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The IAM submitted comments to the Department of Transportation regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s Policy Statement on Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Aircraft Crewmembers.
“For many years the IAM has been concerned about the occupational safety of Flight Attendants and has advocated for OSHA to play a role in regulating safety standards for flight crewmembers,” said IAM General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “This new involvement of OSHA in aircraft cabin crewmember safety is long overdue.”
While praising the extension of OSHA regulations to Flight Attendants, the IAM pressed for broadening OSHA oversight beyond hazard communication, blood borne pathogens and hearing conservation for employees inside the aircraft.
“We applaud the departments for identifying these areas, allowing OSHA standards to apply, and expect this will greatly improve Flight Attendant occupational safety and health,” said Pantoja. “However, OSHA involvement in aircraft cabin crewmember safety should not be limited to only these three areas.”
Late last year the FAA and OSHA announced the extension of limited OSHA protections to aircraft crewmembers.
Click here to read the IAM’s comments.
