Below are some articles that you may enjoy.

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- Cinderella in the Flight Department (Giselle Richardson, Richardson Management Associates)
- Getting Older...Getting Better
- We are not learning!
- Management and Safety
- Is Ramp Safety all it can Be?
- The 13th Factor.....Attitude!
- Dehydration, a Hidden Source of Fatigue (Ground Effects... Gord Dupont, System Safety Services)
- Common Sense can keep the Monkey off your Back
- Goal Setting...another Safety Net for you
- Managers are People Too!
- The Power of the Pen!
- Just for fun...The Night Before Christmas!

You may know that different professions are characterized by different predominant personality profiles. If you doubt it, the next time you go to the NBAA annual show, pause in the aisles and look about you: use your intuition and you will very quickly be able to pick out the pilots from the salesmen (well, not always!), the salesmen from the design engineers, and the mechanics from all the others.

Why? What characterizes the mechanic? We have worked now for more than ten years in aviation departments, and in our experience, these traits at least are found to predominate in the maintenance area: commitment to excellence, willingness to put in effort and hours, integrity, distrust of words, dependability, the tendency to be a loner, modesty (no desire to be in the spotlight), doesn’t like to ask for help, tends to be self-sufficient and so to think things through on his own and not share his thought too frequently or thoroughly. (We have not met many mechanics whose wife says, “I wish that man would shut up and let me get a word in edgewise”.)

Most of these qualities are assets - PROVIDING THEY ARE NOT CARRIED TOO FAR. Let’s look at self-sufficiency, plus the habit of doing your thinking without checking it out with others. It’s my contention that both contribute to the one-down role than maintenance too often holds in the flight department. In other words, one of the reasons the maintenance group so frequently finds itself in the position of the second-class citizen in the flight department is because, in a way, it is asking for it.

Speaking to an aviation group some time ago, I said, “When things go wrong, pilots bitch and mechanics sulk”. You have all heard about the squeaky wheel. Those who suffer in silence are less likely to get attention.

The business of not asking has become a habit for some of you. Let me give you an example. Not very long ago, we were conducting Team Effectiveness programs in a large corporate flight department. The company is one that does not cut corners, and generally responds to reasonable requests from its manager. To our amazement, we found out that whenever pilots and mechanics went to ground school (even when they were there together!!), mechanics received a lower allowance for meals, etc., than did the pilots! We made loud and indignant noises about this to the Aviation Manager, only to learn that it was the Chief of Maintenance who established the cost-of-living allowances for his people when they were traveling. The Aviation Manager had no objection to increasing the allowances to match those of pilots; he was simply going along with the Chief of Maintenance’s preference!

With that kind of behaviour, is it any wonder that Cinderella is pushing out cinders and garbage in the maintenance area while her pilot sisters go to the ball in their brocade gowns? This attitude invites others to see mechanics as less important than other members of the department. If you invite people to kick you, there is bound to be someone who will accommodate you.

This article is an invitation to mechanics, and especially to the managers in the maintenance area, to start rethinking how they perceive their role in the department, the contribution their people make to the company, and the ways they have at their disposal to make sure that they are duly recognized.

Space available prevents our detailing the myriad of instances where some clarity and assertiveness would serve the maintenance group well: salaries, working hours, technical training, and (given our bias) the fact that mechanics - like other human beings - can benefit from assistance as they find their way in life, just like the rest of us, whether or not they are currently in a period of professional or personal or family crisis. That is to say that employees in the maintenance area require systematic psychological maintenance like the rest of us, and will benefit from any kind of training that enables them to understand human behaviour better, to see how they unwittingly contribute to some of their problems, and - most important - to ensure that they find some ways to become comfortable with more appropriate behaviour.

The first step, of course, is for the management group of the maintenance area to upgrade their own people skills, to get to understand how they limit their ability to use their talents, their experience, their wisdom, and their compassion for the benefit of their people. They need to recognize that they have two roles to play in the organization; to contribute to the success of the flight department, but also to stand up for, to defend, to represent, to develop their own staff. The two are sometimes in apparent conflict. More important, the second role too often conflicts with the manager’s personal style as described above. Too often, he opts for the first at the expense of the second.

The mechanic has his 50% of the deal too. Does he swallow his frustrations, give up too easily (“I mentioned it to him once five years ago, but he didn’t do anything, so what’s the use of bringing it up again?”), does he assume - like the wife who enjoys being a victim - that “if he really loved me, he’d know what I want”, or does he state his point of view clearly, does he make his frustrations and satisfactions and preferences known? Does he give his boss the kind of feedback the boss needs to do his job properly and easily?
Bear in mind that what I am recommending is not revolution but equity and responsibility. It’s a psychological coming-of-age of the maintenance people in the aviation industry that I am pushing for. It’s time to have a bonfire and get rid of what a friend of mine calls “the humbleshit” and give to this excellent group of professionals the position they deserve in the industry. IT’S LARGELY UP TO YOU!

Richardson Management Associates, Ltd., offers a wide range of management development programmes and seminars. They can be reached at: (514) 935-2593 or Fax (514) 935-1852.

