Transcript
Many times while doing inspections, I'll have passengers who will turn to me and they'll say, do you work here? And I say, well, I don't work here, but I work for Transport. And they ask what I do, and I tell them what a job of a cabin safety inspector is. And so often they'll say, I didn't even know that you people existed. And they always end up saying, I feel safer now.
It’s the feeling of being able to continue improving safety for Canadian and foreign passengers travelling with Canadian airlines.
My name is Karen Smith. I'm a Transport Canada cabin safety inspector and health and safety officer with the National Operations Division.
My name is Evelyne Pouliot, I’m a cabin safety inspector with Transport Canada and an aviation occupational health and safety officer based in the Quebec region.
The role of cabin safety inspectors is to ensure that air carriers comply with Canadian aviation regulations.
One day you can be doing an in-flight, next day doing ramps out at the airport, carry-on baggage inspections. You can be monitoring a training class of an air operator. You can be assessing and approving a cabin simulator that's used for training, and other days you can be back in the office where you're approving training programs or flight attendant manuals.
We also answer questions from the industry. These may also come from members of the public, regarding aircraft cabins. They can be about configuration, emergency exits, emergency equipment, and all safety procedures related to passengers.
We also analyze and approve documentation submitted by air operators. This can include flight attendant manuals, training programs, minimum equipment lists, and safety mission cards.
So we have a delegation as a cabin safety inspector from the Minister of Transport, and we have a delegation from the Minister of Labor as health and safety officers.
In this role, we are responsible for ensuring that airlines, both employers and employees, comply with Part II of the Canada Labour Code and the Aviation Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
To be an inspector, it’s important to have had experience in the industry. Could have been in the training department, building training programs, as a supervisor or at the management level. Good communication skills are essential for this job, both oral and written. And the ability to work effectively with others is essential.
You also need good analytical skills, because our work often involves research, whether it’s looking at regulations or different guidelines that have been issued over the years to find answers to some of our questions.
Some of the key benefits working at Transport Canada: They have a pension plan as well as health and dental coverage, work-life balance as well as potential career advancement opportunities within other areas of Transport Canada.
The work schedule is flexible and allows us to achieve a good work-life balance. We have the option of compressed work weeks, and we can also work a few days a week from home, so we have a hybrid work arrangement.
I very much enjoy my job as a cabin safety inspector. I'm a very proud public servant.
I work with some exceptional people, talented people who are very devoted and driven.
All the inspectors who work at Transport Canada come with different experiences and knowledge. So everyone complements each other, and there’s really great teamwork.
Someone who has worked in all areas of cabin safety, whether it be involved in developing flight attendant manuals or training programs, or even someone who has had the opportunity to work in all areas related to occupational health and safety has excellent assets if you want to join the team of inspectors at Transport Canada.
And I know that in the future, there will be new cabin safety inspectors who will join us and push the programing and further where it needs to go.