EOI's into Research Project - Cabin Air Quality
Expressions of Interest – Assistance for a Research Project into Contaminated Air Blood Tests
In 1999/2000 the Australian Senate held a year long enquiry and concluded exposure to contaminated air (engine oil / hydraulic fluid decomposition products) was a health and flight safety issue. Since then over 50 recommendations and findings have been made by over 12 air accident investigation departments globally including a recommendation made twice to the FAA and EASA by the British AAUB that all aircraft have contaminated air warning systems.
Despite this only DHL B757 and A300 aircraft have any form of effective bleed air filtration and aircraft continue to fly with no warnings systems installed.
AFAP was the first pilot union in the world to actively raise awareness of this issue some 25 years ago and now plans to be one of the first unions globally to offer the blood test to crews. In 2010 the High Court of Australia upheld a ruling that inhaling heated engine oils was harmful to the lungs. Today, a typical jet engine oil can clearly states ‘Do not breathe mist or vapour from heated product’ and Airbus and Boeing are evaluating new bleed air cleaning technologies and a new less hazardous oil is close to market. We hope this survey will help bring about the steps needed to protect crew health and enhance flight safety much like TCAS or EGPWS have previously.
AFAP members will soon be invited to participate in an anonymous research study intended to collect survey data about fume events reported by pilots who fly the B717 aircraft in conjunction with blood samples to be tested for the presence of an engine oil additive called tricresyl phosphate (TCP), an organophosphate.
The research is to be coordinated by the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive (GCAQE) who require between 20 to 50 members as a gateway to fund this study. For those interested to find out more about the GCAQE there is a link to their website
https://www.gcaqe.org/
All of the data will be deidentified and participation is voluntary and strictly confidential and anonymous. No names or other identifying information will be published. The collective data will be analysed and published in a medical journal to further the science on fume events. Individual pilots may confidentiality access their own results via a trusted legal source appointed at the project set-up.
If you are interested in assisting in this important project or would just like to know a bit more please contact either the NJS Chair, Anthony Clouting on
clouters@me.com or the AFAP Safety & Technical Manager, Marcus Diamond on
marcus@afap.org.au