Operational Environment

Operational Environment

Air traffic controllers are generally considered one of the working groups having to deal with a highly demanding job. In fact, air traffic control entails a complex set of tasks requiring very high levels of knowledge and expertise, as well as the practical application of specific skills pertaining to cognitive domains (e.g. spatial perception, information processing, logic reasoning, decision making), communicative aspects and human relations. (Costa, 1995) It is not surprising that so much attention is given to the Operational Environment in which ATCOs operate, as it has a direct impact on many facets of the job itself: safety, ergonomy, performance and stress management, inter alia.

 

 

DEFINITION OF OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Costa (1995) identified five aspects of the operational environment that have a significant impact on the performance, behaviour and stress level of the air traffic controller. While the study was primarily targeting stress, these elements can be linked to other facets of the work and affect directly ATM operations:

External socio-economic environment

  • Legislation, international and national directives
  • Social support

Technology and work organization

  • Improving job planning and reliability of the work systems
  • Reduction of working times and arrangement of working teams and rest pauses in relation to the workload
  • Arrangement of shift schedules according to psycho-physiological and social criteria
  • Participation in decision making

Intervention in working place and task structure

  • Improving the work environment
    • Lighting
    • Noise
    • Microclimatic conditions and indoor air quality
  • Arranging workplaces according to ergonomic criteria
    • Workstation design
    • Working with visual displays units
    • Sitting postures

Intervention to improve individual responses and behaviour

  • Individual ways of coping with stress
  • Selection and training
  • Counselling and other supporting measures at company level

Specific intervention for health protection and promotion

  • Appropriate medical surveillance

(Source: Costa, G.: “Occupational stress and stress prevention in air traffic control.” (Geneva, International Labour Office (ILO), 1995).

 

What falls under Operational Environment?

With such a large array of areas of interest, the Operational Environment domain is vast. As regards air traffic control, it encompasses inter alia the following aspects:

  • Professional and industrial relations;
  • Minimum service;
  • Single / Lone Person Operations (SPO);
  • Four Eyes Principle (4EP);
  • Performance Indicators;
  • Cognitive processes in ATC;
  • Working environments and ATC systems;
  • Automation / Human factors;
  • Duty rosters, work and rest schemes, vacation scheme, extra duty, extended duty and staffing
  • Remuneration principles, early retirement and retirement;
  • Regulatory framework in ATM.

For more information, visit one of the following WIKIFATCA pages:

