a Fatigue report is a very good tool in many ways, unfortunately there is a luck of understanding among the CC in E K.
- It is a way to inform the company that something is not right
- it is a way of backing yourself up if you ended up sick (back pain, flu, blocked ears, etc).
- it is a way of improving the safety of the airline.
- It is a way to improve and take the job more seriously (each crew member must report any important information that may affect the safety).
Another common issue is that few crews reports to the safety department the abuse during legal days off. If crew starts reporting/informing that his/her manager is calling he/her to visit the HQ the very first day after an ULR or LR DFW or SYD flight on a legal day off, then the company will know that something is wrong with that practice. Even the seniors and pursers are constantly meeting their manager and attending workshops on legal days off. This contribute to fatigue. A day off is not only a day off is also needed to acclimatize your body and mind.
It is a big airline and the communication is limited to the few channels, one way of communicating a problem is through a fatigue report follow by a short email to the right people in order to do a follow up (show interest about it and you will be respected).
In CRM we see the JOHARI window and we learn about how we show ourselves to the world ... well... galley talk would fit in the HIDDEN window (know to yourself and unknown to others which in this case will be the management) you can cry and suffer all day-night but if that isnīt reported it will never be changed.
You can contribute to the safety culture by using the airline tools. If you feel fatigue write a report, if the following flight you are not fit, call sick and back yourself up with that report.
When a day come that a flight has to be cancelled due to a lack of available crew (because they reported as sick or fatigued) then the company will realized that there is a need for a change.