Before passengers board the aircraft, the cabin crew have plenty of tasks to keep themselves busy and these are essential for a safe and efficient flight. But there are some things that may have not crossed your mind as a passenger and how important these pre-flight checks are.

The very first thing cabin crew do when boarding the aircraft, is to walk through the cabin (or their designated area on larger aircraft types) and scan the area in a circular motion to check that all areas are safe and secure and nothing has been left in the cabin that should not be there - it could be lost property or something that might cause a threat to safety. This includes the floor area underneath the seats, seats and seat pockets and inside over head lockers. The cabin crew are also looking for any damage to the cabin (a seat that doesn't sit upright for example) or missing items such as seatbelts or passenger life jackets - you'd be surprised that these are sometimes stolen!

The lavatories are also checked including the water heater, the waste bin extinguishers and that the lavatory smoke detectors are functional and have not been blocked in any way. The galley and crew jump seat area also needs to be thoroughly checked for security. All carts and atlas boxed should be sealed from the caterers and nothing tampered with. Door areas should be completely clear of any obstruction.

Once at the crew jump seat each crew member checks that the harness works and is fitted correctly to them. The passenger address system, evacuation alarm and emergency lights are tested to make sure that they are working. Some aircraft require that the cabin crew check the slide pressure gauge on their assigned door.

Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.

The cabin crew know exactly where every piece of safety equipment is located, how many pieces there are and the individual checks for each item. Fire fighting equipment includes PBE (protective breathing equipment) or smoke hood, fire gloves and BCF or halon fire extinguishers - just in case there is a fire onboard, as they will need to fight it as soon as possible. These items are checked as well that the seals are in place and are fully functional. Each crew member will have a PBE, torch and crew life jacket close to their seat.

The demonstration kit should be checked in case a manual safety demonstration is needed - this includes a safety card, seat belt, life jacket and oxygen mask. There is one for each set of doors on the aircraft. Oxygen bottles are all checked individually, to see if the pressure gauge is in the correct place and within its valid date, this is essential in case of either a decompression (loss of pressure in the cabin) for cabin crew to move around the cabin or for use in a medical emergency where the patient requires oxygen.

Other items include life raft check (depending on aircraft type), extension seat belts and infant seatbelts. Extra life jackets for adults, children and life rafts for infants are often carried on most aircraft. Additional safety cards are onboard in case one is missing from a seat. A fire containment bag may also be carried in case of a mobile phone, laptop or power bank catching fire.

First aid kits must still be sealed and unused to ensure that all items are available in case of a medical emergency and (if carried) the AED (automated external defibrillator) is working correctly, usually identified by a visible steady or flashing light. Finally, the last item is the ELT (emergency locator transmitter)which is only accessible to the crew on some aircraft types, and it must be armed and an antenna fitted.

These checks are completed by the cabin crew prior to every flight unless it is a turnaround flight where the same crew are on the same aircraft returning the flight back to base and not leaving the aircraft. The cabin crew are checking for their safety and the passengers safety that we have everything we need in case of any emergency situation and that we have the best chance for survival.

Writer - Patricia joins Simple Flying with over 20 years of experience in aviation. She has served as cabin crew on flights from economy-class to private jets. Patricia has a master's level postgraduate diploma in Human Factors in Aviation and has written about aviation since 2010. Based in Dubai