Operational Environment 122

  1. AAS 1.13 DETERMINING OPERATIONS READINESS OF NEW ATM SYSTEMS
  2. AAS 1.20 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING IN ATC
  3. ADME 2.14 REMOTE AND VIRTUAL TOWER
  4. Air Traffic Control Officer Job Description
  5. Air Traffic Controllers’ Physical Fitness Programme
  6. Airport Infrastructure Development
  7. ANSP Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  8. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in ATC
  9. ATCOs and Professionalism
  10. ATCOs with Disabilities
  11. ATS 3.13 VIRTUAL CENTERS AND FUNCTIONAL AIRSPACE BLOCKS
  12. ATS 3.40 MOVING TO A NEW FACILITY
  13. Automation and the ATCO – Human Factors Consideration
  14. Changed Working Conditions Under Privatisation
  15. CISM Programmes Throughout IFATCA Member Associations
  16. Clarification of Sector Manning Principles
  17. Counselling as a Means of Reducing Stress Among Air Traffic Controllers
  18. Critical Incident Stress Management – Update of IFATCA Policy on Stress
  19. CRT/VDU Work When Pregnant
  20. Data Bank of Jurisprudence Update and New Questionnaire
  21. Determining And Result Of Inadequate Staffing
  22. Distractions at Workplace
  23. Draft Convention for the Profession of Air Traffic Controllers
  24. Early Retirement
  25. Equal Opportunities Legislation
  26. Extra Duty
  27. Fatigue in ATC
  28. Female ATCOs and Shift Work
  29. Future ATM Systems of the Next Century
  30. IFATCA Information Handbook
  31. IFATCA Information Handbook
  32. IFATCA Information Handbook
  33. IFATCA’s Role in the Area of Professional and Industrial Issues
  34. Industrial Action in ATC
  35. Industrial Relations under ILO Conventions
  36. INFO 6.1.1 INTRODUCTION
  37. INFO 6.1.2 PURPOSE OF THE IHB
  38. INFO 6.1.3 CONTENTS AND DISTRIBUTION
  39. INFO 6.1.4 METHOD OF UPDATING
  40. Information Handbook
  41. Intimidation of the Air Traffic Controller
  42. Intimidation of the Controller
  43. Intimidation of the Controller
  44. Intimidation of the Controller
  45. Legal Liability Aspects of Inadequate Staffing
  46. Legal Rights of Pregnant ATCOs
  47. Loss of Licence
  48. Management/Controller Relationships
  49. MED 8.1.1 GENERAL
  50. MED 8.2.8 ATCOS WITH DISABILITIES
  51. MED 8.2.9 VIGILANCE DURING OPS SHIFTS
  52. Medical Effects of Night Shifts
  53. Monitoring Developments in the FAA
  54. Monitoring Privatisation/commercialisation in ATC
  55. Nightshift Policy and Fatigue Management
  56. Ocular Disease and Ocular Fatigue Due to the Working Environment in ATC
  57. Performance Indicators
  58. Performance Indicators in Context
  59. Performance Measurement in ATC
  60. Privatisation Of The Canadian Air Navigation System
  61. Productivity and Performance Indicators
  62. Remuneration of Air Traffic Controllers
  63. Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the ILO
  64. Report of the ILO Meeting of Experts on Problems Concerning Air Traffic Controllers
  65. Report of the Liaison Officer to Int’l Organisations – Geneva
  66. Report on Committee C
  67. Report on the Information Hand Book (IHB) – 2019
  68. Rescinding Resolution C14 from Costa Rica Conference
  69. Review Method of Updating the Information Handbook
  70. Review of Human Factor Aspects of Social and Labour Aspects, Hours of Work and Retirement and Pension
  71. Review of IFATCA Existing Policies – Familiarisation Flights for ATCOs
  72. Review of IFATCA Policy
  73. Review of ILO Conclusions
  74. Review of Part IV – Professional Policy of the TPM
  75. Review of Policy: Single Person Operations in ATC (SPO)
  76. Review of Retirement Policy
  77. Review of Single Person Operations Policy and Four Eyes Principle
  78. Review of the IFATCA Vision Document
  79. Review of WC (Working Conditions) – Professional Policy of the TPM
  80. Review Policy on Hours of Work
  81. Review Policy on Privatization
  82. Review Policy on Stress Management
  83. Revision and Review on the Ageing ATCO and Retirement Age for ATCOs Policy
  84. Screen Design Process
  85. Single Person Operations – Four Eyes Principle (4EP)
  86. Single Person Operations in ATC
  87. Staff Shortages in Air Traffic Control
  88. Study of Automation – Controller Training
  89. Study on the Correlation Between Compensation for Loss of Licence, Early Retirement Programme, Medical Checks, Proficiency Checks and Conditions of Employment
  90. Study Operations in a Paper Stripless Environment
  91. Team Resource Management
  92. Technical Aspects of Medium Term Conflict Detection
  93. Terms of Reference – SC4 Human and Environmental Factors in ATC
  94. The Ageing Controller
  95. The Fountain of Wellbeing
  96. The ILO Meeting of Experts on Problems Concerning Air Traffic Controllers
  97. The Use of Safety Nets in ATM
  98. Update on Commercialisation of Air Traffic Services
  99. Virtual Centres – Review ATS 3.15 Functional Blocks of Airspace
  100. WC 10.1.1 IFATCA’s ROLE IN THE AREA OF PROFESSIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL ISSUES
  101. WC 10.1.2 ORGANISATIONS
  102. WC 10.1.6 SINGLE / LONE PERSON OPERATIONS (SPO)
  103. WC 10.1.7 FOUR EYES PRINCIPLE (4EP)
  104. WC 10.2.1 METHODS OF DETERMINING CONDITIONS OF OPERATION AND SERVICE
  105. WC 10.2.2.1 MONITORING PRIVATISATION / COMMERCIALISATION IN ATC
  106. WC 10.2.3 WORKING ENVIRONMENTS
  107. WC 10.2.4 ATC SYSTEMS
  108. WC 10.3.1 DUTY ROSTERS
  109. WC 10.3.2 WORK AND REST SCHEME
  110. WC 10.3.3 VACATION SCHEME
  111. WC 10.3.4 RECENCY AND COMPETENCY
  112. WC 10.3.5 EXTRA DUTY
  113. WC 10.3.6 STAFFING
  114. WC 10.3.7 AGEING ATCOS
  115. WC 10.4.1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
  116. WC 10.4.2 REMUNERATION PRINCIPLE
  117. WC 10.5.1 RETIREMENT
  118. WC 10.5.2 EARLY RETIREMENT
  119. WC 10.5.3 EXTENDED DUTY
  120. WC 10.6.1 LOSS OF LICENCE
  121. Work and Rest Scheme
  122. Working with Unserviceable or Inadequate Equipment

Last Update: September 19, 2020  

October 27, 2019   942   superman    WIKI  

Related Knowledge Base Posts -

Comments are closed.

  • Search Knowledgebase