A paper titled, Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm During a Crossover Study of Simulated Commercial Flight in Older and Vulnerable Participants, has just been published Frontiers of Physiology. The authors found that among passengers that are typical of elderly flyers (an increasingly common demographic of both flyers and flight crew – flight attendants and pilots) […]
Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHTS) is a tremendous public health hazard, leading to morbidity and premature mortality worldwide, with racial and ethnic minorities and those of lower socioeconomic status disproportionately affected. Flight attendants were historically exposed to high levels of SHTS in the aircraft cabin. The health effects of active smoking are known to persist for […]
As flight travel becomes more prevalent, communities have started to feel the effects of these loud aircrafts. A recent article in the Los Angeles Times highlights the impacts of flight noise on communities and how citizens can work with government officials to minimize the noise impacts. Jet Blue has taken notice of how loud noise from these jets can negatively impact communities by airports so they are retrofitting their Airbus fleet to make the aircraft quieter. This is a win for individuals on the ground, but in-flight noise is still a concern among pilots, flight attendants, and passengers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards and regulations to protect worker health. Historically, flight attendants had been excluded from OSHA’s protection. In 2014, OSHA started a monitoring program that focuses on flight attendants’ exposure to noise, hazard communication and bloodborne pathogens (1), but not ionizing radiation. However, according to the National Council […]
After over 20 years of research and advocacy, U.S. flight attendants have been successful in raising their minimum rest times between shifts to from 8 to 10 hours. This occurred due to the passing of the FAA re-authorization bill in October of 2018. This is a substantial increase over the earlier 8-hour minimum rest time, […]
Alaska Airline flight attendants reported health complaints related to new uniforms rolled out in 2011 (1). By 2014, approximately 800 flight attendants had complained about how the new uniforms were negatively impacting their health, which led to Alaska Airlines recalling the uniforms, though without acknowledging harm. The research recently published by Dr. McNeely and colleagues suggests these health symptoms could be associated with the uniforms, based on data from before, during, and after use of the uniforms among Alaska Airlines flight attendants.
American flight attendants have a higher prevalence of several forms of cancer, including breast, uterine, gastrointestinal, thyroid, and cervical cancers, when compared with the general public, according to new research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Are flight attendants getting the health and safety protection they deserve? All workers are entitled to a safe workplace under federal law and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards and regulations to ensure safe and healthful working conditions. Historically, flight attendants had been excluded from OSHA’s protection and while certain protections have […]