A center controller is assigned to work a data position standing up. No chairs were available. The r...

Narrative:

On apr/xa/98 I was assigned to the fwa high handoff position. There were no chairs available in the area for me or 2 other d-sides. Working handoff standing up is inadvisable as the vscs equipment blocks the view of much of the scope. Also, as you bend over to write on strips or search for traffic, you often hit your head on vscs knobs. Kneeling on the floor is uncomfortable and the carpet here at ZAU is 10 yrs old and is rarely cleaned. All these things combine to distract you from the task at hand. On apr/xa/98 I was unable to immediately be of great assistance to the fwa high controller as I was busy trying to adjust to not having a chair. To me, this sounds like an almost frivolous complaint. But I find it more ludicrous that the FAA does not supply enough chairs to one of the busiest facilities in the world.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CTR CTLR IS ASSIGNED TO WORK A DATA POS STANDING UP. NO CHAIRS WERE AVAILABLE. THE RPTR ALSO STATES THAT 2 OTHER D-SIDE CTLRS WERE STANDING UP DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF CHAIRS.

Narrative: ON APR/XA/98 I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FWA HIGH HDOF POS. THERE WERE NO CHAIRS AVAILABLE IN THE AREA FOR ME OR 2 OTHER D-SIDES. WORKING HDOF STANDING UP IS INADVISABLE AS THE VSCS EQUIP BLOCKS THE VIEW OF MUCH OF THE SCOPE. ALSO, AS YOU BEND OVER TO WRITE ON STRIPS OR SEARCH FOR TFC, YOU OFTEN HIT YOUR HEAD ON VSCS KNOBS. KNEELING ON THE FLOOR IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND THE CARPET HERE AT ZAU IS 10 YRS OLD AND IS RARELY CLEANED. ALL THESE THINGS COMBINE TO DISTRACT YOU FROM THE TASK AT HAND. ON APR/XA/98 I WAS UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY BE OF GREAT ASSISTANCE TO THE FWA HIGH CTLR AS I WAS BUSY TRYING TO ADJUST TO NOT HAVING A CHAIR. TO ME, THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN ALMOST FRIVOLOUS COMPLAINT. BUT I FIND IT MORE LUDICROUS THAT THE FAA DOES NOT SUPPLY ENOUGH CHAIRS TO ONE OF THE BUSIEST FACILITIES IN THE WORLD.

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.

Attributes
ACN	398353
Time
Date	199804
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zau
State Reference	IL
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	398353
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

A center controller is assigned to work a data position standing up. No chairs were available. The reporter also states that 2 other d-side controllers were standing up due to a shortage of chairs.