Narrative:

This is not any one situation. This is a collective situation that has risen from a chronic shortage of people. Tonight our area was posted 1 below minimums. This is significant because when WX is forecasted to be bad, usually overtime would be used to get to minimums because of increased workload. Overtime was never called. In addition, a person needed emergency leave and that was granted and still overtime was not utilized! As a result, controllers worked 2 hours 30 mins on position by themselves for most of the night. This created a dangerous environment, all of which could have been headed off. The facts were available well in advance. It is my understanding that ZOA has used up its overtime budget for 1997. That is what we are being told. The message I got from what transpired tonight is that this will now be business as usual. Someone needs to take a close look at ZOA's new posture for saving overtime dollars. Tonight, that posture created what I consider to be a hazardous work environment. When controllers are expected to work 2 hours 30 mins by themselves over and over again, something is going to get missed. This is becoming a serious situation. ZOA needs people but in the meantime, the chief needs the leeway to approve overtime for sits like tonight. The first line supervisors might be incorrectly assuming that they can't call in overtime for sits like tonight. Safety is being compromised!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT THE LACK OF STAFFING ON THE SWING SHIFT IN HIS AREA OF SPECIALIZATION AND IN THE ARTCC AS A WHOLE. RPTR SAYS THE FACILITY HAS USED ITS ALLOTMENT OF OVERTIME MONEY FOR FISCAL 1997 AND IS CONCERNED THAT CTLRS MUST WORK 2 AND A HALF HRS ON A POS WITHOUT RELIEF. RPTR ALLEGES SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED.

Narrative: THIS IS NOT ANY ONE SIT. THIS IS A COLLECTIVE SIT THAT HAS RISEN FROM A CHRONIC SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE. TONIGHT OUR AREA WAS POSTED 1 BELOW MINIMUMS. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WHEN WX IS FORECASTED TO BE BAD, USUALLY OVERTIME WOULD BE USED TO GET TO MINIMUMS BECAUSE OF INCREASED WORKLOAD. OVERTIME WAS NEVER CALLED. IN ADDITION, A PERSON NEEDED EMER LEAVE AND THAT WAS GRANTED AND STILL OVERTIME WAS NOT UTILIZED! AS A RESULT, CTLRS WORKED 2 HRS 30 MINS ON POS BY THEMSELVES FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT. THIS CREATED A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT, ALL OF WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN HEADED OFF. THE FACTS WERE AVAILABLE WELL IN ADVANCE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ZOA HAS USED UP ITS OVERTIME BUDGET FOR 1997. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE BEING TOLD. THE MESSAGE I GOT FROM WHAT TRANSPIRED TONIGHT IS THAT THIS WILL NOW BE BUSINESS AS USUAL. SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT ZOA'S NEW POSTURE FOR SAVING OVERTIME DOLLARS. TONIGHT, THAT POSTURE CREATED WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A HAZARDOUS WORK ENVIRONMENT. WHEN CTLRS ARE EXPECTED TO WORK 2 HRS 30 MINS BY THEMSELVES OVER AND OVER AGAIN, SOMETHING IS GOING TO GET MISSED. THIS IS BECOMING A SERIOUS SIT. ZOA NEEDS PEOPLE BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THE CHIEF NEEDS THE LEEWAY TO APPROVE OVERTIME FOR SITS LIKE TONIGHT. THE FIRST LINE SUPVRS MIGHT BE INCORRECTLY ASSUMING THAT THEY CAN'T CALL IN OVERTIME FOR SITS LIKE TONIGHT. SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.