GM3 to AMC1 ATS.OR.315(a) Fatigue

IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE EFFECT OF FATIGUE ON THE SAFETY OF OPERATIONS

(a)The following non exhaustive list contains some of the initiatives that the air traffic control service provider may undertake in order to identify air traffic controllers’ fatigue:

(1)establishment of a procedure allowing air traffic controllers to report when fatigued, and promotion of its use. Templates for such reporting procedure could be established;

(2)utilisation of system support to manage rostering principles and thresholds established in accordance with ATS.OR.320, also highlighting criticalities in advance;

(3)undertaking fatigue surveys;

(4)application of scientific principles on fatigue and fatigue management and their effect on the operational and organisational context.

(b)The knowledge and understanding of the underlying scientific principles of fatigue, as well of its potential impact on the safety of operations, may represent a considerable added value for the effectiveness of fatigue management arrangements established within the organisation. For this purpose, the air traffic control service provider might consider making available education and information programmes for staff involved in fatigue management, such as operational and safety managers, staff in charge of managing the rostering system, staff in charge of occurrence investigation.

(c)Activities air traffic control service providers could undertake to monitor the effectiveness of the established fatigue management arrangements may be but are not limited to the following:

(1)verification of the allocation and implementation of duty and rest periods in accordance with the rostering principles established in ATS.OR.320;

(2)collection and analysis of data related to planned versus achieved rosters, and in particular:

(i)exceedances of planned working hours and reasons generating exceedances;

(ii)variation of the nature of the duty (office work, operational air traffic control service provision, training, etc.);

(iii)operational circumstances which required a modification of established duty and rest periods; and

(iv)swapped shifts between air traffic controllers and impact on the established fatigue management principles;

(3)verification of the use and of the effectiveness of the procedure allowing air traffic controllers to self-declare fatigue, when such procedure is established; and

(4)analysis if specific roster patterns generate fatigue and, as a consequence, sickness or cases of provisional inability in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340.