival. • Unions then also have less funds with which to fight these issues, and fewer volunteers to fight them.

  20. Aircrew DO care about this issue: • In 2000, Flight Attendant unions signed an agreement with Congress to attempt to get exposure protection under OSHA. • A 2004 ALPA survey of flight crews showed that 88% want mandated formal training on their radiation exposure.

  21. Union focus is now on securing legislative protection • This will force government and airlines into proper protective measures for aircrews. • All airlines will be required to act, so all will share in the cost. • Will allow for more coordinated approach for all airlines and supporting industries to properly address exposure issues.

  22. Legislation will also encourage the development of better ways to manage this issue to include: • Better, more accurate methods of radiation measurement. • Mobilize ATC to deal with lower flying aircraft, particularly during solar events. • Coordinated response program to alter flights as needed during particularly strong solar events (CAMI’s Solar Alert Program). • More epidemiological studies on aircrew health effects.

  23. Current recommended exposure limits too high?—EU limit of 6 mSv/yr. more reasonable for cosmic radiation. • Improved airline maternity policies. • Future aircraft designed to be efficient at the lower altitudes instead of the trend to build them to fly ever higher!

  24. Without legislation to force action, protection for aircrews will be inconsistent, with no guarantee that the measures an individual airline chooses are even effective—if any measures are taken at all. • Third World-like method of doing business where the cost of the operation is at the expense of the health of the employees.

  25. Unions don’t make laws, but rather help insure that laws and policies are in place to look out for the interests of its’ members. • Airlines and the average air crewmember don’t understand this issue well enough to manage it on their own!

  26. The scientific community and supporting industries will be key in helping the issue of aircrew in-flight radiation exposure get the attention and action that is so critically needed!

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