ZSU controller voiced concern regarding control room temperature fluctuations; resulting in cold con...

Attributes
ACN	774558
Time
Date	200802
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zsu.artcc
State Reference	PR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 5 controller non radar : 7 controller radar : 12 controller supervisory : 3
ASRS Report	774558
Events
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance ATC Facility Environmental Factor FAA
Primary Problem	ATC Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

There is a situation at san juan cerap in which the temperature controls for the air conditioning system are broken. This causes the temperature to drop unexpectedly and the air controllers are left with a room with temperatures well below the osha standards. Because we live in a tropical island; there is no reason to carry warm clothing. Because this temperature drops unexpectedly; the controllers are not prepared. Those of the controllers that might carry a light jacket in the car are usually not allowed to use them because of the dress code. Meanwhile; there are controllers on position freezing to death working live traffic. This is a serious safety risk to the flying public. It is hard to believe that supervisors are more worried about the jacket controllers might use in these situations and not about the safety of the lives in the air while controllers are working in this environment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZSU CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING CTL ROOM TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS; RESULTING IN COLD CONDITIONS; WITH MGMNT LIMITING THE USE OF JACKETS.

Narrative: THERE IS A SITUATION AT SAN JUAN CERAP IN WHICH THE TEMP CTLS FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS ARE BROKEN. THIS CAUSES THE TEMP TO DROP UNEXPECTEDLY AND THE AIR CTLRS ARE LEFT WITH A ROOM WITH TEMPS WELL BELOW THE OSHA STANDARDS. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A TROPICAL ISLAND; THERE IS NO REASON TO CARRY WARM CLOTHING. BECAUSE THIS TEMP DROPS UNEXPECTEDLY; THE CTLRS ARE NOT PREPARED. THOSE OF THE CTLRS THAT MIGHT CARRY A LIGHT JACKET IN THE CAR ARE USUALLY NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM BECAUSE OF THE DRESS CODE. MEANWHILE; THERE ARE CTLRS ON POS FREEZING TO DEATH WORKING LIVE TFC. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO THE FLYING PUBLIC. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SUPVRS ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE JACKET CTLRS MIGHT USE IN THESE SITUATIONS AND NOT ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE LIVES IN THE AIR WHILE CTLRS ARE WORKING IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

ZSU controller voiced concern regarding control room temperature fluctuations; resulting in cold conditions; with management limiting the use of jackets.