AFA Alaska + Hawaiian

Representing the Flight Attendants of Alaska + Hawaiian

Click here to report an issue to AFA
You are here: Home / Archives for Committees / Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

Wildfire Smoke Safety

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Wildfire smoke can harm you in multiple ways. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases.
  • Our Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) has coordinated with management to establish a Wildfire Smoke Protocol to keep us safe during wildfire season.
  • Key protections include the availability of N95 masks, layover hotel safety, and accommodations for sensitive groups.

As we enter peak wildfire season in many parts of the country, it’s important to be mindful of the risks that come with it. Not only are wildfires dangerous in and of themselves, but the smoke they produce can also be hazardous to our health. Wildfire smoke contains a variety of harmful particles and gases, including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into our lungs. Therefore, taking precautions to protect ourselves from the dangers of wildfire smoke is crucial.

Our Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) has worked with management to develop and implement a Wildfire Smoke Protocol to keep Flight Attendants safe during wildfire season. When the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches or is expected to exceed 200 at a given airport, inflight management will post an alert on the inflight website, and the protocol will go into effect for that location. When the protocol is triggered, the following will apply:

Availability of N95 Masks

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a properly worn N95 mask will offer some protection from wildfire smoke. Management will make N95 masks available at impacted stations and all Flight Attendant bases.

Layover Hotels

Management will evaluate air quality in hotel rooms located in affected areas. Alternative lodging options will be identified in case relocation becomes necessary. Hotels in evacuation zones will not be used. Flight Attendants will be notified of any hotel changes by Crew Scheduling.

Accommodations for Sensitive Groups

Individuals especially vulnerable to poor air quality due to pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or lung disease (including asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, or diabetes), making them sensitive to poor air quality as defined by the AQI, are part of the Sensitive Group. Flight Attendants who are part of the Sensitive Group will not be required to layover at stations that are experiencing or are forecast to experience an Air Quality Index (AQI) over 200.

Process for requesting an accommodation:

  • Flight Attendants in the Sensitive Group must self-identify to Inflight Base management to receive an accommodation.
  • To request a wildfire smoke accommodation, Flight Attendants must call Inflight Base management after an alert is posted.
  • Flight Attendants in the Sensitive Group will be removed or SIP’d from trips that layover in impacted stations with an AQI 200 or greater with a management drop, no points. 
  • For lineholders, Crew Scheduling management will SIP the sequence prior to the affected RON either at a SIP if there is one or by ending the trip early and deadheading the Flight Attendant back to base.
  • If on reserve, Flight Attendant may be assigned additional flying or returned to the LTFA as applicable.

Note: Flight Attendants must send eligible documentation for pre-existing conditions to Absence Management’s secured email within seven business days. If documents are not received within seven business days or are denied, the management drop will accrue points.

Additional Information

The complete Inflight Wildfire Smoke Protocol can be found on the Flight Attendant website under the safety tab or in GoodReader on the IMD in the FAM Supplemental Folder. Both locations also contain information about mask usage.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact your Local ASHSC.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2023

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, July 13 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.
  • Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever given the challenges we are currently facing as a workgroup.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed through Report It!  Please contact a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

On Thursday, July 13, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace.  Representing you at the meeting were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), Blair Kimbal (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN). Also present was MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.

The committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Operations & Crew Scheduling Allen Thieman, Manager Inflight Training Delivery Ken Hawkins, Infight Policy & Procedure Specialist Kevin Weatherbie, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Johanna Giese, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Kaliko Howell, Inflight Regulatory Compliance Safety Analyst Danette Thomas, Manager Inflight Base Operations Olinga Asress, and Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder.

The next scheduled Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee meeting is Thursday, October 5, 2023.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

