Narrative:

Delay to crew for hazmat compliance. My flight ord-ZZZ departed late due to aircraft arriving late combined with multiple MEL items and a hazmat situation. The agents wanted to board right away but we had MEL items that had to be addressed. One being a blocked forward lavatory. Not wanting to board in case our decision was that we would have to use lavatory during the flight. I elected to delay boarding for a few mins. We then graciously agreed to not use the lavatory for our 1 hour 46 min flight. During this time I noticed an alert for low oil on an engine. (No action taken yet.) at this time a sharp flight attendant noticed a passenger with what appeared to be an oxygen tube around their head attached to what looked like oxygen. I was informed this may be a nebuliser. I contacted dispatch for a patch to the hazmat office. I was then given a number for an environmental supervisor. His presence was then requested at the gate to verify the content of this device. In the meantime a customer service representative said simply that because this passenger has traveled before with this device everything was ok. I elected to wait for the environmental 'supervisor to verify. The environmental supervisor was very helpful in resolving my dilemma. He first of all confirmed that this was not oxygen. Secondly, he informed me that a prescription was required to use this narcotic. After determining that all safety concerns were covered I elected to go. While all this was going on, I asked for oil to be added to one of our engines which had an alert. I felt that this was maximizing our dead time waiting to resolve my hazmat dilemma. Ultimately, the delay was charged to the flight crew for requesting oil to be added even though quantity was at or above dispatch limits. I personally find this very offensive to have a delay blamed on something that was not even an issue. Oil was svced because we had ample time awaiting results from the hazmat issue. Secondly, after our company was fined and acknowledged criminal felony charges in the past for hazmat irregularities I find that this is leading to a corporate culture of putting on time departures before safety. With just a few mins of preflight we sorted multiple MEL items, security and hazmat issues. We arrived back on our sequence right on schedule. With setting blame for late departure we are going down a dangerous path. We are all responsible to change things. I hope this safety report opens someone's eyes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF F100 FELT COMPANY IMPROPERLY CHARGED A DELAY TO THEM FOR REQUESTING OIL SVC. TRUE CAUSES WERE SECURITY, MEL AND HAZMAT RELATED.

Narrative: DELAY TO CREW FOR HAZMAT COMPLIANCE. MY FLT ORD-ZZZ DEPARTED LATE DUE TO ACFT ARRIVING LATE COMBINED WITH MULTIPLE MEL ITEMS AND A HAZMAT SIT. THE AGENTS WANTED TO BOARD RIGHT AWAY BUT WE HAD MEL ITEMS THAT HAD TO BE ADDRESSED. ONE BEING A BLOCKED FORWARD LAVATORY. NOT WANTING TO BOARD IN CASE OUR DECISION WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO USE LAVATORY DURING THE FLT. I ELECTED TO DELAY BOARDING FOR A FEW MINS. WE THEN GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO NOT USE THE LAVATORY FOR OUR 1 HR 46 MIN FLT. DURING THIS TIME I NOTICED AN ALERT FOR LOW OIL ON AN ENG. (NO ACTION TAKEN YET.) AT THIS TIME A SHARP FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED A PAX WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN OXYGEN TUBE AROUND THEIR HEAD ATTACHED TO WHAT LOOKED LIKE OXYGEN. I WAS INFORMED THIS MAY BE A NEBULISER. I CONTACTED DISPATCH FOR A PATCH TO THE HAZMAT OFFICE. I WAS THEN GIVEN A NUMBER FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL SUPVR. HIS PRESENCE WAS THEN REQUESTED AT THE GATE TO VERIFY THE CONTENT OF THIS DEVICE. IN THE MEANTIME A CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE SAID SIMPLY THAT BECAUSE THIS PAX HAS TRAVELED BEFORE WITH THIS DEVICE EVERYTHING WAS OK. I ELECTED TO WAIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL 'SUPVR TO VERIFY. THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUPVR WAS VERY HELPFUL IN RESOLVING MY DILEMMA. HE FIRST OF ALL CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS NOT OXYGEN. SECONDLY, HE INFORMED ME THAT A PRESCRIPTION WAS REQUIRED TO USE THIS NARCOTIC. AFTER DETERMINING THAT ALL SAFETY CONCERNS WERE COVERED I ELECTED TO GO. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, I ASKED FOR OIL TO BE ADDED TO ONE OF OUR ENGS WHICH HAD AN ALERT. I FELT THAT THIS WAS MAXIMIZING OUR DEAD TIME WAITING TO RESOLVE MY HAZMAT DILEMMA. ULTIMATELY, THE DELAY WAS CHARGED TO THE FLT CREW FOR REQUESTING OIL TO BE ADDED EVEN THOUGH QUANTITY WAS AT OR ABOVE DISPATCH LIMITS. I PERSONALLY FIND THIS VERY OFFENSIVE TO HAVE A DELAY BLAMED ON SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT EVEN AN ISSUE. OIL WAS SVCED BECAUSE WE HAD AMPLE TIME AWAITING RESULTS FROM THE HAZMAT ISSUE. SECONDLY, AFTER OUR COMPANY WAS FINED AND ACKNOWLEDGED CRIMINAL FELONY CHARGES IN THE PAST FOR HAZMAT IRREGULARITIES I FIND THAT THIS IS LEADING TO A CORPORATE CULTURE OF PUTTING ON TIME DEPS BEFORE SAFETY. WITH JUST A FEW MINS OF PREFLT WE SORTED MULTIPLE MEL ITEMS, SECURITY AND HAZMAT ISSUES. WE ARRIVED BACK ON OUR SEQUENCE RIGHT ON SCHEDULE. WITH SETTING BLAME FOR LATE DEP WE ARE GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH. WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE TO CHANGE THINGS. I HOPE THIS SAFETY RPT OPENS SOMEONE'S EYES.

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.