Aircraft Maintenance and Safety

At an employee conference held in an aircraft hangar, one of the upper management folks asked, "What's one critical subject in our industry?" Perhaps he was expecting to hear something about fuel prices, fare mixes, or improvements to the route system, but he was unprepared when the crowd shouted, "Safety!"

Safety is one of the first lectures for a newly hired aircraft mechanic, sometimes accompanied by graphic videos showing work place injuries. Working around aircraft is a hazardous job. People are injured and occasionally killed, so safety training involves annual updates for all those employees who may be exposed. In addition to the dangers posed by jet engines, propellers, and moving aircraft, there are numerous other risks associated with fire, chemical exposure, hazardous goods, and much more.

The Federal Aviation Administration has a Dirty Dozen list that covers the reasons behind maintenance errors and the safety risks they represent. It's important to note that this is not limited to aviation, but is applicable to many other industries. These items aren't always individually responsible for poor judgment and maintenance mistakes as there's often some overlap between them.

Complacency.

"I've done this hundreds of times and it's never failed. I can skip this step." Complacency is a deadly trap for experienced Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs).

Distraction.

When a technician gets called away from his work, he may miss something essential

Pressure.

The crew chief yelled, "This autopilot has to go out today!" Pressure can result in cutting corners in an effort to save time.

Fatigue.

"The baby cried all night and I didn't get any sleep." Fatigue can cause poor judgment just like alcohol.

Stress.

Stress can be physical, like that resulting from pain or hunger, or it can be psychological.

Lack of job knowledge.

Changes and updates are regular occurrences. Items similar in appearance may be widely different in detail and operation. It's essential that AMTs read and understand the applicable manuals and consult them daily.

Lack of teamwork.

This is closely related to communication. In some areas, the same team performs the same task regularly.

Lack of resources.

Aviation safety relies on the correct parts and the tools to install them. When either are unavailable, performing a task is more difficult and more likely to be done improperly.

Lack of communication.

This is crucial when a team performs a complex task. By informing each other of their progress, there's less chance that something will be overlooked.

Lack of assertiveness.

"He's the senior technician, so he must know what he's doing. That's why I didn't say anything."

Lack of awareness.

Repetitive tasks can lull AMTs until they do not anticipate or recognize problems.

Norms.

"But we've always done it that way. There's no need to change."

Every AMT should be aware of the Dirty Dozen and their impact on safety.

Author Bio:

Rachel is an ex-babysitting pro as well as a professional writer and blogger. She is a graduate from Iowa State University and currently writes for www.babysitting.net. She welcomes questions/comments which can be sent to rachelthomas.author @ gmail.com.