In recent years our industry has experienced a change in management culture, an ever increasing focus on the personal bonus for management, and the demand for shareholders value prevailing over the welfare of American employees who are the one great asset of a company’s success.
While companies need to try to survive by any means possible, the AMT has no choice but to continue to follow the rules and regulations in the ever changing policy and procedure manuals and work instructions. We also have to follow the FARs, worry about the FAA and their regulations, and ensure that we follow it all correctly to keep our jobs and our licenses.
The policies and procedures we must adhere to when performing maintenance are in place to protect us by sustaining compliance to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs). Not following the policies, procedures, and regulations puts us in an “at risk” position for Regulatory Action. In order to prevent the opportunity for this “at risk” situation, you need to familiarize yourself with the maintenance manuals including company policy and procedure manuals, manufacturer’s manuals, and FARs, and you must maintain compliance. In addition, take a proactive stance toward safety. Submit an ASAP report about safety concerns to your ASAP Team, even if it is just an informational report.
Carefully follow manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that the work is completed as specified, and always refer to up-to-date instructions and manuals when performing a task. Remember, even well-meaning, motivated, experienced technicians can make mistakes. Learning about and adhering to sound risk management practices can also help prevent common errors that can lead to tragic consequences.
To summarize, take the time to finish your paperwork correctly, and document all maintenance, regardless how trivial the part or procedure. We work in a dynamic environment and need to be constantly checking ourselves. We need to ensure that we put out the best and safest product. Do not skip steps, incorrectly document procedures, or get stressed by time constraints. We are the best in the industry and we need to maintain this current status and make sure we do not receive any safety violations, LOIs, or have to face the loss of a job.