OCCUPATION & AVIATION MEDICINE
Scope of Work in Aviation Occupational Medicine Department
Occupational Medicine administration of Saudi Arabian Airlines contains two main departments:
1. Occupational medicine department.
2. Aviation medicine department.
1-OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE DEPARTMENT
A-Medical fitness:
This department is concerned with the fitness assessment of employees of all sectors in Saudi Arabian airlines and all environmental factorsdirectly related to the working environment
Major evaluations performed by this department:
• On request evaluations.
• Annual check-up.
• Non- Destructive Testing (NDT).
• Run-up & Taxi license examinations.
• Pre-employment examinations.
• Extension of service examinations.
• Disability (total or partial) evaluationand amount of compensation.
• Frequent absence occurrence and medical-psychological assessment.
• Frequent accidents occurrence and medical-psychological assessment.
B-Occupation and environmental safety:
Evaluating the main environmental componentsaccording to international health standards and following up the application of safety procedures and regulations related to physical, chemical, and mechanical hazards.
2-AVIATION MEDICINE DEPARTMENT
This is one of the established departments in Saudia Medical Services.It is equipped with a laboratory to run different types of examinations to airmen
This department includes qualified doctors and highly trained nursing staff, in addition to a fully equipped secretarial department. This department main function is to lias with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA):
Other tasks performed by this department are:
1. Issuance of (FAA) and (GACA) medical licenses for cockpit & cabin crew (all classes 1,2,3).
2. Issuance of insurance reports for cockpit& cabin crew.
3. Crew vaccinations.
4. Health education for cockpit and cabinet crew.
5. Comprehensive Drug Screen (CDS).
6. Participating in flying tests of cockpit crew in special cases.
7. Management (investigation, treatment & referral if needed) for cockpit & cabin crew.
PROGRAMS RELATED TO AVIATION MEDICINE DEPARTMENT
A-Emergency response program (Go Team)
It includes doctors of various specialties which form a link in the chain of (Go team). This team also includes experts in safety and accidents of different sectors of the organization under the leadership of the general manager.
The importance of this team defines its self in the following points:
• Maintaining high level of readiness in order to respond to any emergencies or accidents
• Establishing a medical strategy to support research, investigation and safety teams
• Allocating of responsibilities to team members and forming committees to communicate with:
-Media
- Family support team
Communicating with public and private hospitals and making reports for the critical and stable cases
B-Automated External Defibrillator(AED) No Go Items
The Aviation Medicine Department is considered to be responsible for purchasing (AED’s) and providing all Saudia flights with these devices. As a result they have to:
• Make sure that all devices are functioning properly.
• Carry out maintenance by providing batteries, spare parts…etc.
• Making sure that AED’s are available on each flight.
C-Doctors Emergency Kit (DEK)
It is a case equipped with emergency devices and medications prepared according to standards of IOSA.
The department is responsible for the following:
• Providing these Checking on expired or used medications.
• Preparing international forms in each EDK in case of usage.
• Having all cases sealed and ready.
D- Application of Communicable disease program on flights
This is to be achieved by forming a set of procedures and regulations for each sector.
Our References:
FAA,GACA,IOSA, ICAO