A Modified Work Schedule for UAS Teams

The scenario for this assignment consists of the hiring of HUM - Human Factors Management’s consulting expertise for the Predator,  MQ-1B Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) UAS squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF).  The current work status of the squadron is that the crews are performing constant missions.  This availability for this mission is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  This availability is necessary for the provision of armed, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) for boots on the ground while in combat zones.  To successfully accomplish these missions, the Unmanned Aircraft System crews have been separated into 4 teams.  The current status of the imposed work schedules are continuous shift work with 6 days on, 2 days off 8.5 hour shifts (Day, Swing, and Night shift).  As each team completed their eight day, work/off cycle they were rotated to the next shift.  The consulting firm – HUM was made aware of the Squadron Commander’s concern for his UAS crews.  The concerns are very valid because the teams have reported extreme fatigue while conducting operations.  The team has also complained of inadequate sleep due to their current shift schedules. 

Given the nature of the UAS crew’s schedule several human factors issues can be raised with validity.  The first human factors issue of concern would be the rotation schedule.  The UAS crew is unfortunately plagued with rotating three completely different shifts for a prescribed period of time.  This type of shift work often time lead to fatigue, physical and mental drain, all round instability.  Many recognize this bodily function with the phrase “internal body clock”
 or “internal clock”.  This preverbal “clock” is responsible for the body’s 24-hour cyclic biological processes.  Those processes are brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regenerations, and other biological activities (Circadian Rhythm Disorders: Shift Work, Jet Lag, and More, 2005).  Unfortunately, when this happens to shift workers it is normal for it to take several days to upwards of a week for the human body to adjust the major changes (Orlady & Orlady, p. 300, 1999). 

Next human factor identified centers around personnel extreme fatigue.  A normal long-term schedule would be five days on 2 days off for resting.  The designated six days of work followed by the two days off cycle is suspected to lead to chronic fatigue among crew members.  “Since workers in shift systems require more time to recover than those working only day shifts, the observed chronic fatigue is likely reflective of continued inadequate opportunity for restorative sleep” (Miller, Tvaryanas, Platte, Swigart, & Colebank, 2008, p. 20).  Due to this information it is an obvious assessment that 2 days are far too few days needed to achieve the maximum resting period required to recuperate the human body. 

To maintain mission standard but address the physical and mental needs of the Squadron; a modified work schedule was created to meet the 24-hour, 7 day a week over a year time span.  The modified work schedule was based upon a three day, 12.5 hour shift scheduled which allows three days off.  The elimination of the swing shift and permanently assigning each crew member to either the day or night shift would be more efficient and suitable for the stress and fatigue previously observed.  This modifications can potentially foster a synchronized UAS crew allowing their circadian rhythm “internal clocks” the time to adapt to a much more stable
schedule.

  

Circadian Rhythm Disorders: Shift Work, Jet Lag, and More. (2005). Retrieved February 13, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/circadian-rhythm-disorders-cause 

Miller, N.L., Tvaryanas, A.P., Platte, W., Swigart, C., & Colebank, J. (2008, January). A resurvey of shift work-related fatigue in MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system crewmembers. Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School.

Orlady, H.W., & Orlady, L.M. (1999). Human factors in multi-crew flight operations. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company.