Editor’s Notebook: Personal Minimums

In February and March we published a two-part series on the critical nature of procedural compliance. We have received tremendous positive feedback on those articles. Everyone from the FAA to the airlines has contacted me to discuss those articles. I just wanted to thank you all for letting us know that you enjoyed learning from the information presented in them. It’s always good to know when we are hitting the mark with the information we provide and I appreciate hearing from you about that. Kudos go out to Ed Mitchell, the writer of those articles, for condensing the information from his thesis on the same topic.

As I mentioned, the FAA and I spoke recently about this subject. While we were talking, Phil Randall, FAAST Team guru for the FAA, told me about another area that he often preaches about to maintenance technicians but that he said often gets overlooked by individuals — personal minimums.

We’ve all heard the cliché "a ticket to learn" associated with achieving A&P certification. It seems we should be stressing that the learning an A&P will need to do is about more than how many foot/pounds of torque a part should be tightened to. It should also include learning about decision-making, especially with regards to your own capabilities and the resources available to you. Phil sent this personal minimums checklist that he recommends to accomplish before and after tasks. No doubt, most of you do this checklist routinely everyday, perhaps even subconsciously. But I think it bears repeating and perhaps even posting on the floor or break room and reviewing on a regular basis.

Let’s take a look at a couple of these personal minimums. One asks, "Have I taken the proper safety precautions to perform the task." You could run down a list like this: Have I ensured my own safety? Eye protection, hearing protection, fall protection, etc. Have I ensured the safety of my co-workers? Controls flagged, danger zones marked, etc. Have I ensured the safety of the asset? Are the aircraft and its contents secure? How many of you have witnessed or been a party to an aircraft that was improperly hoisted and watched in horror as it dropped and was damaged.

Another personal minimum asks, "Do I have the knowledge to perform the task?" It may be difficult to do, even for a new-hire, and especially for someone who has been with the company for a while, but if you haven’t ever performed the task and have not been trained on it, you must ask for help. In this industry, like no other I know of, the more experienced technicians are always willing to take the time to teach their colleagues the proper way to perform the task. So don’t let your pride get in the way. If you don’t know how to do it, or have never done it before, ask.

Please review this checklist often and encourage your workforce to do the same. If you have safety meetings or team meetings of any kind, make this checklist a topic for discussion among your technicians. Even if you have a very experienced workforce, a discussion of these personal minimums may enlighten a technician or even a manager about the circumstances under which they work.

After the Task:

• Did I perform the task to the best of my abilities?

• Was the job task performed to be equal to the original?

• Was the job task performed in accordance with appropriate data?

• Did I use all the methods, techniques and practices acceptable to the industry?

• Did I perform the job task without pressures, stress and distractions?

• Did I re-inspect my work or have someone inspect my work before return to service?

• Did I make the proper record entries for the work performed?

• Did I perform the operational checks after the work was completed?

• Am I willing to sign on the bottom line for the work performed?

• Am I willing to fly in the aircraft once it is approved for the return to service?

Airworthiness Aviation Safety Program Federal Aviation Administration

Maintenance "Personal Minimums" Checklist

Before the Task:

• Do I have the knowledge to perform the task?

• Do I have the technical data to perform the task?

• Have I performed the task previously?

• Do I have the proper tools and equipment to perform the task?

• Have I had the proper training to support the job task?

• Am I mentally prepared to perform the job task?

• Am I physically prepared to perform the task?

• Have I taken the proper safety precautions to perform the task?

• Do I have the resources available to perform the task?

• Have I researched the FARs to ensure compliance?