The recent incident, involving a Qantas aircraft that had a brake fire, confirms the information I received a number of years ago.
I have had an involvment in emergency services for a number of years now, and while I was participating in an 'evacuation exercise' in a 747, we were told about the hazards of 'going down the chute'.
Qantas have long warned those 'in the know', about what to wear when you travel by air.
It is well known by Qantas staff, that when a person goes down the escape chute, you slide down quite fast. People will have a natural tendency to use their hands to slow down near the end. If you are not wearing gloves.... you will sustain friction burns to your hands. If you do not wear long trousers, you will burn sections of your legs in the same way.
There have been a number of incidents of 'chute deployment' with various airlines around the world, where people have sustained bone fractures from the impact at the end of the slide down the chute. People have been cut on broken glass from 'duty free bottles of alcohol' that some passengers considered necessary to take with them! The bottles smash on the tarmac, and then other passengers fall onto the broken glass one after another.
My air travel advice:
* Wear long shirt / jacket and long trousers.
* Carry gloves of any type with you - to prevent hand burns.
* Remain alert - watch what other passengers are doing, eg. carrying duty free glass bottles, or displaying excessive anxiety. You could be pushed down the chute before you were prepared for it.
Of course, we all have to be more SECURITY aware these days as well!
Regards,
I have had an involvment in emergency services for a number of years now, and while I was participating in an 'evacuation exercise' in a 747, we were told about the hazards of 'going down the chute'.
Qantas have long warned those 'in the know', about what to wear when you travel by air.
It is well known by Qantas staff, that when a person goes down the escape chute, you slide down quite fast. People will have a natural tendency to use their hands to slow down near the end. If you are not wearing gloves.... you will sustain friction burns to your hands. If you do not wear long trousers, you will burn sections of your legs in the same way.
There have been a number of incidents of 'chute deployment' with various airlines around the world, where people have sustained bone fractures from the impact at the end of the slide down the chute. People have been cut on broken glass from 'duty free bottles of alcohol' that some passengers considered necessary to take with them! The bottles smash on the tarmac, and then other passengers fall onto the broken glass one after another.
My air travel advice:
* Wear long shirt / jacket and long trousers.
* Carry gloves of any type with you - to prevent hand burns.
* Remain alert - watch what other passengers are doing, eg. carrying duty free glass bottles, or displaying excessive anxiety. You could be pushed down the chute before you were prepared for it.
Of course, we all have to be more SECURITY aware these days as well!
Regards,
