My concern here is the fact that there wasn't a supervisor present and also the distraction of a phone call which took away the concentration of the controller leading to the fatalities.
Which leads me onto my next question. Its all well and good doing comparison of FAA (US) vs CAA (UK) as to who comes out best but I see this issue centering around human error, or a distraction in this instance and this could happen here or over the pond, regardless of any superior views on the subject!
What other distractions take place within a tower or radar environment?
For instance, are controllers allowed to take their mobile phones into the working environment whilst in the shift room (tower or radar environment)? If not, is there a procedure for signing them in and out?
What does a controller do whilst in a quiet period when in the shift room, do they read papers, do they read personal books, do they eat food and drink? I ask because I don't know the answer in my honesty.
What other distractions can take place? Are there guidelines and training against these scenarios and what form of documentation do they exist in?