Assessment of labor intensity indicators and factors affecting fatigue in civil aviation pilots based on the results of a questionnaire

Introduction. An essential feature of the professional activity of pilots of civil aviation aircraft is the high intensity of work due to pronounced emotional, intellectual, and sensory loads, unique work modes.

The study aims to assess the intensity of work and the prevalence of factors affecting fatigue among civil aviation pilots according to an anonymous online questionnaire.

Materials and methods. Experts surveyed 667 members of the flight crews in remote anonymous online questioning.

We developed the questionnaires under the criteria for assessing the intensity of work, assessing the risk factors for fatigue development according to the ICAO recommendations, and analyzing the pilot's activity algorithm. The researchers used descriptive statistical methods to analyze the survey data.

Results. The working conditions of pilots according to 7 indicators of tension correspond to class 3.2: a high level of intellectual loads (72–100% of pilots), a large number of overlapping time zones (18%), the maximum duration of concentrated observation (70.7%), a high density of signals and messages (29.9%), a significant number of objects of simultaneous observation (18.9%), a high degree of risk to one's own life and responsibility for the safety of others (98%), as well as a rough working day (79%). According to the totality of indicators, the general class of labor intensity corresponds to the highest degree (class 3.3).

The factors affecting the fatigue of pilots include rare rest between flights (44.6% of respondents), intermittent sleep (59.9%), not always a full sleep before the night flight shift (85.9%). According to the survey results, the share of pilots who have spontaneous sleep during the flight is 74.3%, and frequently delayed reaction to usual, non – standard, or extreme stimuli and signals is 12.3%.

Conclusions. The obtained data of the questionnaire survey confirm the results of psychophysiological studies that have shown that the level of the labor intensity of pilots is "super-intense or extreme." Therefore, considering the prevalence of factors affecting fatigue among the crew members, and based on the understanding of the fundamental problems noted by the pilots, it is necessary to develop measures and management solutions to minimize the risk factors for fatigue development.

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