“TOOL BOX”

SAFETY MEETING

AIRLINE EVACUATION PREPAREDNESS

MAIN POINTS

It's far too easy to imagine: you on board a Boeing 737 jetliner in Calgary bound for
Toronto, or even Fort McMurray. Your plane skids off the end of the runway and the fuel
tanks, loaded with fuel, burst into flames. You get out of your seat and try to see where
you are, but you are blinded by the thick smoke and deadly fumes that fill the cabin. You
can't remember where any of the exits are, but you have less than a minute to get out of
the plane before you are overtaken by the deadly smoke and fumes. Would you know
what to do, and how to survive if this happened to you?

Airline travel is apart of our regular routine on this project, for the purpose of work,
family, or pleasure. And it is proven that statistically, airline travel is safer than most
other modes of transportation. Realistically, however, accidents DO happen. Statistics
show that 80% of plane crashes are in fact survivable, but many die because they don't
know what to do following a crash. Read the following safety tips so that in the highly
unlikely event that you are in a plane crash, you don't become just another statistic.

1. Know where the exits are. When you board an airplane, count the rows of seats to
the nearest exit, starting where you board the plane, then the overwing exits, other
exits throughout the plane, to the rear exits. You will need to know this because in a
crash, you will not be able to see your way to the exit. Also be sure to look behind
you, the nearest exit may be directly behind your back.

2. Listen to the flight attendants. Your flight attendants are there to do more than
push the drink cart. In a crash, they have the ability to save your life. If you are
seated at the emergency window exit, be sure to listen intently to the emergency
evacuation directions when the flight attendant briefs you prior to take-off. If you
don’t understand, ask, and then repeat what you understand back to the flight
attendant. Prior to takeoff, pay attention to the emergency announcement. That
information, together with that in your aircraft safety card, will most likely save your
life in the event of a crash. If your plane does crash, await the directions of your
pilots and cabin crew. The flight attendants will then direct what to do at the main
and rear exits. Be courteous to other fliers during the demonstration and cease
conversations; you may have heard the safety briefing hundreds of times before, but
someone behind you, in front of you, or beside you may have not.

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3. Read the in flight safety card. When you board an airplane, follow along with the
flight attendant's safety briefing with your in flight safety card. Then read it again, and
again, and again, and again. Study the safety card like you're going to be tested on
it. Experts say that it takes the average person about 7 times in order to memorize
something. Each carrier has a different cabin configuration; don’t assume that routes
of evacuation are the same on a Boeing 737 and an Airbus 320, for example. Read
the safety card; it is easy to become complacent, but remember the information it
contains can and will save your life.

4. Choose your seat wisely. The last part of an airliner to disintegrate in a

catastrophic event is the center of the plane in between the two wings. If at all
possible, book your seats early, months and months in advance. If booking online,
call the airline after your transaction with the reservations website to request your
seat. It's best to get out your airline's seating chart for that type of plane, which is
usually available on their website, to aid you in choosing your seating assignment. If
you are only able to select your seat upon check-in, make arrangement to arrive
early. Try to get an aisle seat, near an exit, near the overwing exits, if possible.

5. Dress accordingly. What you wear can also affect survivability. Do not wear shorts,
and try not to wear short sleeves. Also wear hard soled shoes, not sandals. Do not
wear synthetic material; it will melt under high heat. Women should not wear
pantyhose. Even though some airlines require that female flight attendants wear
them, they, along with other synthetic material, will melt under high temperatures,
especially the flash fires that associate with most plane crashes. You do not want
your clothes to melt against your skin, it is extremely painful. High-heeled shoes will
have to be removed before leaving the airplane via an escape slide. This will slow
your departure from the airplane and put you at risk for severe injury from possible
hazards such as broken glass, or metal debris. Avoid wearing sandals for the same
reasons.

6. Know how to operate the emergency exits. If you're seated next to an emergency
overwing exit, it's important to study how to open it before your plane crashes. Most
window exits, especially on older planes, weigh at least 50 pounds and require the
operator to pull a handle to release the window from its cradle, and physically
remove it from its socket (newer planes have power-assisted window exits). After
you open the window, throw it outside of the plane, not inside. Federal law regulates
that flight attendants brief the overwing emergency exit operator to either throw the
window outside or lay it on the seat. However, always throw the window outside of
the aircraft as if it were placed on the emergency exit row of seats, these may act as
an impediment for other passengers. Use all possible routes of evacuation. If it
takes 15 seconds for you to open the door and for 2 people to escape, it would take
12 and a half minutes for 50 people to get out. Most would die from the smoke and
fumes before they ever reached the exit. If you are uncomfortable being seated in an
exit row tell a flight attendant or gate agent before takeoff.

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7. Mentally prepare yourself. According to the statistics, 90% off all accidents are
occurring within the 10 minutes after takeoff or before landing, called the Critical
Areas of Flight; very rarely do airplanes just fall out of the sky at cruising altitude. So
for every flight there are 20 minutes which are, according to the statistics, more
dangerous than the other minutes of the flight. During these windows, put down your
books, shut off your laptops, remain alert to your surroundings. Take this time to
refresh your knowledge of the safety features card and emergency procedures
detailed on posted placarding.

Here's the real picture. Flying is safe. Safer than safe. Every day millions of planes take
off from airports around the world and land, somewhere, without incident. Every day,
thousands upon thousands of dedicated airline mechanics, aircraft manufacturers,
government regulators, air traffic controllers, pilots and maintenance contractors do their
very best to ensure that each and every person aboard an airplane get from point A to
point B without incident. The reality is that nothing is 100% safe, and although the
chance of you being involved in a plane crash is so minimal, don’t leave yourself short
of being 100% prepared in the “highly unlikely event”…..

DISCUSSION

 Any comments on what we have discussed so far?

 Any announcements?

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