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Getting Older...Getting Better

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
The aircraft engineer understands the components, and their limitations, of the aircraft that he maintains. He knows that these components require regular inspections, preventive maintenance and repairs to keep them in good working order. That technician must also recognize that his own 'systems and components' will be subjected to changes over time. Physical, mental, social and emotional factors will affects performance, positively and negatively, as one gets older. Like the aircraft that he works on and knows so well, he needs to take care of his body and mind. Identifying problems as they appear will reduce performance errors as a result of 'system failure'. Human factors training identifies those factors that cause us to make errors, as well as helping us recognize the causes of performance limitations on the job.

Getting older has many positive aspects: financial security, gaining seniority at work, and providing some of us the opportunity to own a business, a nice home, and retirement. On the job experience facilitates problem solving. Seniority provides pay increases and promotions. We are recognized, known, and have made valuable contacts and good friends within the industry. Familiarity with your job means that you have made mistakes, learned from them, and now you are more than a long-time employee -- you are an invaluable asset to your company, employer and peers.

However, the harsh reality is that we are also faced with physical problems, and limitations, as we get older.

As time passes, we hurt ourselves more easily, heal more slowly, and take longer to recover from illness. Fatigue will also make us more prone to injury and disease, and will extend the time we need to heal . A healthy lifestyle and adequate rest helps reduce sick time, but when we do get ill, we need extra sleep to promote healing and recuperation. Sometimes we feel we are not sick enough to stay home, so we go to work with medication that 'keeps us on our feet', but this can affect senses and performance. You need to be aware of the side effects of over the counter and prescription medications, and also be conscious of how the pain or illness that requires the medication may be affecting you. If you are on medication, or if you are feeling ill or dragged out, have someone check your work.

Our eyesight tends to deteriorate, especially after 40-there is a tendency to lose our near vision thus requiring corrective lenses, but we have to keep them clean and wear them. Many maintenance tasks require a combination of near and distance vision, or may require the a/c to be moved from a bright hangar to a darker apron area, and older eyes need more time to adjust to low light conditions. We need twice as much light at 50 to do the same job we did when we were 25! ( Poor eyesight and a failure to wear spectacles were contributing factors in the BAC1-11 accident in 1990.) Colour vision problems will not affect visual acuity, but can cause problems when recognizing components, distinguishing wire colours, or recognizing various coloured lights used on the field. Colour blindness is usually hereditary, but as time passes, the lens in our eyes progressively yellows, causing a reduction in colour discrimination in the blue-yellow range.

Hearing loss is common as a consequence of years of aircraft run-ups at close range, and operating and working in close proximity to various tools used during maintenance. Hearing loss will occur with exposure to the everyday noises encountered at the AME's workplace. Unlike the eyes, our ears have no natural protective devices. Hearing protection is a must around aircraft running, APU's, and drills, grinders, etc in the hangar. Rule of thumb: If normal speech cannot be heard at 2m, use ear protection.

Physical factors that present themselves over time may be as simple tiring more quickly, or not being as flexible as we used to be, "I can still get into the hell hole, it just takes a lot longer to get out!" or aging may bring about serious deterioration in sight or hearing, or lasting effects from heavy lifting or workplace injuries.

Accidents in the airline industry are attributable to failures, both mechanical and human, and we need safety nets in place to prevent both. Just as you do regular checks and preventative maintenance on aircraft, have your systems checked and certified by a medical professional well versed in the demands of your job. With regular medical inspections and preventative maintenance, combined with a little extra TLC, we can enjoy all the good stuff about getting older, and keep our performance at its optimum.

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Management and Safety

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
Error is the inevitable downside of human intelligence; it is the price human beings pay for being able to think on their feet.
_{Captain Daniel Maurino, ICAO}

At some point our career we have all asked the question "HOW IN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?" It happened because we allowed it to happen. In almost all cases, how the mistake happened will involve human error- could training have prevented it? Probably. Was management involved? Probably.

Regulatory requirements for Human Factors training within the maintenance community specify training for 'those with technical responsibilities'. Doesn't it make sense that top-level management, those with the pressures that get passed down the line, take part in the workshops? Education that will assist them in handling their own stresses, and recognizing negative behavior signals in their employees, will enable them to prevent situations that have a harmful impact upon morale, health and safety, revenue, and, ultimately, the company culture.

Top-level management defines the safety culture of an organization, and involvement at that level requires total commitment and participation, so, when the top dogs send their staff to a HF workshop, but don't attend themselves, what is the message they are sending?
" I don't need more training (I'm perfect!)
" I don't ever make faulty decisions- they are the result of lousy communication and worse teamwork (someone else dropped the ball)
" Safety starts on the hangar floor (don't you love that one!)

Certainly, leadership by example is most powerful. Managers who take the time to attend trainings with their staffs will undoubtedly build credibility as leaders.

The other scenario that is most distressing is the manager who does attend a Human Factors workshop merely as a means of meeting regulatory requirements. Once out of the classroom, this person files their workbooks and resumes business as usual, with no thought to improving safety through changes, or revised evaluation of their safety culture.

