Narrative:

New work rules continue to complicate; us as controllers; the ability to work safely by increasing FAA demands and undue pressures under a severe fatigued state. On our shifts; we are now only authority/authorized 'a short' bathroom break during an entire 8 hour shift while still operating under the new split tower and radar concept. Most controllers' workday consists of working an 8 hour shift the morning prior to their mid shift with only an 8 hour break in between these shifts. With a human being's internal body clock studies have shown that the body is naturally more tired during these late night mid shifts and in turn this becomes very difficult to maintain full awareness with an inadequate amount of necessary rest needed between these 2 shifts! Fatigue is greatly increased and a breakdown in awareness and performance is the result. Furthermore; the FAA's increasing demands and newly enforced work rules not only deny controllers adequate breaks needed for recovery but; also now denies us a meal break during these shifts. We are forcibly given a 'missed meal' allowance as compensation and are expected to eat on position while accomplishing our work duties. And finally; after being relieved from the tower that has had the tower and radar split up there; mid shift controllers are required to reopen the TRACON to keep the tower and radar operations separate. In sum; so now after working an 8 hour shift the morning prior; then an 8 hour break between shifts; controllers are now back on yet another 8 hour mid shift; with minimal rest; reopening the radar position after working 7 hours of their mid shift and are forced to work the morning push at their most fatigued state! And are also expected to accomplish all arrival data duties; including issue clrncs for aircraft off satellite airports; all 5 radar position duties and all supervisory/administrative duties. Consisting of answering phones; paperwork; and scheduling personnel to operating position for the day shift. All this at the tail end of your mid shift with the lack of an adequate break and the necessary rest that I mentioned above! How insane does this have to become and how much does safety have to be compromised before this situation is rectified?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OKC CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE FAA'S NEW POLICY REGARDING STAFFING AND SECTOR POS RESTRS.

Narrative: NEW WORK RULES CONTINUE TO COMPLICATE; US AS CTLRS; THE ABILITY TO WORK SAFELY BY INCREASING FAA DEMANDS AND UNDUE PRESSURES UNDER A SEVERE FATIGUED STATE. ON OUR SHIFTS; WE ARE NOW ONLY AUTH 'A SHORT' BATHROOM BREAK DURING AN ENTIRE 8 HR SHIFT WHILE STILL OPERATING UNDER THE NEW SPLIT TWR AND RADAR CONCEPT. MOST CTLRS' WORKDAY CONSISTS OF WORKING AN 8 HR SHIFT THE MORNING PRIOR TO THEIR MID SHIFT WITH ONLY AN 8 HR BREAK IN BTWN THESE SHIFTS. WITH A HUMAN BEING'S INTERNAL BODY CLOCK STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE BODY IS NATURALLY MORE TIRED DURING THESE LATE NIGHT MID SHIFTS AND IN TURN THIS BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN FULL AWARENESS WITH AN INADEQUATE AMOUNT OF NECESSARY REST NEEDED BTWN THESE 2 SHIFTS! FATIGUE IS GREATLY INCREASED AND A BREAKDOWN IN AWARENESS AND PERFORMANCE IS THE RESULT. FURTHERMORE; THE FAA'S INCREASING DEMANDS AND NEWLY ENFORCED WORK RULES NOT ONLY DENY CTLRS ADEQUATE BREAKS NEEDED FOR RECOVERY BUT; ALSO NOW DENIES US A MEAL BREAK DURING THESE SHIFTS. WE ARE FORCIBLY GIVEN A 'MISSED MEAL' ALLOWANCE AS COMPENSATION AND ARE EXPECTED TO EAT ON POS WHILE ACCOMPLISHING OUR WORK DUTIES. AND FINALLY; AFTER BEING RELIEVED FROM THE TWR THAT HAS HAD THE TWR AND RADAR SPLIT UP THERE; MID SHIFT CTLRS ARE REQUIRED TO REOPEN THE TRACON TO KEEP THE TWR AND RADAR OPS SEPARATE. IN SUM; SO NOW AFTER WORKING AN 8 HR SHIFT THE MORNING PRIOR; THEN AN 8 HR BREAK BTWN SHIFTS; CTLRS ARE NOW BACK ON YET ANOTHER 8 HR MID SHIFT; WITH MINIMAL REST; REOPENING THE RADAR POS AFTER WORKING 7 HRS OF THEIR MID SHIFT AND ARE FORCED TO WORK THE MORNING PUSH AT THEIR MOST FATIGUED STATE! AND ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO ACCOMPLISH ALL ARR DATA DUTIES; INCLUDING ISSUE CLRNCS FOR ACFT OFF SATELLITE ARPTS; ALL 5 RADAR POS DUTIES AND ALL SUPERVISORY/ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. CONSISTING OF ANSWERING PHONES; PAPERWORK; AND SCHEDULING PERSONNEL TO OPERATING POS FOR THE DAY SHIFT. ALL THIS AT THE TAIL END OF YOUR MID SHIFT WITH THE LACK OF AN ADEQUATE BREAK AND THE NECESSARY REST THAT I MENTIONED ABOVE! HOW INSANE DOES THIS HAVE TO BECOME AND HOW MUCH DOES SAFETY HAVE TO BE COMPROMISED BEFORE THIS SITUATION IS RECTIFIED?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.