GM1 ORO.FTL.120(b)(3) Fatigue risk management (FRM)
CAA ORS9 Decision No. 1
‘Scientific method’ is defined as ‘a method or procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses’ .
A scientific study may be required as an element of proactive fatigue hazard identification. Such a study should be based on scientific principles, i.e. use the scientific method. That means that the study should consist of the following elements as applicable to each individual case:
(a) an introduction with a summary and the description of the study design, methods and results;
(b) a statement of the hypothesis being tested, how it is being tested and a conclusion as to whether the hypothesis was found to be true or not;
(c) a description of the data collection method and tools, e.g. the sensitivity of the activity monitors, further information on any model and its limitations and how it is being used as part of the study;
(d) a description of how the study subjects were selected and how representative of the crew member population the study group is;
(e) a description of the rosters the study participants have worked containing data such as e.g. flight and duty hours, number of sectors, duty start/finish times;
(f) reports on mean sleep duration and efficiency and data for other standard measures (e.g. sleep timing, self-rated sleepiness/fatigue, sources of sleep disruption, performance, safety);
(g) a description of how sleep and the other measures varied across the roster (i.e. day-to-day) and where and why minimum sleep occurred;
(h) statistical data analysis to test the hypothesis; and
(i) the explanation of how the study results have been used to influence the design of the roster or other fatigue mitigations.