An efficient Safety Management System is a system of risk identification and classification, with the end result of effective risk management, and human factors training is an integral part of risk identification. Research has shown that accidents and incidents, that are the result of human error, occur from the boardroom down to the hangar floor.

Here are some quotes from former participants in HF workshops:

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Is Ramp Safety all it can be?

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
In January I flew out of Hamilton. As I sat in the boarding lounge in YHM and watched my airplane taxi in, I marveled at the turnaround. The plane arrived at the gate at 4:30, and our general boarding announcement came at 4:44! It only took 14 minutes to turn the airplane around! During this time, the mains were chocked and the tow tractor was hooked up. The fuel truck parked off the starboard wing and the fueller went to work dragging the fuel hose behind him. The train of baggage carts swung up under the starboard wing, swallowing the runoff from the baggage belt which was parked under the leading edge of that wing; in front of that was the scissor truck exchanging empty trays for full, and between that and the tug was the 'honey wagon', doing their thing!! The port side was busy disgorging pax down the front stairs while the crews switched using the rear stairway. This was a wonderfully orchestrated ballet of people, vehicles and equipment. One small hiccup, however, and the whole production could have unraveled.

I have also sat in a boarding lounge and watched ramp workers race their baggage carts across the tarmac, one of them skimming under the aircraft with little room to spare. That day I marveled also-differently!

In an effort to increase the safety factor in aviation, the industry has integrated proactive Human Factors training in areas considered vital, flight crews and maintenance personnel. But what of the ramp workers, those who are working in adverse weather conditions, often at night, people who all have their own agendas, and due to high turnover, may not have the luxury of a sustained team rhythm.

Management, flight crews and maintenance are highly trained, and reasonably well paid employees, frequently full time with benefits. Ramp personnel are often trained on the job, fairly young, underpaid and put in situations where they are expected to complete a job quickly and competently, avoiding other people, large moving objects, hazardous substances, and at the same time operate their own equipment. Add to these obstacles loud noise, working at night, in freezing rain/snow/rain, with protective equipment on, in extreme cold or heat, and avoiding jet blasts and rotating props.

The injury potential on the ramp is enormous- flammable fuels are fire hazards, jet and prop blasts can injure workers, deicing and hazardous fluids and the noise causes irreparable hearing damage, and can drown out warning sounds of danger. Equipment moving can run down the unaware or the tired, and in rain, ice and snow they are battling poor visibility, and uncertain footing and driving conditions.

Human Factors are the cause of most ramp accidents- fatigue, the pressure and stress of time deadlines and brutal schedules involving many flights with fast turnarounds, negative norms (the way things are done) and a lack of awareness of an action, or lack of action, on their part, will lead to mishaps, accidents and possibly injuries.

How many companies have analyzed, and compared, the ground damage rate on the ramp to that in the hangar? How many managers have balanced the lost time injury rate of their ground crews against those sustained by maintenance?

This is nothing new-at Toronto airport each week, there is at least one incident involving a fuel truck and an airplane, and the airplane is not the moving vehicle! These accidents cost millions of dollars, not to mention flight delays and cancellations, unhappy customers and more tasks for an overworked maintenance population.

Balance the cost of training your ramp workers against the cost of one mishap that requires grounding that airplane- that incident would pay for the whole crew to be educated in working safer, and the training would pay for itself many times over.

Ramp personnel are the recipients of the time deadlines that management have inflicted, the anxiety that flight crews and maintenance have passed on down the line If the organizational culture is one that lays blame for wrongdoing, or an honest mistake, it is understandable that an overstressed truck driver may not report a collision with a fuselage, one that could have disastrous results.

Ramp damage to aircraft, airport structures and ground service equipment now costs the global airline industry an estimated US$3billion annually in uninsured losses (Airports Council International, 2000).

That's a whole lot of seats that have to be filled to pay for the losses. It makes more sense to put a portion of that money into training people to work safer and prevent the accidents, than to put a whole lot of $$ into flying hours to pay for the ground damage.

Human factors training is a logical preparation for anyone who works under adverse conditions, combined with high pressure situations and tight time deadlines. HF teaching will enable workers to recognize the factors causing errors, and start them on a new way of thinking-safety first!

Management needs to measure the success of the company, not only in $$ and uninterrupted flight schedules, but also by the safety record of the organization, and the easiest way to show an improvement in safety, is to eliminate accidents.

(For information on HF training for ramp workers, contact John Braund at marss@marss.org)

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The 13th Factor…Attitude!

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right!” (Henry Ford)

What is attitude?

Funk and Wagnall’s says attitude is: “1. Position of the body as suggesting some thought, or feeling 2. state of mind, behavior, or conduct regarding some matter, as indicating opinion or purpose.” Simple? I think not. Because attitude is wholly controlled by you, a person, and anything human-oriented is very complex, hard to put your finger on, and even harder to direct or channel.

