Sophomore chemical engineering major

The recent Germanwings Flight 9525 crash has left families, civilians and countries in disbelief. Over the past couple of days, insight into the crash has been uncovered, and the findings and implications are nothing less than disturbing.

Through what now appears to be a suicide and mass murder, the actions of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz have raised questions about how effective airline programs are in ensuring public safety.

It appears that when it comes to screening pilots and flight attendants, negligence toward mental and physical wellness is becoming a major issue. Unfortunately, it has taken the lives of 150 people to make this realization.

Prosecutors said Friday that Lubitz might not have disclosed any psychological conditions to Lufthansa, Germanwings’ parent company, and passed his recertification examination during the summer of 2014.

It is now known that Lubitz suffered from a mental illness. His specific condition is mainly speculation at this point, but investigators found antidepressants in his apartment. Even more daunting are doctors’ notes found stating Lubitz to be unfit for work — including one for Tuesday, the day of the crash — and reports that Lubitz might have had a vision problem.

The lack of a comprehensive examination of Lubitz’s well-being is concerning. Even in a society in which treatment and medications for mental illnesses have become so effective, it cannot justify how a cursory screening can be considered acceptable.

These exams often are conducted by doctors who have no psychiatric experience and rely on employees to disclose mental health information voluntarily. Furthermore, annual checkups are not enough. In the span of a year, a multitude of events can occur that could drastically influence a person’s behavior and actions.

It appears that depression has been narrowly associated with particular individuals and their suicides, but it has become evident that it can have significant ramifications on public safety.

Understandably, finding a solution is difficult. Each individual is different. We all come from diverse backgrounds, have different triggers and respond to stimuli differently. Nonetheless, it is crucial for airline companies to devise and implement a thorough methodology to assess their employees on their overall well-being. This should include both comprehensive physical and mental health examinations.

Companies need to be more accountable for their employees, and they need to start now.

But this push cannot be limited to only airline companies. The Germanwings crash has shown the fault in the current systems and programs and their failures to uphold public safety as the utmost priority. The focus now should turn to preventing future incidents.

That is why screening procedures must be improved for all major transportation workers. If these workers are not properly examined, then an even greater proportion of the public is at risk of these potential, if rare, incidents.

Especially as college students, we heavily rely on buses, trains and taxis. If the driver or operator is deemed unfit for work or their well-being is even in question, how can we trust our lives with him or her?

Completely removing the human element is impossible, but working toward minimizing cases of unfortunate incidents in aviation and ground transport needs unconditional attention.

Sauradeep Sinha is a sophomore chemical engineering major. He can be reached at ssinhadbk@gmail.com.