A SofemaOnline Review (www.sofemaonline.com)

Compliance Auditing – Understanding the Process

Compliance Auditing is typically charged with meeting the challenge of ensuring that the organisation always remains fully compliant with both internal and external obligations.

In the complex environment delivered by EASA & GCAA, it is necessary to have a proactive approach to maintaining a full understanding of all regulatory obligations.

Compliance Auditing brings with it the daily challenge of ensuring that the organisation remains at all times fully compliant with both internal and external obligations.

It is essential to ensure robust and continuous oversight of all internal processes, and procedures. The various departments must continue to meet all applicable internal and EASA driven regulatory requirements.

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel 

Introduction to Work Logging and Recording 

Maybe the description belies the importance of the subject however the reality is that correctly recording work, which has been carried out, as well as how we document and hand over any outstanding tasks is of significant importance and creates multiple human factor exposures.

Inadequate recording of work carried out has been cited as a contributing factor in several incidents.

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel 

What do we Mean by Complex Systems?

Essentially all large modern aircraft can be described as complex systems. But this is just the beginning because integrated organisations are also in themselves complicated systems and the combination of both together creates multiple exposures within the realm of Human Factor related errors, incidents & accidents.

Engaging with Complex Systems

Within the aircraft environment, a simple system should cause no problems in itself, with engineers being trained and possessing the appropriate competence to fully engage with the challenge of addressing the various problems.

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel

What are Repetitive Tasks?

When we talk about “repetitive tasks”, we mean tasks which are performed several times during a shift (Daily check or Transit Check for example). There are more mundane tasks, for example, checking aircraft life jackets. What happens physiologically is that as a person becomes complacent his alertness decreases along with his performance.

Repetitive tasks are essential tasks which require a low level of mental acuity. Such tasks can quickly become tedious and therefore induce a low level of arousal within the worker.

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel

Introduction

Any pressure we feel can lead to stress and stress can lead to human error. Current minimum turn-around times place additional pressure on maintenance staff and create a challenge for any defects which are found and the steps which need to be taken.

Considerations related to an AOC (EASA) introduction by www.sofemaonline.com

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 10 Air Legislation compliant training for third country workshop personnel.

An Air Operator Certificate (AOC) is a European Required certificate that allows an operator to perform specific operations of commercial air transport.

The Air Operator Certificate certifies that the operator has both ability and the necessary organization to guarantee the conditions required for safe aircraft operations in respect of the activities described in the certificate. 

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel

Introduction

Stress is often associated with anxiety, fear, fatigue, and hostility. It can also arise as a result of feelings of inadequacy, where we may feel we don't have the appropriate experience, knowledge, or capability to complete our allocated tasks.

All these feelings can have a direct and negative impact on performance. In fact, our performance will generally improve with the onset of stress however it will then peak and begin to degrade rapidly as stress levels exceed our abilities to handle the situation.

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel 

Fitness and Health

Aircraft maintenance certifying staff and technicians often undertake work which is physically demanding as well as being called on to work in multiple environments include cold and heat, wind and rain.

Fitness and health can have a significant effect upon job performance (both physical and cognitive). Day to day fitness can be reduced through illness (physical or mental) or injury.

If you are asking the question - How Can I become an EASA Part 147 Instructor - You are in the right place! 

SofemaOnline takes a look at how to achieve your goal of becoming an Aviation Instructor! 

What Does EASA Say about becoming an EASA aircraft maintenance instructor?

Part 147-A.105 (f), state that the experience and qualifications of instructors, knowledge examiners, and practical assessors shall be established in accordance with criteria published or in accordance with a procedure and to a standard agreed by the competent authority. 

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel

Maintenance Management Focus

Supervisors and Managers have an important role to ensuring that safety and safe working practices is a top down leadership “led” objective which is instilled in mechanics and certifying staff and visible throughout the business.

Considering Supervisors

The supervisor’s role is somewhat different to the manager role as the supervisor position requires a more “hands on” approach, to the potential for errors to be made by technicians and certifying staff.

Sofemaonline.com offers online training including EASA Part 66 Module 9 Human Factors compliant training for third country workshop personnel

Introduction

Social Psychology looks at the interactions as well as the pressure a group places on its individual members.