What is your reaction when you cross thread a nut? “Stupid thing!!” (How can a nut be stupid?) I’ll just keep tightening it and no one will notice”. (Hide it) It wasn’t my fault”. (Whine and blame) “I’ll just take it off and put another one on”. (Negative norm) “I’ll take it apart and use a new bolt and nut, and redo it properly”. (Much better!) “Wonder what made me do that?” (Root cause?) “How can I prevent that from happening again?” (Safety net) This is attitude.

There are workers who have years of experience, they have forgotten more than you will learn in the next year, and yet no-one wants to work with them. Why? Because of their attitude….nothing ever goes right for them, and they are constantly grumbling and griping, negative and cynical. (Especially at HF courses!!) And then there is the AME who comes in every day happy and upbeat, positive about most things, but he hasn’t the experience or knowledge of the first guy. Yet, everyone will go out of their way to help him and answer questions, point out a better way to do the job. This fosters great teamwork and communication, and boosts the morale and spirits of everyone.

What is the big difference between these two? Attitude. And attitude is nothing more than choices you make. You can start the day happy, or grumpy. Choose. You can enjoy the drive to work with tapes or music you like, or you can be constantly ticked off at the traffic, weather, temperature, etc. Choose. You can look at the positives of the job, and work to change the negatives, or you can look at the negatives and ignore the positives. Choose. Jonathan Winters said “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it”. Can’t swim? Grab a lifejacket, or take swimming lessons!! Quit making excuses.

Attitude could easily be the 13th factor, making a Bakers Dozen, and it is closely intertwined in with the other twelve, both as cause and safety net. What helps foster great (or poor) communication and teamwork? Attitude. What will help to improve them when they are low? Attitude. Only you can decide to take a short cut, or to do it right, and attitude will dictate if you will bumble through a job, or go and ask for help, or more time.

Think about the DD, and how attitude will either create a positive or negative, and how an affirmative attitude will become a safety net. You have very little control over external forces such as weather, time, and most organizational decisions and procedures, but you do have control over how you accept and work with them.

Managers often use this in hiring….the most successful strategy when checking out a new applicant, is to ‘hire for attitude and train for competence’. You can teach someone the right knowledge and skills, but you can’t teach attitude. This has been shown many times over, when you have had a great resume and interview with a person, but they are a dud when it comes to productivity, yet others who were not so impressive at first have blown you away with hard work and a great attitude.

The whiners and criers choose to be that way…it is easier to whine about something than to really buckle down and make it better. The sign of a truly positive person is how they handle themselves under pressure, and, how they handle others. They do not let themselves be dragged down, but will identify the source of the discomfort, or unhappiness, and then do something about it. “The most successful people are those who are good at Plan B!”

If you have issues at work that are safety issues, then you have to choose whether or not you can 1) change them 2) report them 3) live with them 4) or look for another job. A coworker’s attitude can make your life anything from great, to nasty, to unsafe. You have to make the choice about what you will do. Remember the monkey on your back? You accept it, or get rid of it, and your attitude will guide that decision.

Safety nets for your DD factors will also help you to stay positive…the fewer negatives you are dealing with on a daily basis, the easier it is to stay upbeat and happy, and your attitude will determine how many safety nets you will put into place. HF training does not guarantee that you will not make errors ever again, you will. How you handle those errors, is attitude.

Remember, things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

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Dehydration-A Hidden Source of Fatigue

July 2000 - This article appears in the summer issue of "GroundEffects"
Written By Gord Dupont of System Safety Services
A couple of issues ago we talked about fatigue and how it was a problem that the industry vastly underestimated and that we vastly overestimated our ability to cope with. Well now it appears that we have a further problem that both the industry and we are basically totally ignorant of. Dehydration has the ability to induce fatigue and the resulting reduction in judgment – all without us even being aware of it.


Lets Start With a Few Interesting Facts.
1. Without water we can live about 3 days.
2. Our body is made us of about 60% water (women a little less than men for some reason).
3. Our brain is made up of 85% water and requires a very narrow range of water content to remain at its
    peak.
4. We lose about 8 to 10 cups, or just over 2 liters of water per normal day through breathing, urine,
    perspiration and bowel movements.
5. If working outside on a hot day we can lose about two pounds or one liter of water per hour.
  

Some Lesser Known Facts
1. Doctors now say that a whopping 75% of people don’t have enough water. I.e. they’re dehydrated.
2. As little as 2% loss in water content begins to cause the brain to lose alertness and the body to feel
    fatigued.
3. Two to five percent dehydration is considered mild but sufficient to influence how the body will react.
4. Six to ten percent is considered moderate dehydration and is cause for immediate concern.
5. Eleven to fifteen percent is severe. Hospitalization and intravenous will likely be required.
6. Beyond fifteen percent can end in death.
  

What are the Symptoms?
Surprisingly, thirst is not at the top of the list of symptoms. We depend on feeling thirsty to keep us from becoming dehydrated and it has been shown to be a poor indicator.