  • Checking luggage for Unaccompanied Minors and passengers needing assistance. The ASHSC is advocating for checking UM roller bags as part of the program, and a complimentary gate-check (orange tag) offered to passengers needing assistance. This would reduce bin and bag injuries and speed up boarding and deplaning.
  • 3-point briefing Clarification. The 3-point briefing policy needs clarity on the meaning of “expeditiously”. Inflight is working to provide updated FAM language on this topic.
  • Cabin Gadgets. Clear guidance is needed about which devices are permitted for use at different phases of flight in the cabin. Inflight is actively working on updating the FAM language on this topic.
  • Employee shuttles & parking. The ASHSC is advocating for the development of minimum requirements regarding employee parking lot environments and shuttle services. This would include maximum passenger loads, minimum wait times, lot surveillance, etc., and would be used to hold ports and shuttle vendors accountable.
  • AED MEL on ETOPs flights. The Company is looking at maintaining a stock of AEDs in the islands to avoid flying transpacific without an operative AED (the MEL allows the AC to fly one leg without an AED).
  •  “On-ing” passengers prior to asking boarding questions. We have reports of CSAs “on-ing” passengers prior to boarding safety questions being asked, resulting in them lining up in the jetbridge waiting for permission to board. This is not a documented procedure and Inflight is following up with AOCS on the topic.
  • Hand and surface wipes. Passengers are still requesting wipes, and Flight Attendants prefer alcohol-based hand wipes. A surface wipe is preferable to Sanicide spray.
  • Fanny packs/small purses. Due to increased popularity, compliance conversations about these items are occurring more frequently. It would be helpful if CSAs also monitored for these and asked passengers to place them inside carry-ons before boarding to comply with the one-plus rule.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Equipment preflights and Flight Attendant briefings.  We conducted time testing to determine how much additional time is needed to complete equipment preflights and Flight Attendant briefings prior to passenger boarding and continue advocating for dedicated time to do so.
  2. Continuous Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA). The LOSA program is evolving into a continuous program that will include approximately forty monthly observations. Observations will continue to record only de-identified information which will be used to better understand threats to the cabin environment and to improve policy and training within Inflight and other divisions.
  3. Second round of AFA ASHSC SBMs (Semiannual Base Meetings). The ASHSC is working with Inflight and the Safety Department to continue the practice of holding safety meetings at all bases twice a year. Please consider signing up to attend or submitting a safety concern for discussion when you see the invite from Base Leadership and your Local ASHSC.
  4. Improved ReportIt App. The ASHSC has been involved in the process of improving our reporting system. As part of that process, we are advocating for a more approachable and dependable interface.

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please help the committee to advocate for improvement and change by filing a report.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports can all be submitted using ReportIt!  If you’re not sure what type of report to file for a particular situation or need help, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of your Local ASHSC.

Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local ASHSC is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website.

Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study – Fourth Wave

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

This message is from researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in regard to the Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study. If you have any questions about the study, please contact the researchers directly at fahealth@hsph.harvard.edu.

The Flight Attendant Health Study, launched in 2007, aims to advance knowledge that can improve working conditions for flight crew in the U.S. and internationally.

Flight Attendants are some of the most understudied workers, yet flight crew are exposed to many physical and psychosocial stressors, such as cosmic ionizing radiation, higher ozone levels, stressful interactions with passengers, hypoxia/reduced oxygenation, potentially severe circadian rhythm disruption, and other exposures.

We Need Your Help!

On June 26, the fourth wave of the study launches and we need as many Flight Attendants as possible to participate in order to accurately represent the characteristics and experiences of flight crews.

Our goal is to understand the prevalence of health conditions in current and retired U.S. and international flight crew and the relationship with working conditions – especially in light of the pandemic and its aftermath – in order to solve some of the stressors in Flight Attendant work that lead to early-onset illness and disease.

Please take the survey via this QR code or at bit.ly/fahs and share widely with your colleagues.

Thank you for helping to advance Flight Attendant health by contributing to this important research.

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee Recap – 2nd Quarter 2023

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • Our AFA Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met on Thursday, April 5 to discuss their ongoing program of work to represent Flight Attendants interests related to safety, health, and security in our workplace.
  • The Committee also met with management to receive updates and discuss issues and problems that Flight Attendants are facing onboard the aircraft.
  • Reporting safety concerns is more important than ever given the challenges we are currently facing as a workgroup.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Reports (ASAP), and fatigue reports can all be filed through Report It!  Please contact a member of your Local ASHSC if you need assistance.

On Thursday, April 5, our AFA Local Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Chairpersons met to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace.  Representing you at the meeting were Debi Wallstrom (ANC), David Lake (SEA), KalinLackey (PDX), Brad Young (SFO), Carin Meritt (LAX), and Eva Gatus (SAN).  Also present was MEC ASHSC Chairperson Seth Heiple.

The committee met with Cabin Safety Manager Cari Smith-Allen, Managing Director of Inflight Services Gloria Chow-Vanderwell, Director of Inflight Training & Standards Thomas Kaminski, Infight Policy & Procedure Specialist Kevin Weatherbie, Director of Inflight Safety & Compliance Corey Chestnut, Manager of Inflight Safety & Compliance Johanna Giese, Manager of Inflight Policy & Procedure Kaliko Howell, and Inflight Experience Program Manager Matthew Coder.

