Pilot Fatigue Measurement Research Project.
Contract award notice
Services
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)
Civil Aviation Authority
Aviation House, Gatwick Airport South
For the attention of: Iain Bamberough
RH6 0YR Gatwick
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 1293573825
E-mail:
Fax: +44 1293573830
Internet address(es):
General address of the contracting authority: www.caa.co.uk
I.2)Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.3)Main activity
Other: Aviation Regulator
I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no
Section II: Object of the contract
II.1)Description
II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract
Pilot Fatigue Measurement Research Project.
II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Services
Service category No 8: Research and development services
NUTS code
Service category No 8: Research and development services
NUTS code
II.1.3)Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)
II.1.4)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
The CAA has a requirement for a Contractor (experienced in fatigue work) to undertake the following study:
Pilot fatigue is a major safety concern and has been extensively investigated over many years. As a result a number of procedures are in place in the UK (and elsewhere) to manage the associated risks. However, these procedures are based on generalised management techniques, such as controlling hours of work (through rostering systems) rather than measuring the fatigue levels of individual pilots. Fatigue risk assessments generally assume that safety-critical staff arrive for their work without fatigue accumulated from previous activities. The fatigue situation of individual pilots is managed by self-declaration, However, this is not without problems as individuals may feel under pressure to undertake duties that actually should be declined. Being able to objectively measure the fatigue of individuals could potentially offer a significant safety benefit, However, there is no accepted, practical way to do this in an operational context.
This study will address key questions towards a goal of developing methodologies to better manage pilot fatigue through physiological, psychometric or performance measures, or a combination of these. The technology to do this may only now be becoming practicable in an aviation environment and it is therefore timely to investigate the likely effectiveness of such techniques and if practical, consider how they might be used in an operational environment.
Commercially available systems that attempt physiological measurement of fatigue tend to either measure some aspect of vision system performance (blink rate, saccadic velocity, etc.) as an indicator of neurological status (fatigue), or more directly though electroencephalography with scalp electrodes. However, the proposed research is to investigate fundamental techniques, not the effectiveness of commercial equipment which may have proprietary processes not suitable for examination, e.g. software. Thus, basic measurement techniques are to be employed in the study, not commercial equipment. CAA research does not seek to endorse any commercial product, indeed any intellectual property derived from the work may be subject to exploitation agreement for separate commercial development, although it should be stressed that the primary purpose of the proposed study is safety.
It should be noted that only non-invasive (ideally self-administered) techniques that do not require a skilled operator are to be considered in the study. The time taken for the test must be sufficiently short to be operationally practicable. The equipment used should be potentially practical in a working environment i.e. not laboratory-grade equipment. It would be envisaged that the test might be carried out to a defined schedule, allowing for when fatigue might be an issue. It is noted that some of the commercially available technology could potentially be used in-flight but the CAA is predominantly interested in ground-based testing.
Essentially the study is to consider basic measurement techniques - e.g. perhaps a range of eye parameters - (rather than commercially available technology that might embody such techniques) and to relate the results to changes in flying safety performance.
Pilot fatigue is a major safety concern and has been extensively investigated over many years. As a result a number of procedures are in place in the UK (and elsewhere) to manage the associated risks. However, these procedures are based on generalised management techniques, such as controlling hours of work (through rostering systems) rather than measuring the fatigue levels of individual pilots. Fatigue risk assessments generally assume that safety-critical staff arrive for their work without fatigue accumulated from previous activities. The fatigue situation of individual pilots is managed by self-declaration, However, this is not without problems as individuals may feel under pressure to undertake duties that actually should be declined. Being able to objectively measure the fatigue of individuals could potentially offer a significant safety benefit, However, there is no accepted, practical way to do this in an operational context.
This study will address key questions towards a goal of developing methodologies to better manage pilot fatigue through physiological, psychometric or performance measures, or a combination of these. The technology to do this may only now be becoming practicable in an aviation environment and it is therefore timely to investigate the likely effectiveness of such techniques and if practical, consider how they might be used in an operational environment.
Commercially available systems that attempt physiological measurement of fatigue tend to either measure some aspect of vision system performance (blink rate, saccadic velocity, etc.) as an indicator of neurological status (fatigue), or more directly though electroencephalography with scalp electrodes. However, the proposed research is to investigate fundamental techniques, not the effectiveness of commercial equipment which may have proprietary processes not suitable for examination, e.g. software. Thus, basic measurement techniques are to be employed in the study, not commercial equipment. CAA research does not seek to endorse any commercial product, indeed any intellectual property derived from the work may be subject to exploitation agreement for separate commercial development, although it should be stressed that the primary purpose of the proposed study is safety.
It should be noted that only non-invasive (ideally self-administered) techniques that do not require a skilled operator are to be considered in the study. The time taken for the test must be sufficiently short to be operationally practicable. The equipment used should be potentially practical in a working environment i.e. not laboratory-grade equipment. It would be envisaged that the test might be carried out to a defined schedule, allowing for when fatigue might be an issue. It is noted that some of the commercially available technology could potentially be used in-flight but the CAA is predominantly interested in ground-based testing.
Essentially the study is to consider basic measurement techniques - e.g. perhaps a range of eye parameters - (rather than commercially available technology that might embody such techniques) and to relate the results to changes in flying safety performance.
II.1.5)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
73210000 - MA02
II.1.6)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): no
II.2)Total final value of contract(s)
II.2.1)Total final value of contract(s)
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
Restricted
IV.2)Award criteria
IV.2.1)Award criteria
The most economically advantageous tender in terms of
1. Price. Weighting 25
2. Quality. Weighting 25
3. Service. Weighting 25
4. Added value. Weighting 25
1. Price. Weighting 25
2. Quality. Weighting 25
3. Service. Weighting 25
4. Added value. Weighting 25
IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction
An electronic auction has been used: no
IV.3)Administrative information
IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority
1978
IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract
Contract notice
Notice number in the OJEU: 2013/S 55-090598 of 19.3.2013
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: 1978 Lot No: 1 - Lot title: Pilot Fatigue Measurement Research ProjectV.1)Date of contract award decision:
8.1.2014
V.2)Information about offers
Number of offers received: 4
Number of offers received by electronic means: 4
Number of offers received by electronic means: 4
V.3)Name and address of economic operator in favour of whom the contract award decision has been taken
Nationaal Lucht-en Ruimtevaart Laboratorium (NLR)
NLR Air Transport Business, 1059 CM Amsterdam, P.O. Box 90502, 1006 BM, Amsterdam,The Netherlands
1006 BM Amsterdam
NETHERLANDS
V.4)Information on value of contract
V.5)Information about subcontracting
The contract is likely to be sub-contracted: no
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about European Union funds
VI.2)Additional information:
VI.3)Procedures for appeal
VI.3.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures
VI.3.2)Lodging of appeals
VI.3.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained
VI.4)Date of dispatch of this notice:
5.2.2014