Dr. Batmanghelidj, in his book “Your Bodies Many Cries for Water”, states that in over one-third of us,(37%) the thirst mechanism is so weak that it’s often mistaken for hunger. It is often only when we are moderately dehydrated, (6 to 10%) that we begin to pay attention to our thirst. By that time our mental alertness has dropped dramatically and we are not even aware of it.

Here are some of the most common symptoms or indicators of dehydration.
1. Lips and later mouth feel dry
2. Heart rate and breathing increases
3. Blood pressure begins to drop
4. Begin to feel fatigued
5. A nagging headache may develop and become progressively worse
6. Decreased urine output
7. Begin to feel thirsty
8. Begin to become mentally irritated and depressed
9. Eyes begin to become sunken
10. Skin begins to become wrinkled
11. May develop a stomach ache
12. May begin to experience lower back pain
13. Become dizzy,
14. Become mentally confused
15. As dehydration becomes severe the person slips into a coma and if the cardiovascular
     system collapses, the person dies.

These symptoms do not necessarily progress in that exact order and may vary between persons.
As little as 2% drop in body water can begin to affect your mental alertness as the brain begins to react to the fluid loss. Dr. Kleiner, author of “Power Eating” states this 2% triggers fuzzy short-term memory, particularly trouble with basic math and focusing on the problems on the printed page or computer screen. The problem is we are becoming dehydrated and we may not even feel thirsty yet. We will begin to feel fatigued as our metabolism begins to slow down.

Putting 2% into perspective: A 150 lb. person would need to lose only 1.8lbs of water to be 2% dehydrated. On a hot day you can lose that in less than an hour.
If, as they say, 75% of us are chronically dehydrated than we may be looking at a major contributing factor to maintenance error. And we don’t even know it.

Dr. R. Eichner of the University of Oklahoma states that: “The number one trigger of day time fatigue and poor performance is not lack of sleep or stress but dehydration.
In the Arctic, or any cold climate, dehydration is a seldom thought of as a problem. Because it is cold we often don’t even think of drinking but in the cold the humidity is very low and we still lose water through breathing and other body functions. The unknown dehydration leads to a feeling of fatigue and decreased mental alertness with never a though that a simple glass of water could make the person feel better.
What do we do?

Unlike fatigue, the solution is simple, very simple, drink lots of water. The old eight, eight oz. glasses of water per day isn’t very accurate. It doesn’t take into account, body weight, climate or activity.

The Formula
A more accurate figure calls for taking your body weight in pounds and dividing it in half. That number is the oz. of water that you require daily. To that, add 12 to 16 oz. for hot dry weather and a further 12 to 16 oz. if you are doing strenuous physical work.
That is considered a minimum to be sure that you are not dehydrated. Drinking more than that will do no harm as the kidneys maintain the correct water content and will simply “expel” the excess. This excess is thought to reduce the chances of colon cancer by 45% and bladder cancer by 50%. It is thought to help flush out the toxins or at least dilute them. Thus we would be wise to always drink more than the minimum.
If you are perspiring heavily, than you will want to also replenish some essential body salts that are being lost. These are sodium, potassium, calcium bicarbonate and phosphate. Salt tablets will help as will some vitamin tablets.
“Gatorade” has made a fortune as a means of replenishing these salts. I understand that you can now buy “Gatorade” in crystal form very reasonably and it tastes like Koolaide. If you want to make your own “Gatorade” here is a recipe that will work and be a lot cheaper.

Start with:
1 liter (or quart) of water.
½ ml. (1/8 tsp) of salt.
75 ml. (1/3cup) of sugar
100 ml. (1/2 cup) of orange juice
Add an optional crystal packet of any flavor you want. If it has sugar already added to it, than skip adding sugar.
If you have a blender, you can even blend in a banana to help balance the potassium.
Another optional addition is 100ml. of cranberry juice. The acidic in cranberry juice is said to help the kidneys function better.
Now if it’s hot and you’re working out in the heat than you will need to drink about one of those per hour just to keep balanced.
You should also be drinking fluid about every 20 minutes in the above conditions in order to keep the fluid level balanced..
Another often forgotten source of fluid as well as some those missing salts are fresh fruits and vegetables. They are made up of up to 90% water and are, as we know, good for you.
By fluid we mean, your “Gatorade” mixture above or plain ole water, milk, juice, mineral water and flavored seltzers but NOT tea, coffee, or alcohol.
Diuretics do not help Dehydration
When you are trying to replenish your body fluid level, tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks are not the answer. In fact they make the situation worse because tea, coffee and alcohol are what are called “diuretics” and cause the kidneys to release more water, resulting in greater dehydration. If you are going to drink coffee, tea or alcohol than you better add a water chaser to them just to counteract their diuretic effect.
One of the reasons a person can become “hungover” after drinking alcohol is because their bodies are dehydrated. While it certainly isn’t the only reason, it at least is one that can be combated by drinking plenty of water with the alcohol.
One of the most common times for dehydration is in the morning. We have expelled fluids from our body through the night and than we start the day with a diuretic called coffee. This results in a further loss of fluids shortly after. We than begin to feel fatigued due to dehydration, so we go and have another cup of “pick me up” diuretic (coffee). It is now easy to see how we can end up in the moderate dehydration range and not realize what the problem is.

