Narrative:

ZAU; south area. I came in at XA45 and we had 12 controllers scheduled to work; and 3 trainees. We took 2 sick leaves; which took us down to 10 controllers and 3 trainees. We had a substitute supervisor on duty. He asked for overtime; it was denied by the omic. The supervisor pulled one of the trainees to work traffic. We then proceeded to have 6 sectors open and 2 mandatory radar associates position open (we are mandated to have 3) plus the 2 trainees. We were taking 25-30 min breaks. Plus overlap for position relief briefings. We had 5 2 hour time on position grievances filed. Most of the other work periods were close to 2 hours; but not over. The over 2 hour period I was working was the X sector; one of the busiest in the center. This was during the morning rush; I had to work part of the rush by myself because the supervisor was not aware of how busy I was. He then pulled a radar associate from another position to help me. I proceeded to work heavy traffic on and off for over 2 hours. During the last half hour I was feeling very fatigued. I donT think I heard all of the readbacks of the clrncs I was giving. Luckily I got through the session without an operational error. This is not an uncommon occurrence at ZAU. There were other controllers in the area at the time just as busy as me working just as long. I feel this is not a safe situation. We have had a lot of errors in ZAU in the last month. Our atm thinks that the solution is to work us harder will prevent the errors. So he raised the mandatory staffing levels without getting us more staffing. I feel that the errors are more of a cumulative effect of controllers working more traffic with more time on position. We are getting very fatigued. I hope something can be done before a major accident happens.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY STAFFING AND FATIGUE LEVELS AND MGMNT'S POLICY REGARDING SAME.

Narrative: ZAU; S AREA. I CAME IN AT XA45 AND WE HAD 12 CTLRS SCHEDULED TO WORK; AND 3 TRAINEES. WE TOOK 2 SICK LEAVES; WHICH TOOK US DOWN TO 10 CTLRS AND 3 TRAINEES. WE HAD A SUBSTITUTE SUPVR ON DUTY. HE ASKED FOR OVERTIME; IT WAS DENIED BY THE OMIC. THE SUPVR PULLED ONE OF THE TRAINEES TO WORK TFC. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO HAVE 6 SECTORS OPEN AND 2 MANDATORY RADAR ASSOCIATES POS OPEN (WE ARE MANDATED TO HAVE 3) PLUS THE 2 TRAINEES. WE WERE TAKING 25-30 MIN BREAKS. PLUS OVERLAP FOR POS RELIEF BRIEFINGS. WE HAD 5 2 HR TIME ON POS GRIEVANCES FILED. MOST OF THE OTHER WORK PERIODS WERE CLOSE TO 2 HRS; BUT NOT OVER. THE OVER 2 HR PERIOD I WAS WORKING WAS THE X SECTOR; ONE OF THE BUSIEST IN THE CTR. THIS WAS DURING THE MORNING RUSH; I HAD TO WORK PART OF THE RUSH BY MYSELF BECAUSE THE SUPVR WAS NOT AWARE OF HOW BUSY I WAS. HE THEN PULLED A RADAR ASSOCIATE FROM ANOTHER POS TO HELP ME. I PROCEEDED TO WORK HVY TFC ON AND OFF FOR OVER 2 HRS. DURING THE LAST HALF HR I WAS FEELING VERY FATIGUED. I DONT THINK I HEARD ALL OF THE READBACKS OF THE CLRNCS I WAS GIVING. LUCKILY I GOT THROUGH THE SESSION WITHOUT AN OPERROR. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE AT ZAU. THERE WERE OTHER CTLRS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME JUST AS BUSY AS ME WORKING JUST AS LONG. I FEEL THIS IS NOT A SAFE SITUATION. WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF ERRORS IN ZAU IN THE LAST MONTH. OUR ATM THINKS THAT THE SOLUTION IS TO WORK US HARDER WILL PREVENT THE ERRORS. SO HE RAISED THE MANDATORY STAFFING LEVELS WITHOUT GETTING US MORE STAFFING. I FEEL THAT THE ERRORS ARE MORE OF A CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF CTLRS WORKING MORE TFC WITH MORE TIME ON POS. WE ARE GETTING VERY FATIGUED. I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE BEFORE A MAJOR ACCIDENT HAPPENS.

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.