Lack of sleep
Like Mill Worker I have become more aware of crews saying they are tired at work for all the reasons stated.
I have heard of some people in the aviation industryt being 'retired' due to sleeping on the job.
Lately, some pilots have been voicing concern for maintenance engineers, especially, those operating as 'flying spanners', some who live on the airplane for many days at a time, ( I have heard of some being rostered up to thirty days), with no hotel so, the only sleep they get is on board during a flight.
I know I have slept for hours in flight and woken up feeling like sh1t, so how these guys must feel and have to carry out their work is beyond belief.
I have worked in many countries and have never come across hard working hours for maintenance, unlike flight crews. The European labour law has a get out which has been readily exploited by the airline industry. The FAR has a rest clause which can be easily got around. They know it and do nothing. How would you feel working 24 days continuously? But, it is legal.
Have more smoking holes been avoided by a casual somebody noticing an omission, rather than have a properly rested man/woman who would have seen/ corrected a defect in the first place?
Perhaps, more emphasis should be placed on this aspect of life, maybe the insurance companies would show interest when they are having to make more and heavier payouts.