Safety, Human Factors and Regulatory Requirements
Domain focus: This section covers safe engine operation and maintenance, human factors that cause error, and the regulatory framework that requires reporting and records under PNG CASA.
Safety and human factors
- Engine hazards include FOD, high-pressure fuel, ignition voltage, hot surfaces, rotating machinery, noise and fire. Use tool control, lockout/tagout, PPE and fire watch.
- Human factors: fatigue, complacency, time pressure, poor communication, inadequate lighting and normalised deviation. Errors are usually system-induced, not simply individual carelessness.
- Regulatory requirements include maintenance records, certification, occurrence reporting and safety management. Report defects and exceedances honestly; the purpose is safety, not blame.
Worked example
A night-shift technician leaves a fuel union without lockwire after a pump change. The reasoning chain: fatigue, poor lighting, interruption and no independent check. The leak may not show until fuel pressure rises. Prevention: task interruption control, tool and parts control, a second check on safety-critical connections, and a just-culture report. The lesson is that human factors are part of the maintenance system.
Traps
Do not blame an individual without examining the system; do not skip tool control; do not work alone on live fuel or ignition systems; do not fail to report an exceedance; do not treat records as paperwork separate from safety.