The next scheduled Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee meeting is Thursday, July 20, 2023.

Topics of Discussion

The committee reviewed several items during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

  • Potentially adding “keep seatbelts visible” to announcements. This may make it easier to perform seatbelt compliance checks, especially during night flying. The Company agreed to see if other carriers are making similar announcements.
  • Fleet supply bags placed by girt bars. If catering opens a door while a Fleet supply bag or other item is in front of the door the girt bar could be dislodged from the door clips. This concern will be communicated to Fleet.
  • Single Door Catering. The Company is monitoring reports about single door catering. Flight Attendants should be notified when single door catering is going to take place and CSAs should be asking if forward galley catering has been completed with the boarding questions on all flights where the forward galley is catered from the aft. Single door catering may not occur with passengers onboard.
  • Bringing strollers on board. Strollers can be “baggage” in the cabin if there is space for them. However, passengers are pushing their infants in the strollers inside the plane. The ASHSC asked the company to update the policy to indicate that strollers should be configured for stowage prior to being brought on the A/C.
  • Flight Attendant CRM. The ASHSC shared a recommendation to have another program like the D-Check to foster understanding and teamwork in our diverse work group.
  • Equipment check verification. Ideally, we would like to see equipment checks completed prior to boarding. Until that policy change can be implemented, we need a process for verifying equipment checks have been completed prior to door closure. It may also be helpful to have verifications for this and for passenger briefings integrated into B2B.
  • Hearing Conservation Base Sits. Being exposed to high decibels for an extended period of time is a threat to unprotected ears. In order to proactively prevent hearing loss we asked that the Company provided opportunities for Flight Attendants to be fitted for hearing protection at all bases. We’ve also asked that the information about procuring hearing protection be maintained on the Inflight website.
  • Cleaners using A/C flashlights. Flight Attendants have found flashlights not completely secured into their holders and have witnessed cleaners using flashlights during A/C cleaning when the cabin is dark. The Company is aware of this issue and working with Fleet to ensure they have other means of seeing in the cabin when there is no power to the cabin lights.
  • Preferred seats for passengers who use aisle chairs. For safety, seats with fixed armrests should not be designated as preferred seats for passengers with mobility-related disabilities. The Company is reviewing this policy.
  • Attached keyboards. Some tablet keyboards are very thin and built into the tablet cover. The ASHSC asked the Company whether these need to be restricted.
  • Phone clips that attach to the upper seat pocket area. The ASHSC asked the company whether these need to be restricted during cruise.
  • Infants/children lying on the floor during flight. The ASHSC requested that the FAM be updated to state that lying, sitting or kneeling on the floor, with a few exceptions, is not permitted. The Company is reluctant to implement this change.
  • Riding to layover hotels alone. This concern comes up frequently. Unfortunately, we have not been able to come up with a solution the Company will agree to outside of the contractual requirements related to international layovers. However, the Company has recently started to look at some other possible solutions to this long standing problem.
  • Door viewport warning strap MEL. The MEL permites the strap to be missing or taped in place if damaged/inoperative. We do not have a safe procedure for operating without a functioning warning strap so we recommend that Maintenance keep the straps widely available for rapid replacement. It would also be helpful to have alternate procedures in place for A/C operating with warning straps on MEL.
  • Child Restraint Systems in seats with airbelts. It can be difficult or impossible to safely install a CRS in a seat with an air belt. The company will test CRSs in these seats to determine whether a change in policy is needed.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Lighting.  We continue to work with a company on developing simpler and safer cabin lighting standards.
  2. Personal Conduct and Work Performance Section of the FAM. Encouraging the Company to simplify this section so it makes better sense in the current environment, including the implementation of the new break LOA.
  3. Contents review of both the F/A Kit and the Stationary Kit. The ASHSC is working  with the Inflight Service Committee to provide feedback to the Company about the contents of the kits. We want to ensure they contain necessary items but do not have items taking up space which are not used.
  4. Coordinating Base Safety Meetings. The ASHSC is working with Inflight and Safety Management to continue the practice of holding safety meetings at all bases twice a year. Please consider signing up to attend or submitting a safety concern for discussion when you see the invite from Base Leadership and your Local ASHSC.

We Want to Hear From You!

If you’ve experienced a safety-related issue, please help the committee to advocate for improvement and change by filing a report.  Flight Attendant Irregularity Reports (FAIR), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) reports, and fatigue reports can all be submitted using ReportIt!  If you’re not sure what type of report to file for a particular situation or need help, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of your Local ASHSC.Do you have other feedback for the committee or items that you’d like brought up with management?  Please let us know!  Your Local ASHSC is your voice to management.  You can find our contact information on the ASHSC page of the AFA Alaska website.