Nonscientific Dehydration tests
Here are a couple of non-scientific tests that may assist you in figuring out if you are dehydrated.
1. Lick your lips and if they are dry and taste salty, there is a good chance you are       dehydrated.
2. Look at the color of your urine. The darker it is from normal very pale yellow the more likelihood you are dehydrated.
3. Pinch the skin on your arm. If it does not go right back into shape than you may be dehydrated. This seems to work best with older people and is an unscientific nurse trick.

Thinking that you have somehow trained yourself to go without water is like training yourself to ignore a high water temperature indication in your car. The problem is there - you are just ignoring it.
The Journal of Sports Science reported that persons were able to work out 33% longer if they drank water while working out.

Please give this article some serious thought and remember; if we are to reduce maintenance error we have to use all means possible. Here is an easy one to fix – if we just make the effort to do it. Lets at least eliminate this potential source of error. While the industry may not, at least your body will thank you for it.

Common Sense can keep the Monkey off your Back

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
What is common sense? According to Funk & Wagnalls Dictioanry, it is “Practical understanding; sound judgment.” This implies a combination of knowledge, experience and a willingness to adapt and apply learned skills to new circumstances.

All through your Human Factors workshops, the unifying thread woven through the safety nets for the Dirty Dozen factors is common sense. Your safety nets for fatigue were diet, exercise and adequate, quality rest. These are not rocket science interventions. They are basic common sense.

These are also logical safety nets for dealing with pressure and stress, along with taking a break from work or the task that has you stumped. Albert Einstein said:

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them”.

So how do you change your level of thinking? Be sensible. Take a break, get some sleep, get more information, and look at the problem from a different perspective. When you are tired, stressed out and answering the phone every hour to report your progress, problem solving is impossible. As you go from being an efficient, analytical machine, producing quality work and finding answers, to simply another body in the hangar, with few or no diagnostic, rational skills, it is time to go home, get some sleep, and come back with a lucid and clear mind. Make sense? Yup. Sooooo…do you?

Once you are overworked, or overloaded, you’re tempted to start taking short cuts to finish the task. You will start to lose your awareness of the hazards and risks associated with your job, the quality of your work will suffer, and workplace safety is compromised The key is to catch yourself before you become unaware that your performance has deteriorated beyond an acceptable, and safe, level, and your judgment is pooched!

This begs the questions, why would any planner/manager ask their AME’s to work beyond their limitations, and why would the AME accept the work?

Time and money…an aircraft on the ground costs money. Management is under the gun from owners, marketing, sales, and customers, who, in turn, have their own sources of pressure to deal with. This all gets passed down the line and ends up in the hangar, square on the shoulders of the AME.

So why does the AME agree to the ‘monkey on his back?” There is the pressure to get the job done, and ego. And so the monkey is accepted.
‘We have to get this plane back on line; I can handle the work;
no job is too complicated; admitting I am too stressed may
reflect negatively on me; I can work this out on my own; sure, I can sign that out; I need the overtime;’…and the pit gets deeper.

AME’s are the enablers of the industry. You make things happen. And along with the experience and knowledge you use, you need to use sound judgment.

In the quest for the almighty buck and trying to carry unrealistic workloads, both employer and employee are ignoring common sense. Look at the situation rationally, and ask questions. This is where your HF training kicks in…check the safety nets you came up with during your workshop, and put them into place. Talk to your team, and add new ones that work for you. Safety nets written in a workbook won’t help you, they are only effective when they are in use. Once they become an integral way of working, then they are practical, effective and valuable tools that will enhance safety and efficiency.

Effective communication and teamwork are necessary for your days to run smoothly. Talk, ask questions, relay pertinent information to others, and never, never, assume that the other guy knows, or has done it. Better to convey information, or ask questions, twice, than not at all.

There are four little words that your safety nets, and common sense, directly relate to. One of these is “No”, and the other three are “I need help (time)” These need to be used more often, and recognized as a signal that an AME, or team, is being stretched beyond their capabilities and limitations. Management should be aware of these signs, and ask “Are my expectations realistic? What can I change? Have I talked to my staff, and do I know how they are handling the situation? Could I do what I am asking them to do?”

Paperwork is the bane of an AME’s existence- trying to use common sense here may be as simple as asking the people who use it. KISS…keep manuals, SOP’s and instructions as simple and short as possible, reword work cards and changeover forms if necessary, and look at the end result…if it is not what you intended, go back through the steps, find the crack, and fill it.

Common sense will not always get you out of a jam, or prevent an incident, but more often than not, that gut feeling that tells you something deserves a second look, when common sense dictates you stand back and change your level of thinking, and experience tells you this has happened before and is not good, these are instincts that merit recognition and action. Your teamwork and communication need to kick into high gear

Due to the diligence shown by maintenance and flight crews, air travel is still the safest form of travel in Canada. With the predicted increase in air movements in the next ten years, your continued commitment to excellence through training, experience, awareness and common sense will ensure a decrease in errors and accidents. YOU are the key to safety.

