Although not peculiar to aircraft maintenance engineering, working in restricted space
and at heights is a feature of this trade. Problems associated with physical access are
not uncommon. Maintenance engineers and technicians often have to access, and
work in, very small spaces (e.g. in fuel tanks), cramped conditions (such as beneath
flight instrument panels, around rudder pedals), elevated locations (on cherry-pickers
or staging), sometimes in uncomfortable climatic or environmental conditions (heat,
cold, wind, rain, noise). This can be aggravated by aspects such as poor lighting or
having to wear breathing apparatus.
Physical Access and Claustrophobia
There are many circumstances where people may experience various levels of
physical or psychological discomfort when in an enclosed or small space, which is
generally considered to be quite normal. When this discomfort becomes extreme, it
is known as claustrophobia.
Claustrophobia can be defined as abnormal fear of being in an enclosed space.
It is quite possible that susceptibility to claustrophobia is not apparent at the start of
employment. It may come about for the first time because of an incident when
working within a confined space, e.g. panic if unable to extricate oneself from a fuel
tank. If an engineer suffers an attack of claustrophobia, they should make their
colleagues and supervisors aware so that if tasks likely to generate claustrophobia
cannot be avoided, at least colleagues may be able to assist in extricating the
engineer from the confined space quickly, and sympathetically. Engineers should
work in a team and assist one another if necessary, making allowances for the fact
that people come in all shapes and sizes and that it may be easier for one person to
access a space, than another. However, this should not be used as an excuse for an
engineer who has put on weight, to excuse himself from jobs which he would
previously have been able to do with greater ease!
Fear of Heights
Working at significant heights can also be a problem for some aircraft maintenance
engineers, especially when doing ‘crown’ inspections (top of fuselage, etc.). Some
engineers may be quite at ease in situations like these whereas others may be so
uncomfortable that they are far more concerned about the height, and holding on to
the access equipment, than they are about the job in hand. In such situations, it is very
important that appropriate use is made of harnesses and safety ropes. These will not
necessarily remove the fear of heights, but will certainly help to reassure the engineer
and allow him to concentrate on the task in hand. The FAA’s hfskyway website
provides practical guidance to access equipment when working at height. Ultimately,
if an engineer finds working high up brings on phobic symptoms (such as severe
anxiety and panic), they should avoid such situations for safety’s sake. However, as
with claustrophobia, support from team members can be helpful.
Shortly before the Aloha accident, during maintenance, the inspector needed ropes
attached to the rafters of the hangar to prevent falling from the aircraft when it was
necessary to inspect rivet lines on top of the fuselage. Although unavoidable, this would
not have been conducive to ensuring that the inspection was carried out meticulously (nor
was it, as the subsequent accident investigation revealed). The NTSB investigation report
stated:
“Inspection of the rivets required inspectors to climb on scaffolding and move along the
upper fuselage carrying a bright light with them; in the case of an eddy current inspection,
the inspectors needed a probe, a meter, and a light. At times, the inspector needed ropes
attached to the rafters of the hangar to prevent falling from the airplane when it was
necessary to inspect rivet lines on top of the fuselage. Even if the temperatures were
comfortable and the lighting was good, the task of examining the area around one rivet
after another for signs of minute cracks while standing on scaffolding or on top of the
fuselage is very tedious. After examining more and more rivets and finding no cracks, it is
natural to begin to expect that cracks will not be found.”
and at heights is a feature of this trade. Problems associated with physical access are
not uncommon. Maintenance engineers and technicians often have to access, and
work in, very small spaces (e.g. in fuel tanks), cramped conditions (such as beneath
flight instrument panels, around rudder pedals), elevated locations (on cherry-pickers
or staging), sometimes in uncomfortable climatic or environmental conditions (heat,
cold, wind, rain, noise). This can be aggravated by aspects such as poor lighting or
having to wear breathing apparatus.
Physical Access and Claustrophobia
There are many circumstances where people may experience various levels of
physical or psychological discomfort when in an enclosed or small space, which is
generally considered to be quite normal. When this discomfort becomes extreme, it
is known as claustrophobia.
Claustrophobia can be defined as abnormal fear of being in an enclosed space.
It is quite possible that susceptibility to claustrophobia is not apparent at the start of
employment. It may come about for the first time because of an incident when
working within a confined space, e.g. panic if unable to extricate oneself from a fuel
tank. If an engineer suffers an attack of claustrophobia, they should make their
colleagues and supervisors aware so that if tasks likely to generate claustrophobia
cannot be avoided, at least colleagues may be able to assist in extricating the
engineer from the confined space quickly, and sympathetically. Engineers should
work in a team and assist one another if necessary, making allowances for the fact
that people come in all shapes and sizes and that it may be easier for one person to
access a space, than another. However, this should not be used as an excuse for an
engineer who has put on weight, to excuse himself from jobs which he would
previously have been able to do with greater ease!
Fear of Heights
Working at significant heights can also be a problem for some aircraft maintenance
engineers, especially when doing ‘crown’ inspections (top of fuselage, etc.). Some
engineers may be quite at ease in situations like these whereas others may be so
uncomfortable that they are far more concerned about the height, and holding on to
the access equipment, than they are about the job in hand. In such situations, it is very
important that appropriate use is made of harnesses and safety ropes. These will not
necessarily remove the fear of heights, but will certainly help to reassure the engineer
and allow him to concentrate on the task in hand. The FAA’s hfskyway website
provides practical guidance to access equipment when working at height. Ultimately,
if an engineer finds working high up brings on phobic symptoms (such as severe
anxiety and panic), they should avoid such situations for safety’s sake. However, as
with claustrophobia, support from team members can be helpful.
Shortly before the Aloha accident, during maintenance, the inspector needed ropes
attached to the rafters of the hangar to prevent falling from the aircraft when it was
necessary to inspect rivet lines on top of the fuselage. Although unavoidable, this would
not have been conducive to ensuring that the inspection was carried out meticulously (nor
was it, as the subsequent accident investigation revealed). The NTSB investigation report
stated:
“Inspection of the rivets required inspectors to climb on scaffolding and move along the
upper fuselage carrying a bright light with them; in the case of an eddy current inspection,
the inspectors needed a probe, a meter, and a light. At times, the inspector needed ropes
attached to the rafters of the hangar to prevent falling from the airplane when it was
necessary to inspect rivet lines on top of the fuselage. Even if the temperatures were
comfortable and the lighting was good, the task of examining the area around one rivet
after another for signs of minute cracks while standing on scaffolding or on top of the
fuselage is very tedious. After examining more and more rivets and finding no cracks, it is
natural to begin to expect that cracks will not be found.”
Managers and supervisors should attempt to make the job as comfortable and secure
as reasonably possible (e.g. providing knee pad rests, ensuring that staging does not
wobble, providing ventilation in enclosed spaces, etc.) and allow for frequent breaks
if practicable.
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