ARTCC radar controller concerned with presence of child of other employee allowed to deliver and dis...

Attributes
ACN	410143
Time
Date	199807
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zan
State Reference	AK
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	controller radar : 10 flight time total : 114
ASRS Report	410143
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Yesterday, I was working a very busy military sector. I was the d-side. We had active military airspace (part of a large- scale mission) and airplanes everywhere. Imagine my surprise when a child delivered flight progress strips to my sector. A 7 year old, the child of an employee, was allowed to act as the a-side, and was literally delivering flight progress strips to the various sectors. We had 2 first level supervisors on the control room floor, and both of them approved of the situation. The operations manager was at the watch desk as was the facility chief. Our facility has always had a lenient policy regarding children at work, and I don't understand why children are allowed to be on the control room floor. They are a distraction at best. This is a safety issue. In this case, the child was not using proper procedures for strip placement in the bays. I had to be extra vigilant about my strips in addition to my duties as a d-side. A child should never be allowed to perform the duties of any position in an ATC facility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR CONCERNED WITH PRESENCE OF CHILD OF OTHER EMPLOYEE ALLOWED TO DELIVER AND DISTRIBUTE FLT CTL STRIPS TO CTL POS. RPTR ADVISES THAT MGMNT APPROVED THE ACTIVITY.

Narrative: YESTERDAY, I WAS WORKING A VERY BUSY MIL SECTOR. I WAS THE D-SIDE. WE HAD ACTIVE MIL AIRSPACE (PART OF A LARGE- SCALE MISSION) AND AIRPLANES EVERYWHERE. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN A CHILD DELIVERED FLT PROGRESS STRIPS TO MY SECTOR. A 7 YEAR OLD, THE CHILD OF AN EMPLOYEE, WAS ALLOWED TO ACT AS THE A-SIDE, AND WAS LITERALLY DELIVERING FLT PROGRESS STRIPS TO THE VARIOUS SECTORS. WE HAD 2 FIRST LEVEL SUPVRS ON THE CTL ROOM FLOOR, AND BOTH OF THEM APPROVED OF THE SIT. THE OPS MGR WAS AT THE WATCH DESK AS WAS THE FACILITY CHIEF. OUR FACILITY HAS ALWAYS HAD A LENIENT POLICY REGARDING CHILDREN AT WORK, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY CHILDREN ARE ALLOWED TO BE ON THE CTL ROOM FLOOR. THEY ARE A DISTR AT BEST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IN THIS CASE, THE CHILD WAS NOT USING PROPER PROCS FOR STRIP PLACEMENT IN THE BAYS. I HAD TO BE EXTRA VIGILANT ABOUT MY STRIPS IN ADDITION TO MY DUTIES AS A D-SIDE. A CHILD SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF ANY POSITION IN AN ATC FACILITY.

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.

ARTCC radar controller concerned with presence of child of other employee allowed to deliver and distribute flight control strips to control position. Reporter advises that management approved the activity.