Narrative:

I was working 3 high altitude sectors combined by myself. At one time; there were over 30 aircraft in the flight list. That in itself is no cause for concern to me in normal circumstances; however fatigue factors on that shift can; and eventually will; play a critical role in an unsafe situation. That number of aircraft during a prime shift would trigger sectors being split and additional controllers being assigned; but on the midnight shift; it's perfectly acceptable to have a very sleepy controller handle it by themselves. There was no incident today; but the potential is huge to have something happen. I was fighting sleep the entire time; hardly a situation that will produce the best results! Several management (mis-management!) factors contribute to this unacceptable situation. As of january of this year; apparently due to staffing and budget concerns; ZOB switched to assigning 3 controllers on the midnight shifts per area. In my previous 25 yrs with the FAA; it has always been standard procedure to have 4 controllers on that shift per area. It only makes sense to allow for extra rest and breaks on that shift to ensure we have fresh people working. 3 controllers does not allow adequate relief; though management thinks so even though they have no idea what it is like to work a day shift the day before and then work a midnight shift with only 8 hours between shifts. At the same time; management decided to no longer allow controllers to work an all midnight shift schedule which obviously is safer because they are accustomed to working that shift. Now; most midnight shifts are worked 8 hours after a day shift with just 8 hours between shifts. Would anyone aside from FAA management be surprised that controllers are very tired in the middle of the night with a schedule like that? It also seems that ZNY has adopted the same policy. On top of that; new york used to assign a controller to come in early to split a sector that gets busy at that time. Now; the sector (milton sector 75) remains combined an additional hour. New york deals with that situation by putting our route restrs which require all aircraft to be on daytime rtes. That does help balance their load; however it causes ZOB to have some very busy sectors with the added complexity of spacing for ewr and jfk. One would have thought the FAA management learned something last year from the lexington accident; however; it is obvious they have not. Instead; they put the burden on the controllers and will be immediate in passing out the blame to controllers when their shortsighted policies cause an incident or worse. People just cannot function at anywhere close to peak efficiency under these conditions on a regular basis. This is an accident waiting to happen and will only get worse as staffing levels drop precipitously with retirements for which the FAA has not planned; yet encourage with this mis-management. One final note to add to cap off this situation. A supervisor had arrived but was of no use to me whatsoever (or anyone else; but that's another issue) because they are not certified to work traffic. One of the controllers assigned to an XA15 shift arrived early. I specifically requested a break because I had been working over 2 hours and much of it with heavy traffic. Of course the answer was the newly arriving controller cannot work until XA15 because that is their policy. So there I sat with 10 or more aircraft in the sector while the fresh worker sat in the aisle waiting for the clock to strike XA15 and the supervisor attended to his oh so important administrative duties. While I blame the supervisor for not using any common sense; it's not all his fault because he has been repeatedly told by his mgrs to strictly adhere to this idiotic policy of no coming in and working early.