Aircraft Maintenance Technology

An understanding of the importance of human factors to aircraft maintenance engineering is essential to anyone considering a career as a licensed aircraft engineer. Human factors impinges on everything an engineer does in the course of their job in one way or another, from communicating effectively with colleagues to ensuring they have adequate lighting to carry out their tasks. Knowledge of this subject has a significant impact on the safety standards expected of the aircraft maintenance engineer.

"Human factors" refers to the study of human capabilities and limitations in the workplace. Human factors researchers study system performance. That is, they study the interaction of maintenance personnel, the equipment they use, the written and verbal procedures and rules they follow, and the environmental conditions of any system. The aim of human factors is to optimise the relationship between maintenance personnel and systems with a view to improving safety, efficiency and well-being”.

Just as certain mechanical components used in aircraft maintenance engineering have limitations, engineers themselves have certain capabilities and limitations that must be considered when looking at the maintenance engineering ‘system’.

For instance, rivets used to attach aluminium skin to a fuselage can withstand forces that act to pull them apart. It is clear that that these rivets will eventually fail if enough force is applied to them. While the precise range of human capabilities and limitations might not be as well-defined as the performance range of mechanical or electrical components, the same principles apply in that human performance is likely to degrade and eventually ‘fail’ under certain conditions (e.g. stress).