Practical Guide to Fire & Safety Risk Assessment

What is Fire Safety Risk Assessment?

Essentially it is the process of considering any aspect within the workplace that could cause harm to people or premises from fire. To determine both the possibility of a fire occurring together with the potential dangers from fire.

What do we mean by Risk?

“Fire Risk” or “Potential” can be defined as the Likelihood of a fire occurring multiplied by the Severity of the fire.

The potential of a fire hazard depends on the “opportunity for development” of a fire that originates from the hazard and then develops the potential consequences related to the loss or injury of both life & property.

The following white paper considers several challenges faced by EASA Regulatory Authorities to engage with a Performance-Based Approach in this case with Aircraft continuing airworthiness monitoring (ACAM) (however there is a read across into SMS).

Steve Bentley is MD of Sofema Aviation Services www.sassofia.com

The Role of EASA 

EASA commenced operations on September 28, 2003. Under the regulation, EASA initially has responsibility for: 

a) All design approvals
b) Continued airworthiness
c) Design organization approvals
d) Environmental certification
e) Approving production
f) Maintenance (repair station), and
g) Maintenance training organizations

How Effective is your Maintenance Error Management System (MEMS)?

The basic MEDA philosophy is based on an understanding that people do not intentionally make errors and that organizational factors play a significant and contributory role.

It is widely recognized that the majority of causal and contributory factors leading to an error can be managed. In addition developing root cause understandings, leads to a wider and more effective mitigation process.

Where do you Stand?

How many of the following questions can you answer?

The Top 13 Techniques, Attitudes, and Behaviours which may be Adopted by effective Trainers – Presented by Sofema Aviation Services www.sassofia.com

1. How to Attract Attention

Being able to Engage with the students and maintaining interest and attention is very important, this requires familiarity with adult learning behaviours.

2. Keeping Attention

Engaging with a range of techniques that focus on maintaining the interest of the delegate is important – how to achieve it?

3. Avoid Unrelated Theory

Keeping attention means also keeping interest and staying on message is a positive way to ensure this.

How to deliver Performance Audits?

One example concerns a process or concept which is known as Total Quality Management (TQM) if TQM is effectively embedded within the organisation it can play a significant role and serve as a driving force to improve performance.

As with all effective business processes it requires ownership and a timeline to deliver.

If the organisation system process is to be improved, then that system must be understood in terms of all key elements:

Industry Steering Committee (ISC) Role

A team composed of delegates from:

The proposed or actual operators

Manufacturers (do not “own” the process)

Regulators - typically chair the process

The activities of the ISC are to essentially follow Advisory Circular AC 121-22A, based on:

Use of ATA MSG 3 methodology to develop the scheduled maintenance program for a given aircraft systems structure and engines.

The U.S. government has a bilateral agreement in place with the European Union, rather than EASA.

The U.S./EU Agreement covers more areas than bilateral agreements the U.S. has with other countries.

It is a three-tiered agreement.

a) The highest tier is the Executive Agreement, which provides the framework for all cooperation between the U.S. and the EU in the area of aviation safety.
b) The second tier is the Annexes.

- Annex 1 covers airworthiness and environmental certification, and
- Annex 2 covers maintenance.

To be approved following 14 CFR Part 145, under the terms of this Annex, the AMO shall comply with all of the following Special Conditions:

The AMO shall submit an application in a form and a manner acceptable to the FAA.

a) The application for both initial and renewed FAA certification shall include:

i. A statement demonstrating that the FAA repair station certificate and/or rating is necessary for maintaining or altering U.S.-registered aeronautical products or foreign-registered aeronautical products operated under the provisions of 14 CFR.

Accountable Directorate:

The aircraft certification directorate with final authority, accountability, and responsibility for type certification programs, the development of airworthiness standards, and the development and standardization of technical policy for an assigned product and a specific part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR).

Aircraft Certification Office (ACO):

The aircraft certification directorate’s engineering operational element. This office administers and secures compliance with agency regulations, programs, standards, and procedures governing the type design of aircraft, aircraft engines, or propellers. The term “ACO” also refers to the Engine Certification Office (ECO), the Rotorcraft Certification Office (RCO) the Special Certification Office (SCO), and the Military Certification Office (MCO).

