Safer skies

摘要

International Aviation regulatory authorities are under constant pressure to maintain and improve the safety of both passengers and crew by making improvements to regulations and guidance material. In the field of cabin safety, these improvements usually stem from research. Studies are regularly undertaken which investigate issues relating to accidents, but aviation authorities also devote considerable resources to proactive studies. These may consider new technologies, review existing procedures to see if they can be improved and assess the safety implications of changes in the aviation industry. The majority of aircraft accidents are potentially survivable, with fire usually the major threat to passengers and crew following an impact. Experience of accidents has steered most fire research to examine post-impact fires, although in-flight fires are increasingly being recognised as an important research area.