February 08, 2010

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA fights exclusively to improve conditions that affect the safety, health and security of flight attendants. The AFA-CWA Air Safety, Health and Security Department (ASHSD) provides full-time staff support in Washington, DC for the AFA-CWA Safety Committee chairs and members and is responsible for solving problems that cannot be solved at the carrier level.

What's New at ASHSD
 
Initial Safety Training, October 15, 2009

Updated On: Oct 22, 2009 (12:22:00)
Congratulations to the AFA-CWA members who attended the most recent Initial Safety Training in Miami, FL!
Back row:  Diane C. (AMR), Joe O. (LECP AMR), Dominic N. (NWA), Robert R. (ATR), Leslie M. (MECVP HZN), Henry S. (RYN), Sean G. (PSA), Katharine J. (ATR), Amy K. (ATR); Seated: Seth H. (ALA), Linda E. (HWN), Jamie C. (MSB)
[A PDF of the report for this initial training is available in the password-protected Member Resources area]
New Airline Drinking Water Rule

Updated On: Oct 21, 2009 (08:27:00)

On October 5, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the signing of an Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR). This new rule’s purpose is to “ensure that safe and reliable drinking water is provided to aircraft passengers and crew … [by] providing air carriers with a feasible way to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) … and the national primary drinking water regulations (NPDWRs).” Potable water supplies on U.S. airlines are jointly regulated by the EPA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In accordance with the SDWA, EPA regulates water quality in public water systems, including those that supply water to the airports and the drinking water once it’s onboard the aircraft. More information is available on our new Water and Sanitation page as well as the EPA Aircraft Drinking Water Rule page.
Novel H1N1 Influenza

Updated On: Oct 08, 2009 (13:34:00)

(September 7, 2009) The following news was released by OSHA on September 4:

   "The Department of Labor and three other federal agencies announced new guidance for employers to plan and respond to the upcoming flu season. The guidance, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides employers with help on preparing now for the impact that seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza could have on their workers and operations during the fall and winter. Plans should include encouraging workers with flu-like symptoms to stay home, allowing highly-susceptible staff to work from home and encouraging workers to get flu vaccinations."

Additional Links for Further Information:

o World Health Organization (WHO) Influenza A(H1N1)

o One-stop access to U.S. Government swine, avian and pandemic flu information

o CDC: H1N1 Flu Clinical and Public Health Guidance

o OSHA: Pandemic Influenza

o NIOSH: Occupational Health Issues Associated with H1N1 Influenza Virus (Swine Flu)

o New England Journal of Medicine: H1N1 Influenza Center

o Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (U of Minn.): Swine Influenza

(August 31, 2009) An updated AFA-CWA Bulletin on Novel H1N1 Influenza is now available. This update provides the most recent information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the pandemic’s severity, signs and symptoms of illness, and ways that flight attendants can minimize their risks of exposing themselves to the virus. You can download the update here.

Note: All current and previous AFA-CWA Air Safety, Health and Security Department updates regarding Novel H1N1 Flu are here.
Airline crews highest exposed radiation workers in US (NCRP Rep. 160)

Updated On: Apr 09, 2009 (12:28:00)

Get educated. “The Invisible Passenger” (revised edition) has just been released. It is a comprehensive, readable, introduction to the hazards of in-flight radiation. Click here to purchase. AFA members are offered a 20% discount on the $19.95 cover price. To receive the discount go to the order form and type “AMPAFA” in the promotion box.  

Important Update on Cabin Air Quality and Must-See Documentary Film

Updated On: Jun 13, 2008 (19:41:00)

A must-see documentary film on the subject of aircraft air supply contamination is Welcome Aboard Toxic Airlines, just released. You can watch the trailer online and AFA members can purchase the DVD at a special discounted rate of $24 (including shipping). Go to www.welcomeaboardtoxicairlines.com or www.dftenterprises.com and enter coupon code AFA2024341300 at checkout.

The air you breathe in the aircraft cabin is supplied from the engines or APU and sometimes it gets contaminated with engine oils or hydraulic fluids that get heated to very high temperatures, often appearing as a smelly haze or smoke. That haze/smoke that enters the cabin air is a toxic soup and can contain carbon monoxide gas as well as chemicals that can damage your nervous system called tricresylphosphates (TCPs). Exposure to TCPs can initially cause stomach ache and muscle weakness, followed by delayed memory loss, tremors, confusion, and many other symptoms. For more information on the dangers of exposure, visit our air quality page. For information to give to your doctor, visit the OHRCA website and download the guide for medical providers. Also, it is important for you to know that University of Washington Professor Clem Furlong is in the final stages of developing a blood test that will enable crew and passengers to determine if they were exposed to TCPs on the aircraft. If you think you have been exposed, it is important to get your blood sent to his lab as soon as possible because that information will assist your doctor if you need medical help post-exposure and will benefit your workers' compensation case. For more information, email judith@AFAseattle.org. Prof. Furlong's research is being funded by crewmember unions, including AFA-CWA, and King 5 News in Seattle recently ran an exclusive story. Also, in April 2008, the BBC highlighted the dangers of breathing contaminated aircraft air on its news program, "Panorama."

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