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D10 controller expressed concern regarding facility's approach to staffing and working conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 715587 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200610 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : d10.tracon |
| State Reference | TX |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 19 |
| ASRS Report | 715587 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | staffing : d10.tracon |
Narrative:
D10 management continues to short staff the facility. This is leading to an unhealthy and unsafe work environment. A prime example of this was the shift on sunday. During the shift there were 7 controllers that filed for a missed meal break (this means they did not get a 30 min break to eat during the shift). The flow rate for dfw was left at 90 aircraft per hour which is the rate for a 3 runway operation. We only had staffing for a 2 runway operation. When a third runway was used and staffed; there were as few as 1 person on break. 1 controller complained of being dizzy because he could not get enough of a break to eat. He was given a break after 2 position were combined which made another controller work twice as hard. The training day (briefing day) had to be canceled at XA30 to staff the facility but this was too little too late. This continual short staff condition will eventually lead to disaster.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: D10 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY'S APCH TO STAFFING AND WORKING CONDITIONS.
Narrative: D10 MGMNT CONTINUES TO SHORT STAFF THE FACILITY. THIS IS LEADING TO AN UNHEALTHY AND UNSAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT. A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THIS WAS THE SHIFT ON SUNDAY. DURING THE SHIFT THERE WERE 7 CTLRS THAT FILED FOR A MISSED MEAL BREAK (THIS MEANS THEY DID NOT GET A 30 MIN BREAK TO EAT DURING THE SHIFT). THE FLOW RATE FOR DFW WAS LEFT AT 90 ACFT PER HR WHICH IS THE RATE FOR A 3 RWY OP. WE ONLY HAD STAFFING FOR A 2 RWY OP. WHEN A THIRD RWY WAS USED AND STAFFED; THERE WERE AS FEW AS 1 PERSON ON BREAK. 1 CTLR COMPLAINED OF BEING DIZZY BECAUSE HE COULD NOT GET ENOUGH OF A BREAK TO EAT. HE WAS GIVEN A BREAK AFTER 2 POS WERE COMBINED WHICH MADE ANOTHER CTLR WORK TWICE AS HARD. THE TRAINING DAY (BRIEFING DAY) HAD TO BE CANCELED AT XA30 TO STAFF THE FACILITY BUT THIS WAS TOO LITTLE TOO LATE. THIS CONTINUAL SHORT STAFF CONDITION WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO DISASTER.
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.