AIRLINE PILOT REVEALS SOLUTION TO DANGEROUS NECK PILLOWS
THE GRACEFAIL™
BA 747 Captain Paul Richards - the inventor of the Airogym™ DVT Cushion, and Dr Ian Perry, an aviation medical expert, have revealed the dangers of neck pillows on pressurized aircraft and the simple solution - the GraceFail™ - a relief valve which bursts before the pillow reaches dangerous pressure levels.
Capt. Paul Richards' unusual combination of experience in aviation and inflatable safety equipment led him to investigate the possible dangers of inflatable neck pillows. "There is potentially a serious problem with the neck pillows that many passengers take on flights." explains Captain Richards. "If there was a cabin decompression, due to a computer glitch or pump failure, which has happened more than once in my flying career, this could be fairly unnoticeable in the cabin. However, the pressure loss could be sufficient for the trapped air inside a neck pillow to greatly expand as the pressure in the cabin decreases. It is a scary sight to behold, and the wearer may find it difficult to remove the neck pillow before the pillow will explode inward toward the ear at a high volume.”
After preliminary trials Captain Richards took his concerns to experts and industry safety institutions to confirm his results. He then provided a solution with the GraceFail™. A simple burst-disk, which relieves the pressure gently and quietly before expansion of the neck pillow could cause damage.
Dr Ian Perry evaluated the results from tests carried out at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at Southampton University. These showed that standard neck pillows exploded at a median volume of 145 decibels - equivalent to a handgun fired by the ear. He concludes that
"145 decibels close to the ear can cause hearing damage in sound sensitive individuals; acute stress responses including vaso-constriction, increased blood pressure, increased respiratory rate and increased heart rate which could be of serious consequence to those with pre-existing cardiovascular or coronary disease; and dizziness and loss of balance which might impair the efficient evacuation of an aircraft in an emergency." He continues, " There have probably been some unreported cases or incidents where the neck pillow has expanded and people haven't realised that this has been the cause of the problem that the passenger has suffered. If a passenger is in trouble or in difficulty, the first thing cabin crew would do would be to take the neck pillow off, and see what the problem was - not thinking that the neck pillow could have caused the problem".
Dr Perry also expressed concern that the expansion of the pillows could be physically dangerous. Further testing was carried out to determine the risk of reduction of oxygen to the brain as the carotid arteries in the neck are compressed, and of stress to the vertebrae as the pillow explodes. Mr Mark Whiteley, vascular surgeon at The Nuffield, Guildford, carried out ultrasound tests to the neck of a volunteer wearing an expanding neck pillow. He concludes that "After some very preliminary work, we confirm that some neck pillows appear to affect the blood flow in the vessels in the neck when the pillow pressure rises. In view of this, there is a need for further research into this potential problem".
Testing was also carried out at Millbrook Proving Ground to measure the stress levels to the neck as the standard pillows explode. The test was carried out to simulate the rapid inflation of a neck pillow during a decompression of an aircraft cabin. Although the tests showed negligible damage compared to a road crash, there is enough cause for concern to indicate further testing is necessary.
Dr Perry concludes "the existing neck pillows should be banned immediately from airline service until further tests are carried out, and the GraceFail™ system should be fitted to all neck pillows to prevent over inflation caused by altitude changes or sudden decompression."
