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Controller's chairs are poorly constructed and maintained.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 162263 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199011 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tul |
| State Reference | OK |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 162263 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approximately 5 yrs ago, the FAA purchased new ATC chairs. From the start these chairs had structural problems pertaining to the foot rests snapping off. This structural problem is still a problem along with the following. The repairs to the foot rests were made as cheap as possible by making a metal ring around the bottom and clipping them on. The problem is they are much too low to put feet on when chair is raised. While trying to repair chairs, many chairs were reduced to desk height chairs. Controllers need to see above the console and are unable to raise the chairs as they were designed to do (4 out of 5 in tower). Controller chairs back rest are adjustable. The problem is when they fall down unexpectedly you can get hurt. Medical reports indicate that hanging your legs while sitting, instead of them resting on a support can lead to chronic back pain. Solution: invest in proper repair or replace with sturdier equipment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Contacted the reporter to explain the ASRS program. Told him to file an ucr on the chair problem. He said an ucr had been filed and they were seeing some results.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR'S CHAIRS ARE POORLY CONSTRUCTED AND MAINTAINED.
Narrative: APPROX 5 YRS AGO, THE FAA PURCHASED NEW ATC CHAIRS. FROM THE START THESE CHAIRS HAD STRUCTURAL PROBS PERTAINING TO THE FOOT RESTS SNAPPING OFF. THIS STRUCTURAL PROB IS STILL A PROB ALONG WITH THE FOLLOWING. THE REPAIRS TO THE FOOT RESTS WERE MADE AS CHEAP AS POSSIBLE BY MAKING A METAL RING AROUND THE BOTTOM AND CLIPPING THEM ON. THE PROBLEM IS THEY ARE MUCH TOO LOW TO PUT FEET ON WHEN CHAIR IS RAISED. WHILE TRYING TO REPAIR CHAIRS, MANY CHAIRS WERE REDUCED TO DESK HEIGHT CHAIRS. CTLRS NEED TO SEE ABOVE THE CONSOLE AND ARE UNABLE TO RAISE THE CHAIRS AS THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DO (4 OUT OF 5 IN TWR). CTLR CHAIRS BACK REST ARE ADJUSTABLE. THE PROB IS WHEN THEY FALL DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY YOU CAN GET HURT. MEDICAL RPTS INDICATE THAT HANGING YOUR LEGS WHILE SITTING, INSTEAD OF THEM RESTING ON A SUPPORT CAN LEAD TO CHRONIC BACK PAIN. SOLUTION: INVEST IN PROPER REPAIR OR REPLACE WITH STURDIER EQUIPMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CONTACTED THE RPTR TO EXPLAIN THE ASRS PROGRAM. TOLD HIM TO FILE AN UCR ON THE CHAIR PROB. HE SAID AN UCR HAD BEEN FILED AND THEY WERE SEEING SOME RESULTS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.