SCRAPING OFF THE RUST BY BRETT LEVANTO, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, AERONAUTICAL REPAIR STATION ASSOCIATION


I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year studying human factors in aviation. ARSA has already


released three sessions in its ongoing training series on the topic, which I’ve been helping to author and present. By the end of the year, the volume of content available from the association on the subject will have quadrupled (keep your eye out for new releases). Sometimes human factors study presents surprises,


paradoxes and unexpected connections that can challenge managers and technicians in terms of workload, performance and…inevitably…safety. Controlling “fatigue,” which has a rightful place in the “dirty dozen” of human factors-related culprits impacting aviation work, presents just such a paradox. Here it is: Overwork can lead to fatigue, that makes


sense, but so can…underwork? ARSA’s “dirty dozen in depth” training sessions always


begin with the plain language defi nition of the element being studied. The Merriam-Webster explanation of “fatigue,” includes both “weariness or exhaustion from labor, exertion, or stress” and also “indiff erence or apathy brought on by overexposure” – the wearing down based on repetition, boredom and consistency. The term “burnout” is recognized not just in the


workplace, but throughout modern life. Anyone with high demand on their time or talent is at risk of “burning out,” becoming exhausted by prolonged activity or frustration. Its cousin, “rust-out,” can be just as dangerous. If


you think about the illustrative qualities of burning and rusting, you’ll get the idea: Either through intense energy or prolonged inactivity, a tool, mechanism or even a person ceases normal function. Victims of rust-out face few challenges and usually


are stuck repeating or completing tasks they’ve long ago mastered and/or that require no mental exertion. This state can be as fatiguing as burnout and leads to the same errors of inattention. In a maintenance environment, in your facility, consider which employees might be “burning” or “rusting.” In either case, the resulting fatigue may lead to mistakes, attrition or other drags on effi ciency. You can’t recruit stainless steel technicians or spray- paint your current ones. So, to avoid rust you must be


considerate of the professional challenges facing your people and don’t be afraid to introduce new work or training for those who might be stagnating due to the stillness of repetition. Consider your local swimming pool. While kids go


through their swim lessons, teams practice laps and dives and senior citizens dance in the shallow end, the lifeguards regularly rotate their coverage. This is done in a specifi c way, with each individual procedurally ensuring constant visual coverage of the pool and exchange of necessary information. This rotation is an industry recognized practiced for minimizing fatigue and forestalling performance failures. If you think of fatigue only in the sense of being


overworked, the high-rate rotation of teenage lifeguards doesn’t make sense. Surely a healthy young person can manage more than 15 minutes of sitting and looking at a pool. On the contrary, it is the very inaction, the regularity, the sameness of the task that demands constant change. By providing physical movement, a new perspective and the mental rigor required to follow the procedure at close intervals, the team can prevent the rust from getting into their eyes. The same concept can be brought to any work


environment. Regular breaks, changes in responsibly or activity and understanding the relationship between these needs and performance is incumbent on both organizations and individuals. How can you replicate this experience in


your facility? Do you already provide rotational opportunities? How do you mitigate the threat of repetition on a small team? You likely know how to handle (or prevent) rust on metal…share with me (brett.levanto@arsa.org) how you keep it off your people.


Brett Levanto is vice president of operations of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C. managing fi rm and client communications in conjunction with regulatory and legislative policy initiatives. He provides strategic and logistical support for the Aeronautical Repair Station Association.


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HelicopterMaintenanceMagazine.com August | September 2019


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