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An effective safety program for maintenance operations is a basic requirement in all Army aviation units. Everyone in the unit must constantly be alert to recognize and correct potentially dangerous safety hazards immediately. All personnel must understand the hazards of working around aircraft and know the other safety principles discussed here.
E-1. An aviation accident is seldom caused by a single factor such as human error or materiel failure. Accidents are more likely to result from a series of incidents. This fact must be recognized in developing an aviation accident prevention program. The following areas require constant command attention to prevent aviation accidents:
E-2. The USASC has found that human error accounts for approximately 80 percent of total mishaps. Maintenance-related mishaps do account for a percentage of total mishaps. As expected, more complex aircraft have higher maintenance mishap rates. At unit level, commanders and maintenance supervisors must ensure that their personnel know of maintenance errors generated in their own units. They can be made aware of those in other units by examples found in Flightfax and other publications. All maintenance activities and personnel must strictly adhere to published maintenance procedures and apply risk management/risk assessment at all levels of operations.
E-3. AR 385-10 regulates overall safety. One important aspect of this regulation is that it integrates Occupational Safety and Health Act requirements into the Army Safety Program. AR 385-95 regulates the Army Aviation Accident Prevention Program. DA Pam 385-40 covers accident investigation and reporting. Personnel who have key responsibilities in the unit’s aviation accident prevention program are the commander, the safety officer, all aviators, the flight surgeon, and the unit safety NCO. A complete knowledge of aviation personnel, materiel, and operations is necessary to establish and maintain an effective aviation accident prevention plan. The plan must be tailored to the mission and requirements of the command. All activities that affect aviation operations must be considered.
E-4. Accidents and injuries can seriously reduce the unit’s ability to complete its required mission. The unit commander must ensure that all personnel know proper operation and safety-associated procedures for all aircraft, vehicles, equipment, tools, and machinery. Soldiers are responsible for protecting equipment and the lives of fellow soldiers. Therefore, they must actively participate in safety programs. The primary responsibility for safety for all maintenance work performed on the aircraft or on its components rests with the QC section.
E-5. Unit commanders are responsible for ensuring that all activities of their units are conducted according to established safety rules and regulations. These regulations include ARs 385-40 and 385-95, DA Pam 385-40, and other required local directives. Unit commanders are also responsible for determining the cause of accidents and for making certain that corrections are made to prevent their recurrence. They must be aware of, and enforce, all safety regulations established by higher headquarters. When a deviation from an established safety rule is desired, unit commanders are responsible for requesting permission to do this. This request, including full particulars and detailed plans and specifications, is submitted to the appropriate headquarters. However, unit commanders cannot rely on the safety programs of higher headquarters to ensure the safety of their people. They must also establish their own programs and become personally involved in implementing them.
E-6. Effective supervision is the key to accident prevention. In their daily contact with soldiers, supervisors are in a position personally to observe working conditions and hazards. Supervisors must apply all established accident prevention measures in daily operations. They should conduct meetings with their subordinates frequently at regular intervals to brief them on safety procedures, to get their suggestions on improving safety practices, and to announce any new safety procedures. Such meetings should be held in the work area. The agenda should include the following:
E-7. All personnel must be aware of the safety rules established for their individual and collective protection. Each person is responsible for reading and following all unit SOPs, instructions, operating procedures, checklists, and other safety-related data. Personnel must then apply all cautions and safeguards in their everyday work areas. Soldiers are responsible for bringing to their supervisor’s attention safety voids, hazards, and unsafe or incomplete procedures. Each soldier must follow through until the problem is corrected, then cooperate in developing and practicing safe working habits. The unit commander should make certain that this spirit of cooperation prevails throughout the unit.
E-8. A shop that is below standard cannot put out quality work. Therefore, the TI conducts an informal inspection of the various shops periodically and brings any deficiencies or safety hazards to the attention of the shop supervisor. A file of all safety inspections is kept in the QC section and a file copy is kept in the subject area inspected.
E-9. The USASC publication, Guide to Aviation Resources Management for Aircraft Mishap Prevention, is one publication that outlines safety procedures. ARMS Commander's Guide is available at the following worldwide web address: http://www.forscom.army.mil/avn/. It has guidance on inspection requirements of the TI. Copies of the guide may be obtained from the unit safety officer. Minor changes to the guide appear in the USASC publication, Flightfax, which is distributed monthly to all aviation units. Other publications outlining specific safety precautions are FM 4-20.12(10-67-1) and TM 1-1500-204-23 series. The following safety questions should be considered by the TI during inspection.