The purpose of the Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) is to serve to reduce, as far as practicably reasonable, workplace fatigue and its associated risks, to ensure a safe and error-free work environment for employees, contractors, and clients.
Both the FAA & Transport Canada are also promoting effective FRMS within the maintenance environment. Currently EASA has focused FRMS within the Flight Operations environment however in the near future this will be expanded to include Aviation Maintenance Personal.
It is widely understood throughout the aviation industry that fatigue increases an individual’s risk to human factors error. Human error may serve as a precursor to an incident or accident. We also understand that such incidents and accidents can be managed and thus effectively prevented.
An effective Safety Management System should also encompass the management of any risk which may be associated with fatigue. This is typically achieved through the implementation of a Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS).
FRMS is applicable and relevant not just for operators (Pilots and Cabin Crew), but also for Maintenance Staff and all active members of a Maintenance Repair Organisations (MRO)
As with any Safety Management System, commitment from senior and line management together with clear consultation and effective communication with all employees should be ensured to provide a positive safety culture.
An FRMS should be part of your wider SMS as an integrated set of work practices and procedures for monitoring and improving the safety of all aspects of your organization. It recognizes the potential for fatigue-related errors and establishes robust defences to minimize the likelihood of incidents or accidents.
As with all safety management systems, fatigue risk management involves goal setting, planning, documentation, and measuring performance against goals. An FRMS should be a comprehensive, integrated tool for managing fatigue in operational settings.
The EU’s Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) requires EU countries to guarantee the following rights for all workers:
A limit to weekly working hours, which must not exceed 48 hours on average, including any overtime;
A minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours in every 24;
A rest break during working hours if the worker is on duty for longer than 6 hours;
A minimum weekly rest period of 24 uninterrupted hours for each 7-day period, in addition to the 11 hours’ daily rest;
Paid annual leave of at least 4 weeks per year;
Extra protection for night work, e.g.
Average working hours must not exceed 8 hours per 24-hour period,
Night workers must not perform heavy or dangerous work for longer than 8 hours in any 24-hour period, in addition night workers also have the right to free health assessments and, under certain circumstances, to transfer to day work.
Sofema Aviation Services offers Regulatory training covering Fatigue Risk Management within both an operations and maintenance environment for more details please see www.sassofia.com or email: office@sassofia.com
