Question about the personnel chosen to do the evacuation testing for certification.
Is it usually just the one nationality chosen to do the testing, or is it a mixture of nationalities that partake in testing?
Usually conducted by the manufacturer at their facility with their volunteer employees. So, whoever is available on staff. Probably a good mix of H-1B staff these days.
Of these people would these be first time evacuees or would each manufacturer call on people that have previously tested?
When I worked for Boeing and they sought volunteers, they preferred ones who had not been through a previous test.
Anecdote: They came around and asked me once. But I made a comment about their procedure for handling the overwing (plug type) exit doors. They requested that the person sitting at the door
carefully open it and
carefully place it on the adjacent seat (because this was a plane that they were going to sell). I remarked that people tripping over the door as they exited would distort the actual evacuation time. And if
I were sitting there in real life, I'd just take the door, turn it sideways and frisbee-toss it out the opening.
They excused me from the test.