Human Factors Guide for Aviation Maintenance

Description

Human Factors Guide for Aviation Maintenance

Human Factors Guide for Aviation Maintenance (English) by U.S. Department.

Description

Human Factors Guide for Aviation Maintenance

The discipline of Human Factors began in the aviation industry and has matured along with it. Human factors methods are always aimed at ensuring the safety and efficient performance of humans in human-machine systems. In no domain is this focus more important or appropriate than aviation maintenance. The safety of global commercial aviation depends in large part on the people who maintain aircraft.

International aviation regulatory authorities have required formal human factors (HF) training in aviation maintenance organizations for a number of years. While the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not enacted regulations requiring maintenance HF training, it has provided HF-specific guidance since the mid 1990’s.

Aviation maintenance has changed over the years. Newer aircraft contain materials, power plants, and electronic subsystems that did not exist in earlier models, and the number of older aircraft has increased. Technicians use more and more sophisticated equipment and procedures.

While the aircraft on which they work have evolved dramatically over the last 50 years, maintenance workers still exhibit all of the capabilities, limitations, and idiosyncrasies that are part of being human. The nature of aviation maintenance is such that AMTs and inspectors often work under conditions that stress their physical, cognitive, and perceptual limits.