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Goal Setting...another Safety Net

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
What does goal setting have to do with Human Factors and maintenance?

Goal setting is one of the most effective safety nets you have for preventing errors and maximizing positive results at the end of the day. Goals come in all shapes and sizes…long term and short term, rigid or flexible deadlines, and, depending upon the situation, they will be your individual goals, those of your team, or your company. Most importantly, goals should be broad in scope and cover all areas of your life- work, family, fitness, accomplishments, education, and volunteer activities.

Goals you set:
? Should be put in writing – if it is not in writing, it is just a wish!
? Should be better than where you are now, but realistic
? Need to target all areas of your life
? Must be flexible- if you need to readjust the target dates, do so.
? Require commitment (is it your goal, or mine?)
? Need to allow for interruption or failure (sickness or injury, income decrease, personal and job changes)

Goal setting is a detailed plan that identifies where you are going and how you will get there. Your basic preparation is a major safety net for preventing those pesky ‘planning’ errors, and identifying what you need will reduce the ‘execution’ errors.: the goal is the desired end result, and the steps that will get you there will help increase your awareness of the problems and solutions you may encounter. Effective goal setting requires constant re-assessment and changes.

Manuals are a form of goal setting-your MCM and MPM define where you are going and how you want to get there.

For management, effective goal setting capabilities will make the difference between a smooth transition from task to task, or struggling through the day, catapulting from crisis to crisis. There is a saying, “Plan your work, and work your plan”, (Wouldn’t that be nice!). Although interruptions and troubleshooting often preclude ‘working your plan’, if you don’t have one, it can’t ever happen!

Mangers have four main jobs, planning, organizing, directing and controlling. Without a plan, it is impossible to organize and direct your workforce, because neither you, nor they, know where you are going. Sort of like trying to control a derailed train! Some major danger signals that indicate a need for effective goal setting are: too much time spent restoring your system to safe operations after an error or accident, never getting caught up, constantly being overwhelmed by demands and details, missing deadlines all of the time, continuous long days full of unpleasant alternatives, never-ending fatigue and low productivity. Your Dirty Dozen factors here are pressure, stress, and fatigue, and goal setting is a great safety net for all three.

In a perfect world, the goals for the AME will be previously set and agreed upon by their DOM, marketing, and sales, so that they don’t promise unrealistic time deadlines (Yeah, right!) Each department working and setting their targets individually results in conflicts and unworkable commitments. This gives the AME unfeasible, and often impossible, targets to meet, resulting in frustration and really high stress levels.

Goal setting requires communication. Individuals need to be aware of the company’s goals so that they are all on the same page, and heading in the same direction. They also need to know what is expected of them. Trying to anticipate someone else’s direction for the day is unrealistic, and will result in reworked tasks, jobs not done, and unnecessary tension. A quick, down and dirty, no donuts or coffee, 5 minute meeting at the beginning of the day, laying out the day’s objectives, could prevent this.

Individuals may, or may not, actively support and pursue the goals of management. Different interpretations usually happen through inadequate and ineffective communication. The ‘norms’ of the team may not jive with the safety goals of the organization, and clarification is necessary for harmony within the company.

So, what are some of the secrets to effective goal setting? To begin you need two sets of goals, long term and short term. You should have goals for the next 6 months, one, three and five years, and these will be broken down so that they are realistic and attainable. (You could go for the next 25, if you know where you want to be that far ahead!)

Make sure that when you set goals, they are S.M.A.R.T. These are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible. Let’s say that you want to improve safety within your company. This is laudable, but it is not SMART. You now need to specify how you are going to do it. For example, specify your target areas, training, lighting, staff changes, and equipment acquisition. Let’s look at training: who will be trained, what type of training, when will this happen, how will the training be done, and if in house who will be the trainer, what trainer courses do they need, resources needed to meet the objectives, and so on. This is now a SMART goal.

Goal setting is a safety net to relieve the pressure and stress caused by a lack of direction, and reduces fatigue. Specified targets will make you aware of possible problems and enable you to foresee solutions, and will identify resources and knowledge necessary for the task at hand. Ongoing feedback, related to the short term steps, will keep you aware of your, and your company’s, direction and progress.

Goal setting is a flight plan, complete with final destination, stops, alternates, allowances for weather and mechanical delays, and side trips. This gives you an objective, a map to get there, and a route to come back to after those little ‘steps off the sidewalk’. And remember, be flexible, and keep resetting as you attain goals on your way to your final target.

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Managers are People Too!

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
So many times we hear a litany of woes and troubles from a disgruntled employee, and the fiend who is responsible for their difficulties is “THE MANAGER”. According to a US Gallup Poll, 25% of employees in the US would like to fire their managers-that means that one in 4 is failing! So, what can make the difference between a good manager and an awful one?

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The Power of the Pen
By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants

Your pen is the most powerful tool that you own, and as with anything that potent, must be used with caution, care and discretion. When you sign for work done, you may not have done it yourself, but there is a prevailing element of trust on your part that the task is finished and meets all pertinent standards.

