Which OTC
medications do you think pose the most significant risk to UAS
operators?
It is common sense that people
need a restful night’s sleep in order to perform at their peak level the
following day. However, there may be
instances where the ability to experience a good sleep is out of reach and some
may even strive for OTC sleep aids to help achieve optimal rest. It is my opinion that sleep aids are the most
significant risk to UAS operators as there are many commonly available that
contain Diphenhydramine which is an active ingredient that may cause side
effects of mental impairment and increased reaction times. The recommended wait time after taking this
active ingredient is 60 hours based on this pharmacologic half-life (FAA, 2017). Other OTC medications may have an overt label
detailing not to operate heavy machinery but some may operators may think they
are helping themselves by using OTC sleep aids without fully respecting the
prolonged side effects that may ultimately impact their mission within the 60
hour window.
What do you
think are the most effective mitigation strategies from a human factors
perspective
that operators can use when conducting UAS operations?
The most effective mitigation
strategy when it comes to physiological issues and medication is an honest
approach to utilizing a self-assessment tool such as the Aeronautical Decision
Making and Operational Risk Assessment Framework that we have learned about (FAA, 2016). Additionally, if there are any doubts at all,
an open-dialogue and approachable relationship with an aviation medical
examiner would help provide clarification on any areas needing interpretation
of elaboration.
·
Describe how
fatigue and stress affect the safe operation of UAS.
Fatigue is a human limitation
that is often associated with pilot error.
It results in degraded concentration, poor coordination and ineffective
communication skills. While there are
physical impacts, there are also cognitive effects as well such as timely
decision making. Fatigue can compound
stress which will hamper performance.
Stress is defined in two categories: acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is normal inputs into our
physiological system in which we provide a response. Normally a health body
will respond adequately such as time constraints to execute a task or make a
decision and can be viewed as a motivator for peak performance (see figure 1). An unhealthy body will succumb
to these stimulus and offer an ineffective response such as a delayed decision
or an incorrect one. There is also
chronic stress which means over time the stimulus has completely overwhelmed
the body. There are many external
factors such as mental state, social welfare, financial welfare or physical
health that may cause a chronic condition.
This is viewed as more serious to acute stressors as chronic conditions
may be hard to detect until it is too late.
Both types of stressors if deemed to impact the performance on your
governance over the UAS should not be allowed for flight operations. To combat this, operators should always be
vigilant to detect, self-assess and address these latent risk items of fatigue
and acute and chronic stressors. Healthy
habits of a well-balanced diet, regular exercise and sustaining a strong mental
state are all excellent ways to ensure you continue to be a competent and
effective UAS operator (FAA, 2016).
 |
| Fig 1: Stress versus Performance Curve |
References
FAA. (2016,
August). Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved December 17, 2018,
from Remote Pilot - Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
FAA. (2017, May
18). Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners. Retrieved 12 17, 2018, from
Federal Aviation Administration:
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/pharm/dni_dnf/
No comments:
Post a Comment