Objective

Only Maintenance Staff Qualified and Trained to certify CAT II & CAT III systems may return to serviceability following defect rectification.

All Company and Contracted technical personnel working on company aircraft must complete pre-authorisation training. “CAT II/III A” Awareness Course “Read and Sign Training” before working on, or managing, Company aircraft.

NOTE - This does not constitute Release authority for Auto-Land operations.

SofemaOnline www.sofemaonline.com takes a look at the FAA Training Requirements to comply with AC 120-29A

Initial and Recurrent Maintenance Training

a. Maintenance personnel should be knowledgeable regarding the information contained in this AC and 14 CFR related to any significant aspects of LLM that may pertain to maintenance.

Operator and contract maintenance personnel including mechanics, maintenance controllers, avionics technicians, personnel performing maintenance inspection or quality assurance, or other engineering personnel if applicable, should receive initial and recurrent training as necessary for an effective program.

Introduction

The Continuous Airworthiness Management Organization “CAMO” is essentially responsible for 4 primary functions - Planning, Technical Records, Engineering, and Reliability. These groups work together to ensure that the Aircraft remains fully compliant with all requirements concerning aircraft maintenance management and associated oversight.

Within the CAMO the Maintenance Planning, Technical Records, Engineering & Reliability groups work together to ensure that the aircraft remains fully compliant with all requirements concerning aircraft maintenance management and associated oversight.

Within the CAMO department,t the Maintenance Planning Group has a range of responsibilities including:

Introduction

With modern aircraft, the basic aircraft provides CAT II/CAT III as inherent functions of the basic design standard of the aircraft.

Therefore, typical related “Autoland” tasks are covered by the respective AMM Task-driven from the maintenance program.

Typically, it is not necessary for the introduction of additional or special recommendations for scheduled maintenance tasks.

Nevertheless, operators are expected to demonstrate compliance with supplemental national requirements whenever applicable.

Considering the relationship between Aviation Quality and Aviation Safety, together with the relationship between Quality Assurance Auditing and Safety Assurance Auditing in Aviation

Often it is apparent there is some confusion between the specific functions of the two different undertakings namely a quality assurance management system and that of a safety assurance management system.

So consider that Quality is essentially looking at compliance, and Safety is looking at Risk.
In essence, Quality Assurance is determining gaps based on noncompliance with either the regulatory requirements or organisational requirements.

SofemaOnline - www.sofemaonline.com takes a look at the rules

Operator Obligations

An Operator must establish procedures and instructions to be used for Low Visibility Take-Off and Category II and III operations.

These procedures must be included in the Operations Manual with approval by the Authority.

The procedures shall contain the duties of flight crew members during taxiing, take-off, approach, flare, landing, roll-out, and missed approach as appropriate.

Steve Bentley MD of Sofema Aviation Services www.sassofia.com explains

It is very healthy within the organisation to ensure that the Post Holder can deliver Compliance Independently of the QM (CM) - Explain

Consider the Role of the Aviation Quality System within the European Aviation Safety Agency “EASA”

Consider the following role definitions and responsibilities:

- First, the Accountable Manager is responsible for the Quality System which includes both elements of Quality Control and Quality Assurance;

Introduction

Aviation Maintenance Error is not only insidious but it also has the potential to lead to incidents and accidents.

Senior Management including the Executive Leadership Team as well as Line Managers should understand the key principles of error management. To ensure a positive learning culture together with the ability to drive change which will minimise exposure and prevent reoccurrence.

Considering the role of Maintenance Error Decision Aid (MEDA) within the context of an effective Maintenance Error Management System Process.

An Effective MEMS system not only provides a mechanism for conducting thorough and consistent investigations, the outcome of which identifies both the root cause and the contributing causes, related to a specific maintenance event.

Over the last decades we have come to understand that a significant number of very serious flight safety events have been caused by Maintenance Error.