HAZARDS
Hazards in the workplace tend to be a health and safety issue, relating to the protection of individuals at work. All workplaces have hazards and aircraft maintenance engineering is no exception. Health and safety is somewhat separate from human factors and this chapter therefore gives only a very brief overview of the issues relating the aircraft maintenance engineering.
Recognizing and Avoiding Hazards:
Potential Hazards in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering:
There are may potential hazards in the aircraft maintenance industry and it is impossible to list them all here.However,a thorough health and safety appraisal will reveal the hazards. Physical hazards may include:
• Very bright lights (e.g., from welding)
• Very loud sounds (sudden or continuous)
• Confined or enclosed areas
• Working at significant heights
• Noxious substances (liquids, fumes, etc.)
• Excessive temperature (i.e., too cold or too hot)
• Moving equipment, moving vehicles and vibration.
Relevant Legislation and the Maintenance Organization Responsibilities
In the USA the FAA and OSHA have responsibility for overseeing safety in the workplace. In the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has this responsibility. The various national Health and Safety At-Work Laws places a responsibility on employers to produce a written statement of general policy with respect to the Health and Safety at Work of its employees. The employer is also obliged to bring to the notice of all its employees this policy together with the Organization and arrangements in force for carrying out that policy. Thus, in an aircraft maintenance organization, the health and safety policy might include statements applicable to the organization such as the need to:
• Carry out assessments of work including inspections to determine Health and Safety risks
• Provide safe working practices and procedures for plant, machinery, work equipment, materials, and substances
• Inform employees and other persons including temporary workers of any risk
• Provide suitable training and/or instruction to meet any Health and Safety risks
• Develop and introduce practices and procedures to reduce risks to Health and Safety including the provision of special protective devices and personal protective equipment
• Provide for the welfare of employees
• Discuss with and consult employee representatives on Health and Safety matter
Maintenance organizations should appoint someone with health and safety responsibilities. If hazards cannot be removed from the workplace, employees should be made aware that they exist and how to avoid them. This can be effected through training and warning signs. To be effective, warnings signs must:
• Clearly identify the hazard
• Describe the danger (e.g., electric shock, radiation)
The sign must attract a technician's attention, it must be visible and it must be understandable to the people it is aimed at. Additionally, in the maintenance industry, it must be durable enough to remain effective, often for years, in areas where they are exposed to dust and the elements
Positive recommendations are more effective than negative ones. For example, the statement "Stay behind yellow line on floor" is better than "Do not come near this equipment." Warning signs should contain a single word indicating the degree of risk associated with the hazard: DANGER denotes that the hazard is immediate and could cause grave, irreversible damage or injury. CAUTION indicates a hazard of lesser magnitude. The sign should also detail how to avoid or manage the risk. CAUTION signs are generally yellow and black. DANGER signs use red, black, and white.
Technician's Individual Responsibilities
The legislation notes that every individual in a workplace also has health and safety responsibilities. Thus, in an aircraft maintenance organization, the health and safety policy might include statements applicable to technicians such as the need to
• Take reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work
• Cooperate with the maintenance organization to ensure that statutory requirements concerning health and safety at work are met
• Work in accordance with any safety instruction and/or training received
• Inform their supervisor or management of work situations that represent an immediate or potential danger to health and safety at work and any shortcomings in protection arrangements.
Safety In the Working Environment:
Technicians should ensure that they keep the working environment safe. Clutter, rubbish, etc. is not only a nuisance to others, but can constitute a danger (e.g., a trip hazard, fire hazard, etc.). In addition, technicians should be careful when working on the line not to leave objects when a job has been completed. Foreign Object Damage (FOD) is a risk to aircraft operating at an airfield.
Safety When Working On Aircraft:
Before operating or working on aircraft system, a technician should carry out clearance checks around moveable surfaces (e.g., flying controls, landing gear, flaps, etc.). Deactivation procedures should be followed (e.g., pull circuit beakers, isolate valves, disconnect power, etc.). Notification of deactivation through the provision of adequate placard in key locations is essential to inform others of system status.
Emergency drills are of great value in potentially dangerous environments. Aircraft maintenance technicians should take part in these wherever possible. Knowledge of what to do in an emergency can save lives.
The basic actions in an emergency are to:
• Stay calm and assess the situation
• Observe what has happened
• Look for dangers to oneself and others
• Call for help
• Never put oneself at risk
• Make the area safe
• Protect any casualties from further danger
• Remove the danger if it is safe to do so (i.e., switching off an electrical current if an electrocution has occurred)
• Be aware of ones own limitations (e.g., do not fight a fire unless it is practical to do so)
• Assess all casualties to the best of ones abilities (especially if one is a qualified in first aid)
• Summon help from those nearby if it is safe for them to become involved
• Call for local emergency equipment (e.g., fire extinguisher)
• Call for emergency services (ambulance or fire department, etc.)
• Provide assistance as far as one feels competent to do so
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