Introduction

Aviation Maintenance Error is not only insidious but it also has the potential to lead to incidents and accidents.

Senior Management including the Executive Leadership Team as well as Line Managers should understand the key principles of error management. To ensure a positive learning culture together with the ability to drive change which will minimise exposure and prevent reoccurrence.

Considering the role of Maintenance Error Decision Aid (MEDA) within the context of an effective Maintenance Error Management System Process.

An Effective MEMS system not only provides a mechanism for conducting thorough and consistent investigations, the outcome of which identifies both the root cause and the contributing causes, related to a specific maintenance event.

Over the last decades we have come to understand that a significant number of very serious flight safety events have been caused by Maintenance Error.

The Focus of this blog is to consider the inter-relationship between Maintenance Error Management Systems (MEMS) – (typically using the Boeing Maintenance Error Decision Aid as a primary tool) and Safety Management through Human Factor Learning within the context of a viable Safety Management System.

What is the Purpose of MEMS?

The rationale behind a MEMS System is to identify any situations which may “promote” the potential for error. In addition to facilitate (using the organisational framework) the risk based decision making process which will lead to stronger defences.

Driving Safety Management System (SMS) Value from your Aviation Maintenance Error Management System (MEMS).
Throughout our Industry we know that Maintenance Errors cost millions of Euros every year through the need for rework, delays and lost revenue. (To consider also the potential to introduce safety related exposures.)

What is MEDA?

Boeing developed the MEDA process to assist maintenance organisations identify why events occur and how to prevent them in the future.

MEDA provides a process for conducting thorough and consistent investigations, determining the factors that lead to an event and making improvements to reduce the likelihood of future incidents.

Sofema Aviation Services (www.sassofia.com) considers the challenges to be found during the implementation & delivery of an effective Maintenance Error Management System (MEMS) within an EASA Part 145 Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO)

Tensions between the desire to ensure safety behaviours and the organisations economic objectives (Production versus Protection) deliver real challenges which have a direct bearing on safety culture.

What is an Aviation Maintenance Safety Culture?

The Role of Maintenance Error Management Systems (MEMS)

The ability of the organisation to investigate Maintenance Error is a valuable tool to understand causal, contributory and root elements and to develop and provide appropriate mitigation's to reduce ongoing exposure.

If we wish to minimize re-occurrence we should address not only the root cause (or causes) of a given outcome, but to also consider all the contributing causes (and there could be many!) as this will have a significant positive impact on the lowering of the threat level (reduction in exposure).

To consider the differences and the advantages of bringing together the elements associated with MEDA and the analytical capacity which is available within the SMS system.

Maintenance Error Management System (MEMS) which is typically represented by “Maintenance Error Decision Aid” (MEDA) as developed by Boeing is an effective way of analyzing events (initially MEDA was developed to facilitate the analysis of incidents and accidents – At the inception its use was employed where there was an adverse outcome; however it was subsequently extended and it is now typically found to be also be employed for the investigation of events.