Important actions after a Fume Event
After a Fume Event, it is crucial to take the following actions:
1) Follow the international medical protocol
Have blood and urine samples taken as soon as possible (preferably within 2-3 hours, but at least within 48 hours) and, if necessary, freeze them for further examination at a later time. It is important that this is done within 48 hours because the measured values change significantly afterward, making them unusable.
Print out the International Medical Protocol and take it to the hospital/laboratory where the blood and urine are collected, and provide it to the doctor. This ensures that the correct measurements are taken, which will be available later, including for possible legal actions.
2) Report every Fume Event
It is also essential to ensure that every Fume Event is officially reported so that it is well-documented. Nowadays, this is a legal obligation for every crew member, but it is still often forgotten or neglected. This is the main reason why the severity of contaminated cabin air is still significantly underestimated. The only way to change this is to ensure that all Fume Events are reported!
Even if your cockpit crew, for whatever reason, does not make an official report, you can still do this as cabin crew!