Equivalence Testing as a Tool for Fatigue Risk Management in Aviation

Many civilian aviation regulators favor evidence-based strategies that go beyond hours-of-service approaches for managing fatigue risk. Several countries now allow operations to be flown outside of flight and duty hour limitations, provided airlines demonstrate an alternative method of compliance that yields safety levels “at least equivalent to” the prescriptive regulations. Here the authors discuss equivalence testing in occupational fatigue risk management. The authors present suggested ratios/margins of practical equivalence when comparing operations inside and outside of prescriptive regulations for two common aviation safety performance indicators: total in-flight sleep duration and psychomotor vigilance task reaction speed. Suggested levels of practical equivalence, based on expertise coupled with evidence from field and laboratory studies, are ≤ 30 min in-flight sleep and ± 15% of reference response speed. Equivalence testing is illustrated in analyses of a within-subjects field study during an out-and-back long-range trip. During both sectors of their trip, 41 pilots were monitored via actigraphy, sleep diary, and top of descent psychomotor vigilance task. Pilots were assigned to take rest breaks in a standard lie-flat bunk on one sector and in a bunk tapered 9 from hip to foot on the other sector. Total in-flight sleep duration (134 ± 53 vs. 135 ± 55 min) and mean reaction speed at top of descent (3.94 ± 0.58 vs. 3.77 ± 0.58) were equivalent after rest in the full vs. tapered bunk. Equivalence testing is a complimentary statistical approach to difference testing when comparing levels of fatigue and performance in occupational settings and can be applied in transportation policy decision making.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3357/AMHP.4790.2018
• Record URL:
  • https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/amhp/2018/00000089/00000004/art00008
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/23756314
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of the Aerospace Medical Association.
• Authors:
  • Wu, Lora J
  • Gander, Philippa H
  • van den Berg, Margo
  • Signal, T Leigh
• Publication Date: 2018-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 383-388
• Serial:
  • Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance
  • Volume: 89
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Aerospace Medical Association
  • ISSN: 2375-6314
  • EISSN: 2375-6322
  • Serial URL: http://ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pilots; Aviation safety; Civil aviation; Driver performance; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Occupational safety; Reaction time; Risk assessment; Sleep
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01670037
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 22 2018 5:22PM