Safety inspectors protect mechanics, workflow

Published Sept. 24, 2009
By Howdy Stout
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- If you think flying airplanes is dangerous, try working on them.

"We've had several work-related fatalities in the Air Force maintenance community over the last few years," says Mike Ward, supervisor for the 72nd ABW Aircraft Safety Office. "Fortunately, we have not had any here."

Keeping it that way is a major focus for the safety specialists of the 72nd ABW Aircraft Safety Office. Matrixed directly to the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group, which provides maintenance for many of the Air Force's largest aircraft, the Aircraft Safety Office researches safety issues, observes maintenance processes to identify hazards to employees and provide safety recommendations for new maintenance equipment and procedures.

"We're embedded with the 76th to provide them a service to try and keep the work environment as safe as possible," says Mike Ward, Aircraft Safety Office supervisor. "All those people working out on the floor, they are our customers."

Staying safe while maintaining aircraft can be difficult. It is easy for maintainers to overlook safety in the rush to get aircraft back in the fight.

"In the heat of the battle to get the airplane out, those things are sometimes overlooked," says Manning Masche, one of six aircraft safety specialists. "When I was on active duty, I was a maintainer...so I know some of the obstacles they face."

"We always try to keep the scales balanced," Mr. Ward explains. "You have to balance the demands of production and safety and health compliance. At times it can be a tough balancing act."

Part of keeping workers safe is by staying up to date with Occupational Health and Safety Administration standards, industry and Air Force safety standards.

"We have to comply with these standards," Mr. Ward says. "So we have to be knowledgeable. We do a lot of research into these standards."

The Air Force, too, in changing the way it maintains aircraft. Lean and Transformation efforts are beginning to show results in revamped work areas and maintenance methods. "Maintenance is trying to recreate their work environment to make it more efficient and more competitive," Mr. Ward says. "And we have a role in that transformation."

The aircraft safety office had a hand in reviewing the design of a new maintenance stands just entering service throughout the AMXG production lines.

On the flightline, however, maintenance stands are often impractical. And with no place to anchor fall-arrest equipment, workers were limited in what they could do. Then Mr. Ward spotted the Mobi-Lok Vacuum Anchor System at a trade show and knew Tinker's workers needed it.

Using a vacuum to seal itself against the aircraft, one or more of these serve as anchor points for fall-arrest harnesses and lanyards, allowing maintainers access to areas like the wing or fuselage without the need for mobile work stands or lifts.

"This is just an example of the technology that exists to help us deal with our fall protection needs," he said. "We're always on the lookout for new cutting edge equipment."

Safety inspectors are also on the lookout for potential safety issues with existing equipment, such as the overhead cranes in Bldg. 3001. "We had vintage 1940s overhead cranes in here," Mr. Ward said. "Due to age and wear and tear they became unsafe to use and needed replacing." Once alerted to the need to replace the aging units, engineers developed a solution by installing two new cranes and refurbishing a third.

Reviewing maintenance procedures for safety issues is also part of the Aircraft Safety Office's work. When E-3 maintainers developed a process for refurbishing an aircraft panel rather than discarding it, the safety specialist, along with a Bio Environmental Engineering Industrial Hygienist, watched the process to determine if additional safety and health requirements would be required for the mechanics.

"Production supervisors know they have a resource in us," Mr. Ward says. "They know we're a phone call or ear shot away to help them with their safety concerns."

The cooperation between supervision, aircraft maintainers, production engineers, the union and the safety office is essential for a safe work environment, Mr. Ward says. Being involved in the design and planning stages of new equipment or new maintenance processes, safety specialists can address potential safety issues before they materialize in the production stage.

"A safety organization cannot be successful without the cooperation of the folks on the floor," he says. "We can't be successful by ourselves."

Efforts like the Voluntary Protection Program where workers can report safety concerns and be a part of the solution process are also a great help in making the workplace safer. "Nobody knows their work environment better than those out on the production floor," says Mr. Ward.

But when maintenance processes or equipment are unsafe, it falls to the safety specialist to help them find another way to get the work done.

"One of the important things we try to do is to explain why they can't do something," Mr. Masche says. "You don't just say no and then walk away from them. That's not helping them...I'm not here to just tell you no, but to reach the right solution."

Reminding people to be safe is an ongoing process, Mr. Masche says, because most people assume accidents happen to someone else.

"Most of us have the attitude that accidents only happen to the other guy," Mr. Masche says. "But if you're sitting and talking to someone else, to him, you are the other guy. We're all the other guy."