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZOB CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SHIFT ASSIGNMENTS AND STAFFING ALLOCATIONS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING 3 HIGH ALT SECTORS COMBINED BY MYSELF. AT ONE TIME; THERE WERE OVER 30 ACFT IN THE FLT LIST. THAT IN ITSELF IS NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN TO ME IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES; HOWEVER FATIGUE FACTORS ON THAT SHIFT CAN; AND EVENTUALLY WILL; PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. THAT NUMBER OF ACFT DURING A PRIME SHIFT WOULD TRIGGER SECTORS BEING SPLIT AND ADDITIONAL CTLRS BEING ASSIGNED; BUT ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT; IT'S PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE A VERY SLEEPY CTLR HANDLE IT BY THEMSELVES. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT TODAY; BUT THE POTENTIAL IS HUGE TO HAVE SOMETHING HAPPEN. I WAS FIGHTING SLEEP THE ENTIRE TIME; HARDLY A SITUATION THAT WILL PRODUCE THE BEST RESULTS! SEVERAL MGMNT (MIS-MGMNT!) FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THIS UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION. AS OF JANUARY OF THIS YEAR; APPARENTLY DUE TO STAFFING AND BUDGET CONCERNS; ZOB SWITCHED TO ASSIGNING 3 CTLRS ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFTS PER AREA. IN MY PREVIOUS 25 YRS WITH THE FAA; IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN STANDARD PROC TO HAVE 4 CTLRS ON THAT SHIFT PER AREA. IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO ALLOW FOR EXTRA REST AND BREAKS ON THAT SHIFT TO ENSURE WE HAVE FRESH PEOPLE WORKING. 3 CTLRS DOES NOT ALLOW ADEQUATE RELIEF; THOUGH MGMNT THINKS SO EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS LIKE TO WORK A DAY SHIFT THE DAY BEFORE AND THEN WORK A MIDNIGHT SHIFT WITH ONLY 8 HRS BTWN SHIFTS. AT THE SAME TIME; MGMNT DECIDED TO NO LONGER ALLOW CTLRS TO WORK AN ALL MIDNIGHT SHIFT SCHEDULE WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS SAFER BECAUSE THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO WORKING THAT SHIFT. NOW; MOST MIDNIGHT SHIFTS ARE WORKED 8 HRS AFTER A DAY SHIFT WITH JUST 8 HRS BTWN SHIFTS. WOULD ANYONE ASIDE FROM FAA MGMNT BE SURPRISED THAT CTLRS ARE VERY TIRED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH A SCHEDULE LIKE THAT? IT ALSO SEEMS THAT ZNY HAS ADOPTED THE SAME POLICY. ON TOP OF THAT; NEW YORK USED TO ASSIGN A CTLR TO COME IN EARLY TO SPLIT A SECTOR THAT GETS BUSY AT THAT TIME. NOW; THE SECTOR (MILTON SECTOR 75) REMAINS COMBINED AN ADDITIONAL HR. NEW YORK DEALS WITH THAT SITUATION BY PUTTING OUR RTE RESTRS WHICH REQUIRE ALL ACFT TO BE ON DAYTIME RTES. THAT DOES HELP BAL THEIR LOAD; HOWEVER IT CAUSES ZOB TO HAVE SOME VERY BUSY SECTORS WITH THE ADDED COMPLEXITY OF SPACING FOR EWR AND JFK. ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE FAA MGMNT LEARNED SOMETHING LAST YEAR FROM THE LEXINGTON ACCIDENT; HOWEVER; IT IS OBVIOUS THEY HAVE NOT. INSTEAD; THEY PUT THE BURDEN ON THE CTLRS AND WILL BE IMMEDIATE IN PASSING OUT THE BLAME TO CTLRS WHEN THEIR SHORTSIGHTED POLICIES CAUSE AN INCIDENT OR WORSE. PEOPLE JUST CANNOT FUNCTION AT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO PEAK EFFICIENCY UNDER THESE CONDITIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND WILL ONLY GET WORSE AS STAFFING LEVELS DROP PRECIPITOUSLY WITH RETIREMENTS FOR WHICH THE FAA HAS NOT PLANNED; YET ENCOURAGE WITH THIS MIS-MGMNT. ONE FINAL NOTE TO ADD TO CAP OFF THIS SITUATION. A SUPVR HAD ARRIVED BUT WAS OF NO USE TO ME WHATSOEVER (OR ANYONE ELSE; BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE) BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT CERTIFIED TO WORK TFC. ONE OF THE CTLRS ASSIGNED TO AN XA15 SHIFT ARRIVED EARLY. I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED A BREAK BECAUSE I HAD BEEN WORKING OVER 2 HRS AND MUCH OF IT WITH HVY TFC. OF COURSE THE ANSWER WAS THE NEWLY ARRIVING CTLR CANNOT WORK UNTIL XA15 BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR POLICY. SO THERE I SAT WITH 10 OR MORE ACFT IN THE SECTOR WHILE THE FRESH WORKER SAT IN THE AISLE WAITING FOR THE CLOCK TO STRIKE XA15 AND THE SUPVR ATTENDED TO HIS OH SO IMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. WHILE I BLAME THE SUPVR FOR NOT USING ANY COMMON SENSE; IT'S NOT ALL HIS FAULT BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY TOLD BY HIS MGRS TO STRICTLY ADHERE TO THIS IDIOTIC POLICY OF NO COMING IN AND WORKING EARLY.

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.