Stress, errors and teamwork — transcript

00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:04.162 Part two of human factors: stress, errors and teamwork.

00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:11.253 The Yerkes-Dodson curve. Too little arousal: bored and complacent. Too much:

00:00:11.253 --> 00:00:17.181 anxiety and tunnel vision. Peak performance sits in the ideal operating area.

00:00:17.531 --> 00:00:24.330 Under sustained stress, your body runs through three stages. Alarm: fight or flight.

00:00:24.330 --> 00:00:30.488 Resistance: you cope, but reserves drain. Collapse: performance breaks down.

00:00:30.838 --> 00:00:36.218 Mental: forgetfulness. Physical: high pulse, dry mouth. Emotional: anxiety,

00:00:36.218 --> 00:00:40.111 irritability. Behavioural: drinking more, withdrawing.

00:00:40.461 --> 00:00:45.895 Noise, heat, cold, hunger and thirst all add up. So plan ahead, take short breaks,

00:00:45.895 --> 00:00:50.937 breathe slowly, and talk to your crew. If stress is overwhelming, don't fly.

00:00:53.961 --> 00:00:57.958 Running late, wind building, and the client is watching. Threats are stacking up.

00:01:00.961 --> 00:01:05.789 Threat and error management. A threat you don't manage invites an error.

00:01:05.789 --> 00:01:09.890 An error you don't catch creates an undesired aircraft state.

00:01:09.890 --> 00:01:14.519 Then comes the outcome: an incident. Countermeasures break the chain.

00:01:15.961 --> 00:01:21.552 Mid-mission, a bystander asks about the ground station: an unexpected threat.

00:01:21.552 --> 00:01:26.642 The pilot turns to explain: an error. The drone heads for an obstacle:

00:01:26.642 --> 00:01:29.222 an undesired state. It's destroyed.

00:01:29.222 --> 00:01:33.881 An observer briefed to handle bystanders breaks the chain early.

00:01:34.231 --> 00:01:39.555 Threats can be external, like weather; internal, like fatigue; or latent,

00:01:39.555 --> 00:01:44.519 like poor manuals. Errors are handling, procedural or communication.

00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:47.972 And judgment errors don't fade with experience.

00:01:48.322 --> 00:01:53.154 Quick check. In TEM, a checklist before take-off is an example of what?

00:01:53.822 --> 00:01:54.971 A countermeasure.

00:01:57.322 --> 00:02:00.732 Crew resource management: use every resource. The pilot flies,

00:02:00.732 --> 00:02:04.630 the observer watches the sky, and the payload operator runs the camera.

00:02:04.630 --> 00:02:07.066 Share the picture, and read back every call.

00:02:11.322 --> 00:02:16.572 Stop! Helicopter, east, low. Hold the launch. Anyone on the crew can call it.

00:02:18.822 --> 00:02:24.006 Risky shift: together, a crew accepts more risk than either would alone.

00:02:24.006 --> 00:02:29.331 Name a devil's advocate, and stick to go, no-go limits set before you fly.

00:02:29.331 --> 00:02:31.178 Distance hides risk, too.

00:02:32.822 --> 00:02:39.781 Low battery warning, five minutes of filming left? Use FORDEC: facts, options,

00:02:39.781 --> 00:02:47.269 risks and benefits, decide, execute, check. In a crew, try DODAR: diagnose, options,

00:02:47.269 --> 00:02:49.383 decide, assign, review.

00:02:49.733 --> 00:02:54.357 Recap: find your zone. Break the chain. Speak up. Use a model.

00:02:55.733 --> 00:02:59.993 Final check. Together, a crew accepts a risk neither would take alone.

00:02:59.993 --> 00:03:01.193 What's that called?

00:03:02.133 --> 00:03:03.649 Risky shift. Speak up.