Relevance of Safety to Airline Cabin Crews Uniforms

論客艙組員制服的安全性

本文旨在探討客艙組員制服的重要性。並藉回顧文獻及案例事件中，提出客艙組員制服確為一須正視的安全問題。由於機上空服員主要職責是攸關客艙與旅客安全，特別是航機遭遇緊急情況下，客艙組員的制服可能會影響其幫助乘客撤離飛機的能力；若此能力受到影響，該職責亦將連帶受影響。本文分別論述有關1.客艙組員制服重要性； 2. 客艙組員的職責； 3.飛機火災對於乘員的影響；4.從制服的美觀或實用性及裙裝或褲裝的爭議，提出對現行空服員制服材質設計等討論、議題與規範建議。期透過本研究綜論強調空服員制服的重要性，應能提供他們足夠的保護性，並確保適合客艙組員執行安全相關的職務。同時建議我國民航機關當針對空服員制服規範可燃性標準，且航空公司亦應重視空服員制服其功能與實用性當遠甚於美觀及吸引力。

As a professional airline representative, the flight attendant is expected to balance a presence of authority and recognition while performing a range of job related duties. The most important responsibility of a flight attendant is to ensure the safety and to comfort passengers during the flight. Additional duties may also require the flight attendant to function as a security guard, tour director, entertainer, therapist, referee, bartender, baggage handler, and general keeper of the cabin in various situations. Generally speaking, flight attendants are generally required to wear a uniform to perform the above duties. It is widely regarded that the airline’s image is therefore vividly projected by this uniform to passengers. However, it is verified that the uniform does not always arouse the awareness and the considerations of aviation safety, needs and limitations for airline companies. This study aims to explore the significance of flight attendants’ uniforms that is fully relevant with aviation safety. By reviewing the previous literature and case studies, it seems evident that cabin crew’s uniform is closely related with passengers’ safety, especially when emergencies happen. The designs and materials of flight attendants’ uniforms might actually influence how the wearers to evacuate passengers from an aircraft in the urgent moments. Poor design and inappropriate materials of uniforms can enable flight attendants not to function their duties properly and even become obstacles in operations for some emergencies. This study is divided into four sections to elaborate this issue: the importance of flight attendants’ uniforms, duties of a flight attendant, fire on the aircraft and controversies between practicability and aesthetics. By highlighting the importance of flight attendant’s uniforms, it is suggested that more attention should be paid on flight attendant uniforms’ design and materials in order to ensure crew members to correctly conduct their daily duties as well as emergency evacuation. This study recommends the governmental aviation organization to legislate for uniforms’ flammability to avoid possible injuries in emergencies and it is also expected that airlines can reevaluate their uniform designs on the basis of protection and practicability rather than simply attraction.