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Essay on The Effects Of Shift Work In Air Traffic Control
Occupational stress can no longer be considered an occasional, personal problem to be remedied with palliatives. It is becoming an increasingly global phenomenon, affecting all categories of workers, all workplaces and all countries. This trend - coupled with its rising cost to the individual, to industry and to society as a whole - has greatly heightened awareness of the need for effective and innovative ways of tackling stress.
Stress prevention at the workplace has proved particularly effective in combating stress, by attacking its roots and causes, rather than merely treating its effects. In line with such an approach, this series of working papers is aimed at providing concrete advice on how to prevent stress in specific occupations particularly exposed to stress.
For each occupation considered, the paper indicates a number of preventive measures targeted to the elimination of the causes of stress, rather than the treatment of its effects, and how these measures can become an integral part of the necessary organizational development of a sound enterprise and eventually pay for themselves (Cardosi, Falzarano, Han, 1998).
The nation's air traffic control system, which is part of the national airspace system, is responsible for managing a complex mixture of air traffic from commercial, general, corporate, and military aviation. Despite the strong safety record achieved over the last several decades, the system does suffer occasional serious disruption, often the result of outdated and failed equipment. When equipment failures occur, system safety relies on the skills of controllers and pilots. Under these circumstances, safety is maintained by reducing the number of aircraft in the air.
Pressures to provide the capacity to handle a greater number of flights in the future and to maintain high levels of safety and efficiency have led to proposals to provide more reliable and powerful equipment and at the same time....
