<< >> NASA ASRS Report 216732, July 1992

Dispatcher complains of understaffing due to financial restraints imposed by airline management policy.

Attributes
ACN	216732
Time
Date	199207
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other personnel other
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	216732
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Reduction in staff has doubled shift load for aircraft dispatcher and resulted in overloaded situation which significantly reduces safety. Flight segments handled has gone from 60 to 105 per '8' shift with no reductions or automation in workload to accommodate the increase. Additionally, when assistant dispatcher coverage is unavailable due sick leave coverage, the assistant position is not staffed by other assistants or dispatchers. There is a real need for FAA regulation of airline dispatch offices in regard to workload if safety is to be maintained. On jul/thu/92, I arrived on shift at PM30 local to find a charter which was to have been worked up on the previous shift, left for my shift. This combined with existing workload creates overload which reduces time for flight following, watching WX, etc. Staffing of dispatchers has been based on optimum conditions. It is my belief that operational control will be compromised with poor WX conditions. Safe levels of workload are compromised now from midday on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER COMPLAINS OF UNDERSTAFFING DUE TO FINANCIAL RESTRAINTS IMPOSED BY AIRLINE MGMNT POLICY.

Narrative: REDUCTION IN STAFF HAS DOUBLED SHIFT LOAD FOR ACFT DISPATCHER AND RESULTED IN OVERLOADED SITUATION WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES SAFETY. FLT SEGMENTS HANDLED HAS GONE FROM 60 TO 105 PER '8' SHIFT WITH NO REDUCTIONS OR AUTOMATION IN WORKLOAD TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCREASE. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN ASSISTANT DISPATCHER COVERAGE IS UNAVAILABLE DUE SICK LEAVE COVERAGE, THE ASSISTANT POS IS NOT STAFFED BY OTHER ASSISTANTS OR DISPATCHERS. THERE IS A REAL NEED FOR FAA REG OF AIRLINE DISPATCH OFFICES IN REGARD TO WORKLOAD IF SAFETY IS TO BE MAINTAINED. ON JUL/THU/92, I ARRIVED ON SHIFT AT PM30 LCL TO FIND A CHARTER WHICH WAS TO HAVE BEEN WORKED UP ON THE PREVIOUS SHIFT, LEFT FOR MY SHIFT. THIS COMBINED WITH EXISTING WORKLOAD CREATES OVERLOAD WHICH REDUCES TIME FOR FLT FOLLOWING, WATCHING WX, ETC. STAFFING OF DISPATCHERS HAS BEEN BASED ON OPTIMUM CONDITIONS. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT OPERATIONAL CTL WILL BE COMPROMISED WITH POOR WX CONDITIONS. SAFE LEVELS OF WORKLOAD ARE COMPROMISED NOW FROM MIDDAY ON.

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.