The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines able-bodied passengers (ABPs) as “passengers selected by crewmembers to assist in managing emergency situations if and as required”.
Under JAR, air operators establish procedures to ensure that seats located at emergency exits are not occupied by passengers whose presence in those seats could adversely affect the safety of passengers or crew members during an emergency evacuation.
Passengers seated at exits:
* must be physically capable of using the exit;
* must be capable of understanding the printed and spoken emergency instructions;
* must be able to visually determine if the exit is safe to open;
* must have sufficient mobility, strength and dexterity to reach, operate and stow (or otherwise dispose of) the emergency exit;
* must be able to receive aural information from the crew and to orally communicate that information to other passengers;
* must be of a minimum age (as established by the air operator) to ensure that he/she has the physical, cognitive and sensory capacity to operate an emergency exit;
* must not be responsible for another person as this can hinder the opening of the emergency exit; and
* must not have a condition which might cause them harm by opening the exit.
The ideal candidates are people such as:
• Deadheading crewmembers
• Military personnel
• Police
• Fire personnel
• Medical personnel
• People who respond well to instructions.
Ideally, the cabin crew should select 3 ABPs at each exit. One of the ABPs should be briefed on the following:
• How to replace the cabin crewmembers in case they become incapacitated. However, the cabin crew must emphasize that ABPs will replace cabin crewmembers only if they are not able perform their function due to incapacitation
• How to assess conditions outside the aircraft, for example, how to identify that an exit is usable/no longer usable
• How to open the exit
• How to protect oneself from going overboard, to remain in the assist space and to hold on to the frame assist handle
• Commands to be used during evacuation: i.e. “Jump and slide”
• How to open the crewmembers’ seatbelt: The crew harness buckle is different from passengers’ seat buckles, and a cabin crewmember who is incapacitated in a crew seat may block a usable exit.
The two additional other ABPs should be briefed on how to assist the cabin crew during the evacuation, such as by:
• Holding passengers back during door opening and slide inflation
• Remaining at the bottom of the slide during the evacuation to assist other passengers.
The cabin crew should brief the ABPs seated at overwing exits on the following:
• How to assess the outside conditions
• When to open the exit
• How to open the exit
• Commands to be used: i.e. “Come this way”, “Step out”,“Leg Body Leg”, “Follow the arrows”, “Run and slide”
• How to redirect passengers if an exit is no longer usable or blocked.
ABPs should also be assigned to assist special needs passengers, such as:
• Passengers with reduced mobility
• The elderly
• Unaccompanied minors
• People traveling alone with more than one child.
Briefing Instructions: when briefing ABP's C/A must use clear and simple languages, establish eye contact and asked to repeat instructions.
- stay in brace position until: Aircraft comes to a complete stop.
- Captain will give one of the following commands: "Evacuate" or "Remain Seated"
- In case of evacuation: Evaluate conditions inside and outside the aircraft.
Type I door:
- lift the -door control- handle to the fully open position and let go
- pull red manual inflation handle -on the right side of the girt-
- if the door doesn't open automatically, push the door open until it's locked
- Evacuate passengers
- shout commands: open seat belt, leave everything, come this way
- jump and slide move away
