BlueDiamond
19th Nov 2000, 12:50
A casual comment from a colleague started me thinking about airline uniforms. We were talking together at an international terminal when he chuckled and pointed to a group of Singapore Airlines cabin crew walking towards us. I asked him what he found amusing and he replied, "Either they've found a way to grow those women from cuttings or else they have only one size of uniform which they hand out to applicants and if it fits, they're in."
What he said was funny enough but it prompted me to take a closer look at these people. The men were dressed in the usual male's uniform of jacket, pants etc. but it was the clothing worn by the female cabin crew that caught my attention. It could not have been any more closely fitted had it been glued on. Now, I am sure I can hear the appreciative sighs of agreement from the men who may be reading this but let's just think about this for a minute.
The reason we have flight attendants in the first place is because regulations require safety officers to be present on commercial flights in a prescribed ratio to passenger numbers. Airlines in general appear to ignore the fact that these people are there in that capacity and prefer to treat their cabin staff as models or publicity agents. I notice - as do we all - that they restrict their activities in this regard to the female staff members, leaving the male crew free to wear the more appropriate attire.
The above-mentioned Singapore Airlines crew was followed by another from Malaysia and surprise, surprise - identical and equally impractical clothing for the women crew members. The only difference was that the Malaysia women wore shoes which, while still completely inappropriate in type, at least covered their feet. The unfortunate Singapore women are obliged to make do with completely open footwear secured by a single fabric strap across the foot. These women spend their flight time handling sharps, hot things and all manner of items capable of causing injury if dropped yet they do not have proper footwear included in their uniform. Don't they have any occupational health and safety regulations on their side?
I do understand - but definitely do not condone - that airlines like to choose clothing for their staff that reflects their origins and culture. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if they were made to confine those expressions of national identity to the decoration of the aircraft rather than its crew. The question has to be asked - what good is anyone dressed like that going to be if push comes to shove? What is the point of having safety officers who wear clothing that is so restrictive that they can barely move? And what is the point of further incapacitating them with footwear barely suited to a slow stroll never mind the rapid and decisive activity required in an emergency situation?
Surely it would not be too difficult to design uniforms which reflect the airline's nationality but which are also practical, comfortable and permitting of free movement. (I believe South African has found a good balance here except that some of the women still wear skirts.) These people are not on the aircraft to complement its decor, they are there for a far more serious purpose and, I believe, their employers have a duty of care to be exercised in choosing clothing appropriate to the nature of the work. It would be very interesting to see what would happen if an airline was sued because of the inability of its crew member/s to carry out certain procedures due to the restrictive nature of the clothing provided.
[This message has been edited by BlueDiamond (edited 19 November 2000).]
[This message has been edited by BlueDiamond (edited 20 November 2000).]
What he said was funny enough but it prompted me to take a closer look at these people. The men were dressed in the usual male's uniform of jacket, pants etc. but it was the clothing worn by the female cabin crew that caught my attention. It could not have been any more closely fitted had it been glued on. Now, I am sure I can hear the appreciative sighs of agreement from the men who may be reading this but let's just think about this for a minute.
The reason we have flight attendants in the first place is because regulations require safety officers to be present on commercial flights in a prescribed ratio to passenger numbers. Airlines in general appear to ignore the fact that these people are there in that capacity and prefer to treat their cabin staff as models or publicity agents. I notice - as do we all - that they restrict their activities in this regard to the female staff members, leaving the male crew free to wear the more appropriate attire.
The above-mentioned Singapore Airlines crew was followed by another from Malaysia and surprise, surprise - identical and equally impractical clothing for the women crew members. The only difference was that the Malaysia women wore shoes which, while still completely inappropriate in type, at least covered their feet. The unfortunate Singapore women are obliged to make do with completely open footwear secured by a single fabric strap across the foot. These women spend their flight time handling sharps, hot things and all manner of items capable of causing injury if dropped yet they do not have proper footwear included in their uniform. Don't they have any occupational health and safety regulations on their side?
I do understand - but definitely do not condone - that airlines like to choose clothing for their staff that reflects their origins and culture. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if they were made to confine those expressions of national identity to the decoration of the aircraft rather than its crew. The question has to be asked - what good is anyone dressed like that going to be if push comes to shove? What is the point of having safety officers who wear clothing that is so restrictive that they can barely move? And what is the point of further incapacitating them with footwear barely suited to a slow stroll never mind the rapid and decisive activity required in an emergency situation?
Surely it would not be too difficult to design uniforms which reflect the airline's nationality but which are also practical, comfortable and permitting of free movement. (I believe South African has found a good balance here except that some of the women still wear skirts.) These people are not on the aircraft to complement its decor, they are there for a far more serious purpose and, I believe, their employers have a duty of care to be exercised in choosing clothing appropriate to the nature of the work. It would be very interesting to see what would happen if an airline was sued because of the inability of its crew member/s to carry out certain procedures due to the restrictive nature of the clothing provided.
[This message has been edited by BlueDiamond (edited 19 November 2000).]
[This message has been edited by BlueDiamond (edited 20 November 2000).]