The traditional concept of security is zero-risk and zero-failure, but it is an ideal that cannot be achieved in terms of the reality and the statistical probability of technology. With the rapid development of aviation technology, aviation equipment and hardware are becoming more and more sophisticated, which relatively reflects the importance of human factors. The rapid development of new technologies has greatly improved the reliability of aerospace products and accessories, and the trend of declining quality has gradually increased the probability of unexpected incidents caused by human error.
Therefore, human factors are the main cause of dangerous events or catastrophes, and fatigue is one of the main factors affecting human factors.
The so-called Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) is currently being developed internationally to effectively reduce the damage caused by fatigue.
The FRMS is built under the safety management system and effectively manages the fatigue risk of the team members through a multi-level personnel fatigue hazard control mechanism. This system is currently used primarily in the field of aviation flight, and is usually able to cope with threats such as falling asleep in the "continuous control work" of flying a plane. The FRMS will also be gradually applied to the maintenance-oriented fatigue risk management system in the field of aviation maintenance, pointing out that in many maintenance work “especially involving focused visual attention, communication or a large amount of work relying on memory”, especially Susceptible to fatigue. Sleeping is not the main hazard faced by aviation maintenance personnel. The biggest threat is the psychological function involved in fatigue, and the possibility of it causing maintenance damage.
A few years ago, a passenger plane of Mandarin Airlines was flown from Taipei to the Kinmen. The aircraft wheel dropped the runway of Songshan Airport. The investigation revealed that the machine staff had not locked the screw cap of the wheel because of the overtime work of the crew, which led to the occurrence of the wheel drop.
Mistakes during maintenance not only result in property damage, but may also result in personal injury or death. The most common cause of human error and accidental behavior is the lack of professional knowledge, poor communication, lack of vigilance, complacency, and non-compliance. Fatigue is a state of fatigue or sleepiness. Fatigue may affect human performance, such as decreased alertness and attention, reduced judgment and response, short-term memory deterioration, difficulty in concentration, visual function, and reduced hand-eye coordination. Causes of fatigue include: rest or lack of sleep, high workload, drugs, illness, alcohol or environmental factors.
The application of the FRMS in the maintenance field is mainly to achieve three goals:
- reduce fatigue
Ways to reduce fatigue include limiting the number of hours of service for employees. Appropriate work schedule and work manpower can reduce the fatigue of the staff and ensure the safety of the work. The FRMS indicates that staff members should take time off if they think they are too tired to perform their duties.
- Reduce and correct the loss or identification of fatigue related to fatigue
Since fatigue cannot be completely ruled out, the second goal of fatigue risk management is to reduce the chances of fatigue employees making mistakes. In order to reduce the degree of fatigue, moderate rest during work, including short walks, exposure to fresh air or cool air, can temporarily relieve fatigue.
When performing work that is susceptible to fatigue, the following strategies that are not affected by fatigue should be used: work under close supervision, work in pairs or groups, work rotation, use checklists, use experienced people to support new people and implementing task tips during shift changes, etc.
- Limit damage caused by loss
Despite efforts to prevent fatigue-related negligence, they are still likely to occur. The last line of defense for fatigue risk management is to limit the damage caused by these losses. In terms of maintenance fatigue, minimizing damage involves not letting the most tired people intervene in the most important aspects of safety. For example, performing important maintenance tasks such as flight control systems, engines, and transmissions is not assigned to employees with fatigue. It can reduce the severity of the consequences of fatigue and loss.
"Quality First, Safety First" is the guideline for aviation maintenance personnel. When a maintenance person recognizes that he is in a fatigue situation, he may be able to suspend a job and sacrifice speed in exchange for construction quality and accuracy if necessary. Through the use of the fatigue risk management system in the field of aviation maintenance, managers and maintenance personnel can be provided. They should always care about the maintenance personnel and their own health status, timely dispatch the work content and adjust the work schedule to create a safe working environment. To achieve the three major goals of the fatigue risk management system: reduce fatigue, reduce the chance of loss due to fatigue, and limit damage caused by fatigue.