Passenger Safety

Information and Instructions for Passenger Safety​Survi

vability in an aircraft accident is dependent on multiple factors. Certification standards for crashworthiness and ditching are designed to enhance passenger survivability. Cabin crew evacuation procedures further improve survivability. Passengers' survival rates are improved when they are informed about the correct use of equipment and the actions they should take in the event of an emergency situation. ICAO standards address the need for passengers to receive safety information on board aircraft. Well-informed, knowledgeable passengers have a better chance of surviving a life-threatening situation that may occur on board an aircraft. Operators should communicate specific, accurate information and instructions to passengers in a variety of methods, to facilitate understanding. These methods include verbal briefings and visual safety information, such as passenger safety briefing cards.

Passenger and Cabin Crew Brace Positions

​Occupant survivability is linked to three phases of an accident: surviving the crash sequence (i.e. the impact forces, consequent deceleration, and secondary impacts); evacuating the aircraft; and surviving the post-evacuation environment (e.g. sea, jungle, mountainous region). The goal of a "brace-for-impact" position, commonly referred to as the brace position, is to reduce an aircraft occupant's injuries during a crash sequence. Since the 1960s, extensive research has been conducted on brace positions, using anthropomorphic dummies in a series of sled-impact tests. ICAO works in collaboration with the International Board for Research into Aircraft Crash Evaluation (IBRACE), to develop recommendations on brace positions for passengers and cabin crew members.

ICAO Guidance Material

ICAO developed the Manual on Information and Instructions for Passenger Safety (Doc 10086) in order to provide guidance on ICAO provisions in Annex 6 Part I, on the safety-related information and instructions that an operator should provide to passengers. It addresses:

• Passenger safety briefings
• Passenger safety briefing card
• Passenger information signs, markings and placards
• Occupancy of emergency exit rows
• Instructions for brace positions
• Brace and evacuation commands
• Carry-on baggage in evacuations and other considerations

To obtain a copy of the ICAO Manual on Information and Instructions for Passenger Safety (Doc 10086), please visit here.