Individuals are responsible for themselves, their successes and failures. People may also hold others or be held by others as responsible for any action (or inaction). It is usual to find that relationships vary from an environment where groups have very clear and explicit rules that keep people in line to groups where the rules or pressures are more subtle.

Presented by Sofema Aviation Services (www.sassofia.com) and Sofema Online (www.sofemaonline.com)

Within the EASA Part 145 environment SMS is inextricably linked to HF working and behaviours, as well as culture and attitude within the workplace.

What does a “GOOD” Organisation look like?

Consider the following and let’s call them “Positive Organizational Characteristics”.

Comment by SofemaOnline (www.sofemaonline.com)

Introduction

The New Basic Regulation 2018/1139 establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework for aviation safety throughout the EU.

In particular, it provides for the continued establishment of EASA and the adoption by the European Commission of implementing regulations on aviation safety.

These implementing regulations also ensure that EU member states can meet their obligations under the wider convention on international civil aviation, known as the Chicago convention.

Sofema Online (www.sofemaonline.com) considers the continuing airworthiness obligations based on compliance with EASA Basic regulation EC 2018/1139

ANNEX II Essential Requirements for Airworthiness

1.5. Continuing airworthiness

1.5.1. All necessary documents including instructions for continuing airworthiness must be established and made available to ensure that the airworthiness standard related to the aircraft type and any associated part is maintained throughout the operational life of the aircraft.

1.5.2. Means must be provided to allow inspection, adjustment, lubrication, removal or replacement of parts and non- installed equipment as necessary for continuing airworthiness.

SOL (www.sofemaonline.com) looks at Measuring the Effectiveness of the Aviation Organisation’s QC Management 

QC Belongs to Production

As an Introduction and to share as a common understanding within the EASA system that Quality Assurance QA is independent & QC is essentially embodied within the production process.

Please consider the following elements:

Introduction by Sofema Online www.sofemaonline.com

The European Commission in 2015 issued the Aviation Strategy for Europe and laid the foundation for the development of Basic Regulation 2018/1139 with a number of high level objectives.

The Regulation was formally adopted by the European Parliament in June 2018 and Entered into Force 11 September 2018.

The new Basic Regulation 2018/1139 is the cornerstone of the EU regulatory framework in civil aviation, and is a significant piece of legislation with far reaching implications.

Main changes include the following:

Steve Bentley CEO of Sofema (www.sassofia.com) looks at the challenges and obligations related to the auditing of SMS systems.

SMS is a business system just like any other, so as part of our Compliance Auditing obligations we will be looking at the following elements as suitable for our auditing activities.

a) Management
b) Documentation
c) Competence
d) Training

A Process review by SofemaOnline (www.sofemaonline.com) 

Background 

Continuous improvement (CI) is an ongoing effort aimed at delivering improvements to the existing business process. It is important to note that CI is not just a "Top Down" approach. In fact, CI works best in an environment of a positive culture prepared to accept change.

When we talk about Continuous Improvements, we are typically emphasizing a positive change in the area of:

SofemaOnline (www.sofemaonline.com) looks at the challenges which an auditor faces when searching for non-conformities.

Introduction

Compliance Auditing is typically charged with meeting the challenge of ensuring that the organisation always remains fully compliant with both internal and external obligations.

Aviation is a complex environment and the challenge of staying fully aligned with the EASA regulations at all levels requires a proactive approach to maintaining a full understanding of all the applicable regulatory obligations.

Steven Bentley CEO of Sofema (www.sassofia.com) considers European Council Regulation 2018/1139 (Basic Regulation)

Applicability

Aerodromes which are not open to public use or aerodromes which do not serve commercial air transport or aerodromes without paved instrument runways of more than 800 metres and which do not exclusively serve helicopters using instrument approach or departure procedures remain under the regulatory control of the Member States.

Member States should be allowed to exempt from this Regulation aerodromes with low volumes of traffic, provided that the aerodromes concerned meet the minimum common safety objectives laid down in the relevant essential requirements set out in this Regulation.