Cabin Safety Requirements

Cabin Safety Requirements

The primary function of the cabin crew is to ensure the safety and security of the cabin and all passengers on the aeroplane from the time they board to the time they disembark. This function must be coordinated with the flight crew during all phases of flight, and especially when there is an abnormal or emergency situation.

Inter-crew Communications

The cabin crew-flight crew communications over the interphone shall be formal, verbal and structured. This is to preclude the chances of any misunderstanding on account of interphone distortion, language, etc. Informal conversations between the cabin and cockpit crew shall be in person. All formal operational communications between the cockpit and the cabin crew should be in the English language. This shall strictly be observed when not all crew members speak the same native language.

Information, instructions and inquiries from the flight crew to the cabin crew are transmitted via:

• Face to face communication;
• Interphone;
• Public Address System (PA System).

Cabin crew members shall be careful not to interrupt the flight crew during periods of high or critical workload, such as:

• Preparation for take-off or landing;
• R/T communication;
• Checklist usage.

During “no-contact” period, there shall be no communications attempts from cabin crew to flight crew. The only authorised exception to this communication rule is in the case grave emergency, i.e. cabin fire.

No-contact periods are:

• On take-off - from the application of take-off power until the landing gear is retracted;
• On landing - from the extension of the landing gear prior to landing, until the completion of the landing roll.

The Sterile Period is the period from pushback or engine start until the seatbelt sign is switched OFF, and from top of descent (Seat Belts sign ON) until engine shutdown (Seat Belts sign OFF).

During Sterile Period, there shall be no calls or visits to the cockpit/flight deck except the notification of the »CABIN SECURED«, or notification of a safety concern as explained below.

Calls and Signals

Normal calls from the cockpit to the cabin crew, and vice-versa, shall initially be made via the interphone, and the normal call buttons used to alert the called party.

Urgent calls from the cockpit to the cabin crew shall be initially made via Interphone and the alert is given by activating the emergency EMER button. This gives a distinct ‘Hi-Lo’ chime signal. In more urgent cases for important information and instructions, alert is given by via the PA system by announcing »CABIN CREW TO THE COCKPIT«, and also activating the EMER button. Normally, it shall be the CIC who shall take the Emergency call. In case the CIC is resting or in the toilet, the next available cabin crew member should take the emergency call. If, at the time of an emergency call, the other cabin crew members are able to access the interphone system, then they must also listen to the emergency information.

Emergency Briefings

In case of an emergency, the Commander shall brief the CIC at least on the following (NITS items):

• Nature of the emergency;
• Intentions (crash landing, ditching, diversion, continue etc);
• Time remaining to landing;
• Special instructions.

In the special instructions the Commander is to clearly instruct the CIC whether to prepare the cabin for normal or emergency landing.

After NITS briefing the Commander should challenge CIC to repeat basic NITS items to ensure proper reception of information.

The NITS format may also be useful when communicating about an abnormal/emergency situation with ATC.

Note: Other formats may also be used to conduct emergency briefing (e.g mnemonic TEST: Type of Emergency (T), Evacuation Procedure or alternative means of disembarkation (E), Special Instructions (S), Time to land (T)).

Cabin crew shall advise the flight crew immediately of any flight safety concern. Some examples of flight safety concerns are:

• Abnormal or emergency situations;
• Emergency evacuation;
• Emergency exit or door unsafe condition;
• Engine fire (e.g., tail pipe or nacelle torching flame);
• Evidence of damage, or accumulation of ice/snow, on the aeroplane exterior surfaces, especially the upper wing surfaces;
• Extreme cabin temperature changes (e.g., suspected bleed air duct leakage);
• Fire, burning smell or smoke in the cabin;
• Cabin crew member incapacitation;
• Fuel smell or fluid leakage;
• Medical situations;
• Preparation for and an encounter with turbulence;
• Suspicious, unclaimed bag or package;
• Uncertainty about condition (i.e., suspected incapacitation);
• Unusual noise or vibration (e.g. evidence of tail-strike on take-off, tyre burst);
• Cart stowage difficulty;
• Etc.

Routine Cabin Crew Briefing

A cabin crew briefing shall be conducted by the Commander prior to each flight or series of flights (if to be operated on the same day by the same flight crew). He should inform his cabin crew of:

• Known deficiencies of cabin and/or safety equipment;
• Special passengers and/or cargo;
• Expected meteorological conditions (e.g. turbulence, thunderstorms);
• Other events and item relevant to the flight.

Whenever a tour of duty for the whole crew begins at home base (duty after crew rest) the Commander or the CIC should perform appropriate spot check thus ensuring that the cabin crew is proficient in and familiar with the relevant emergency items and procedures.

The Commander or CIC will conclude the cabin briefing by allotting, to each individual cabin crew member, the tasks that crew member is to perform on board and the emergency station he is to occupy.

Fasten Seat Belts Sign Procedures

All cabin crew members shall be seated with their seat belts fastened during critical phases of flight.

Commanders must ensure that:
•No cabin crew member may perform any activity that is not safety-related from the time the aeroplane starts to move (i.e. push-back or taxi), until the Seat Belts sign is selected OFF after take-off (earliest passing 10.000 ft / FL100), and from the time the Seat Belts sign is re-cycled during descent (passing 15.000 ft / FL150) until the aeroplane is parked and Seat Belts sign is selected OFF.
•During critical phases of flight, cabin crew not involved in safety-related duties must be seated with seatbelt fastened.

The Commander and the CIC are directly and jointly responsible for ensuring compliance with above requirements. To ensure compliance, the following procedures shall be used for all flights:
• The Seat Belts sign should remain ON after take-off until the aeroplane has passed at least 10.000 ft / FL100 in climb. Thereafter, it may be selected OFF subject to flight conditions;
• If the Seat Belts sign is to remain ON for the duration of the flight it shall be cycled OFF then ON during climb when passing 10.000 ft / FL100 or whenever it is safe for cabin crew to leave their seats, whichever is later;
• The flight crew shall select the Seat Belts sign ON at top of descent. On short flights this action may be delayed (flight conditions permitting) until reaching 15.000 ft / FL150 or 20 minutes until landing, whichever comes first;
• If the Seat Belts sign is already selected ON at top of descent as a precaution, then it shall be cycled OFF then ON once at top of descent;
• At 15.000 ft / FL150, the Seat Belts sign shall be re-cycled (OFF then ON). The cabin crew shall complete securing the cabin as soon as possible. Upon confirming that the cabin is secure, the CIC shall immediately pass the »CABIN SECURED« report to the cockpit.
• Whenever the Seat Belts sign is selected ON, the flight crew should refrain from leaving the flight deck.

Important: Cycling the Seat Belts sign shall be accomplished in a way to produce two chimes.