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 127

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

Last Update: September 19, 2020  

October 27, 2019   1560   superman    WIKI  

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