Engineering Homework Help

Read thread and reply the thread. The replies must be at least 250 words each. Each reply must incorporate at least one scholarly citation(s) in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the most current sources you can find which likely means the Internet. Make sure to cite all facts in text.

Thread 1 

In this module, we learned about Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Safety is a vital role in the aviation industry without it there would not be anyone who would want to fly or travel in airplanes at all.  Over time, the Aviation industry became the safest but still a high-risk occupation. Of course, how it got there was because rules were written blood and in turn create safe measures.  OSHA is an organization basically that checks out if a company is practicing safe operations and it is not limited to only aviation but to every industrial company. At the internship I worked at, I cleaned up the hydraulic fluid that was spilled everywhere in the tail of Gulfstream and outside of it. Now, the fluid is acid-base which is Skydrol and very harmful to the skin and eyes. Such a harmful substance I was exposed to, but I was prepared by wearing gloves and eyewear protection. To be honest, I did not experience a training program because I only got a one-month internship, but I could tell they did indeed have one, but it was done online.  In terms of controls, I believe the use of having shop rags and readily available isopropyl alcohol and an interface is provided for anything that is needed to get. I believe it is proactive, normally the workers request more items like isopropyl alcohol, it is normally an immediate response. Safety meetings are normally held with the mechanics, since it is a small corporate company, it normally has a senior mechanic from both branches and the maintenance control and director of maintenance.  to be honest, I do not have the recommendation to optimize safety, I think it is very safe to work at the internship I did because I see the mechanics constantly wear eye wears, hearing protection. Unlike the other company I visited at one point, some workers wore safety glasses, and some do not and some for hearing protection.

Thread 2

Safety

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Bible Gateway Passage: Proverbs 11:14 – English Standard Version, n.d.).  When we look at the work of technicians, safety is an important topic that needs to be thought of, addressed, and talked about often.  The counselors that Proverbs 11:14 speak of are the safety policies and procedures that a company has, the notes and the warnings in the manuals that we use, and rules and regulations provided to the workers from OSHA.  Using all of these items will guide everyone to a more safe environment, protecting themselves and those they are working around.  If we do not take the time to listen to our counselors, we cannot learn the lessons that will keep us safe.

As technicians facing hazards everyday we are at work, we would be wise to keep safety at the front of our minds.  Electrical, chemicals, noise, fluids, pressure, heat, cold, heights, and the list goes on for safety issues.  When we look at these hazards, all of them can be controlled to mitigate the risk associated.  These controls can come from either administrative, or engineering.  When working on an aircraft, a lot of the engineering controls would come from the manufacturer in the form of documentation, or the manuals.  These will spell out the safety issues to be considering during the performance of the work.  Paying attention to and understanding the warnings and cautions written in the manual will provide a level of safety.  Some administrative controls include permits, such as when entering a fuel tank to perform work, this is important because of the possibility of lack of oxygen in the space, fuel vapors, and with the confinement of the space, all could affect the safety of the job.  Other controls could be filling out the forms for such items as the lock out/tag out (LOTO), inspecting equipment prior to use and tagging out as necessary. 

As aircraft technicians, we are bombarded regularly with issues of safety.  Besides the administrative and engineering controls that are in place, training has to be implemented on a regular basis, technicians need to know and understand the polices and procedures, what they mean to them, and how to apply.  Training can be on how to inspect and use the equipment that is available, how to use the LOTO, understanding chemicals, there disposal and MSDS sheets, and even at times it would be good to know how heat and cold weather can affect the body, the importance of dressing appropriately and hydrating to protect yourself.  Most importantly training needs to be ongoing with the aircraft, systems, descriptions and operations, having this information will allow the technician to better understand what dangers are present and how to navigate them.

“Your company should be concerned about your safety, facilitate it, and provide a safe working environment; but in the end, it is your responsibility to ensure your own safety. Make your decisions wisely” (Mostia, 2006). Safety should be a priority for everyone in the company, but when it comes to keeping yourself safe it is ultimately your responsibility.  If the company issues out safety glasses, it is on you to make sure that they are used to protect your eyes.  There is an old saying that the warnings in the manuals are written in blood, meaning someone was either injured or even killed to bring about that warning.  I think that a lot of the rules and regulations of safety at one point were reactive, we need to hurry up to ensure a situation that occurred, doesn’t occur again, but if we head these warnings and take the steps necessary to protect ourselves, we are being proactive with our safety.  It could be something as simple as spilling some oil and cleaning it up immediately to reduce the risk of a slip and fall.  Safety is ongoing, it will never rest, and neither should we.  If we want to better protect ourselves and those that we work with, the biggest change we can make is to give the power to those that are working to be able to voice their thoughts and enact change that will affect them.  It is one thing for a person working in a safety office many miles away to say this is what we need to do, it is another thing to get the thoughts, opinions and ideas from those that are working.  Those are the ones that we need to be listening too to enact the change.