LOSA Observations Are Underway

Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC)

  • The first set of observations under the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) program begin today (January 27) and will continue through February 28.
  • Similar to the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), participation in LOSA is entirely voluntary and identifying information such as Flight Attendant names, dates, and flight numbers are never associated with observation data.
  • If you have any questions about the LOSA program, please don’t hesitate to contact the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee.

As previously communicated, AFA and management agreed to conduct a Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) to help improve safety for Flight Attendants, other crewmembers, and passengers.  The LOSA program is jointly administered by AFA and management as outlined in the Inflight Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Program letter of agreement. The information collected from LOSA observations will help us better understand how Flight Attendants manage threats and errors, evaluate compliance with standard operating procedures and gain valuable insight into our day-to-day line operations from a safety perspective.

LOSA Observers are line Flight Attendants trained by an independent third party, the LOSA Collaborative. They are prohibited from recording Flight Attendant names, flight numbers, or dates, as confidentiality is critical to this process. Any data collected is sent directly to the LOSA Collaborative, which evaluates and analyzes the information. AFA and management will receive a final report outlining what went well and what can be better, identifying procedures that should be modified or re-emphasized.

Over the next month, you may have a Flight Attendant LOSA Observer ask to join your flight to conduct an observation. Participation is entirely voluntary; however, we encourage you to participate in this valuable effort. You also will have the opportunity to submit any safety-related feedback in an anonymous questionnaire during the flight.

Questions?

More information about LOSA can be found in the January 16, 2023 bulletin bundle (AAG sign-on required). If you have any other questions about the LOSA program, please reach out to the AFA members of the LOSA Steering Committee at losa@afaalaska.org.

787-9 Inflight Service Grievance: Protecting Our Contract and Standards

This message is for pre-merger Hawaiian Flight Attendants For decades, Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendants have defined the Spirit of Aloha. We take pride in delivering world-class service, but management’s current Boeing 787-9 service model is threatening that legacy. It isn’t just inefficient—it’s an unsustainable pace that undermines the quality our passengers expect and the professional […]

Pre-Merger Alaska Reserve Webinar Video and Q&A Recap – August 6, 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants Thank you to everyone who joined our first pre-merger Alaska Reserve Webinar! We created this interactive session to share practical contract tips and help you feel more confident about reserve life. You can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel using the link below. Please note that […]

Wrapping Up Membership Engagement Focus Month: Stronger Together

July was a remarkable month for our Membership Engagement Committee. We set out with a clear purpose: to bring our Flight Attendant community closer together, share valuable resources, and build authentic connections throughout our system. Over the past four weeks, we explored what it means to be engaged in our AFA family. We kicked things […]

Benefits Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants On Wednesday, July 22, our pre-merger Alaska Benefits Committee Chairpersons met for their regular monthly meeting. This meeting was an internal AFA-only meeting and did not involve management.  Representing you at the meeting were Ava McWilliams Ellington (LAX), Linda Gunselman (PDX), Sonia Quackenbush (SAN), Kathy O’Malley (SEA), […]

Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy

As part of Membership Engagement Committee Focus Month, we’re excited to spotlight one of our core missions: empowering you with knowledge and confidence to participate more fully in our Union. When we understand how our Union works, we strengthen our collective voice and create a more engaged community. To help you on this journey, we’re […]

Recent Posts

News By Month

News By Category

AFA News Now Air Quality Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) AS/HA Merger AS/VX Merger Benefits Committee Committees Communications Committee Contract Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog Council 15 SAN Council 18 LAX (pmAS) Council 19 SEA (pmAS) Council 30 ANC Council 35 SFO Council 39 PDX Council 43 HNL Council 47 LAX/SEA (pmHA) EAP/Professional Standards Committee Extension 2021 Blog Featured Government Affairs Committee Grievance Committee Hotel Committee Human Rights & Equity Committee Industry News Inflight Service Committee Inflight Training Committee JNC Blog Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Latest News Local Councils Master Executive Council (MEC) Membership Engagement Committee Message from the MEC President Mobilization Committee Negotiations Pairing Construction Preferential Bidding System (PBS) Press Releases Reserve Committee Retirement Committee Scheduling Committee Uniform Committee

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Stay up-to-date on AFA Alaska + Hawaiian news and information by signing up for our email and text message updates. Click a button below to get started or update your preferences if you're already a subscriber.
Sign Up for Emails
Sign Up for Text Updates