So why would anyone sign for work that is not completed, or ask another AME to sign for slipshod, incomplete, or substandard work?

You are all human; you care about the aircraft you work on and take immense pride in knowing that your efforts yield professional results, But being human has another side—the human error side. Your evil twin brother!!! Why would he sign, or stamp a traveler, when he knew that the work wasn’t done, either properly, or at all?

Is this the fault of an individual who is violating procedures, not following manuals, and taking his own short cuts, or is it the result of an eroded company culture, with the disintegration starting at the top and trickling down to taint everything in its path?

Has management created an atmosphere where supervised work is done correctly, or do they encourage you to take short cuts and reward those who will release an aircraft just to get it back on line? If you pencil whip, the boss may be happy, but will he back you up in court? Yeah, right!! Nobody likes to be the one who always says no, and the demands to take short cuts can become unbearable. Like the skin on the aircraft, you can withstand only so much pressure before cracks and tears appear.

Think back on the Dirty Dozen factors. Why would anyone sign for less than a professional job…chronic fatigue, rendering you virtually unable to say no, the lack of support from the supervisor/manager who is actually asking you to pencil whip, oblique job threats, and the ever present pressure of unrealistic time deadlines. The knowledge that if you don’t sign it out, someone else will, and maybe you can get a few of the more serious snags fixed if you can just hang on to the plane for a few hours longer with the promise of a signature. The deadly complacency that sets in when exposed to constant demands to take short cuts to get the planes out, and the apparent lack of concern from everyone else about the quality of work.

Training deficiencies, inexperienced staff, and a high ratio of apprentices to licensed personnel will predispose an operation toward errors, and these conditions need to be identified and rectified. A lack of knowledge and experience can place an AME in a precarious position where he does not have all the tools he needs to make an informed decision. Short staffed shifts are their own pressure cooker.

There are the three P’s that come into the picture…..pressure, professionalism, and paychecks. When the pressure that is put on you is so great that you feel you have to choose between the other two, the results are disastrous. Especially if it is not an isolated event….it is the company culture and is happening all the time. The choice you make may be difficult, but will reflect how you regard yourself within the industry.

Just like the twin towers, even though the foundation is still solid, if management standards are flawed, they will eventually implode, destroy everything below them, and corrode everything on the periphery. I wish I could remember where I read this so I could give credit….”Company culture is a state of mind. To change the culture, all you have to do is change your mind”.

The pressure to keep planes flying is so great because an AOG is not generating revenue, so owners start demanding their next down the line get it fixed…and that pressure gets passed on down until it lands squarely on your shoulders. This is where the question has to be answered…will you sign it out before the necessary work is done, or not? What is your priority, safety, or production and cost? There is a world of difference between carrying maintenance snags or deferring work, and deliberately signing for work not done. One is acceptable, the other is a lie.

Maintenance personnel take pride in their work, feel satisfaction in a job well done, and have a visceral love of aviation….you have to have those to stay in the business. Of the three P’s, retain your professionalism, and the pressure and the paycheck will take care of themselves.

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Merry Christmas,. and a Happy and Busy New Year

By: Sue Yost, HPA Consultants
T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the land,
Not an aircraft was moving, no flights had been planned.
The wrench twisters and pilots were sipping their drinks
Before getting some sleep- they were breaking those links.

They all knew that tomorrow would be a long day
And fatigue would sneak up and get in the way
Of presents, and visits, and dinner and friends
Coming by, and calling, the day never ends!

The stress and the pressure of the last few weeks shopping
Will soon be in the past, but there will be no stopping
The bills, and the overtime needed to keep
You able to pay, so you don’t lose more sleep.

If only I’d had been more assertive, you moan
And said no to the extras, the parties we’ve thrown.
Your awareness was dulled by the holiday season
This grounded your senses and gave flight to all reason!

But Santa, it seemed, has unlimited resources,
Of knowledge and teamwork, to give magical forces
To elves, and reindeer, and a workshop efficient
That results in production, more than sufficient.

His shop norms are great, no short cuts he takes
The resulting large sack of toys that he makes
Are safe, and assembled with no steps forgotten
No parts put in backwards, nothing corroded or rotten.

And Christmas Eve, as you sit in your chair,
Your dog at your feet, and the stockings hanging there
When you’re overcome with that fat, dumb, happy feeling
Remember, complacency could soon have you reeling.

Communication will come in the mail
Should you delay payment, so you’d better not fail
To send in your payment to each separate faction.
I can tell you, my friend, they will heed NO distraction

But through it you come, this year will soon end
And greetings and wishes you say, wish and send.
Communication is rampant, efficient and quick
Between businesses, family and friends that we pick.

Your safety nets in place, you didn’t overspend,
Cause you lowered your card limits so you could see the end
Of your spree, in time to avoid making blunders
With no errors this year, your credit rating won’t go under.

All through this poem I am sure you have found
The message I’m trying to so poorly expound
The HF training you have under you belt
Will stand you in good stead till we see the snow melt

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