Volume 48, No. 16, Sepetember 7, 2006
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BY
DUSK’S FADING LIGHT: An F/A-18 Hornet taxis at RAAF
Base Tindal before taking off for night-flying exercises.
Photo by LACW Melina Mancuso
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IN
A move embraced by all ADF Aviation Force Element Groups, every
flying unit in the ADF has participated in a staggered stand-down
for a day to conduct safety briefings focussed on aircraft maintenance
and to launch the Knock It Off maintenance program.
The Chief of Air Force, AIRMSHL Geoff Shepherd, as the ADF Airworthiness
authority, declared the week commencing August 28 as the ADF Aviation
Maintenance Safety Week.
A one-day safety stand-down was held during the week to focus
maintenance personnel on their roles and responsibilities in ensuring
the safety of ADF aircraft. The week provided recognition from
the highest levels of the importance that aircraft maintenance
plays in achieving safe and effective aviation operations and
training.
While unit safety stand-downs are not a new initiative, mandating
that every aviation unit in the ADF cease flying for one day to
focus on maintenance safety is unprecedented. The Safety Week
was instigated as part of the ADF’s Aircraft Maintenance
Improvement Project (AMIP). AMIP was initiated under a CAF directive,
and the AMIP team was given a charter to make incremental, sustainable
and enduring improvements to maintenance practices throughout
the ADF aircraft maintenance workforce.
The Knock It Off maintenance program, developed by the AMIP team,
is the latest initiative that highlights the ongoing commitment
from the highest levels of Defence to improving the awareness
of aviation safety and maintenance issues.
With endorsement by CAF and the ADF’s senior leaders, Knock
It Off represents an empowering program to enhance and strengthen
the professionalism already shown by the ADF’s aircraft technicians.
The program gives maintenance personnel, at all rank and experience
levels, the tools and support they need to call a halt to any
maintenance task that is potentially unsafe.
It reinforces to technicians, supervisors, maintenance managers
and engineers that they have personal responsibility for the quality
of their work, and that they are empowered to call a halt to any
activity that is potentially unsafe.
Maintenance personnel were delivered a strong message as part
of ADF Aviation Maintenance Safety Week — that they will
be supported by their commanders if they need to slow down to
ensure an aircraft maintenance task is performed safely.
In a similar way to the successful aircrew crew resource management
training, the Knock It Off program will help to reduce the number
of maintenance errors resulting in in-flight or on-ground incidents.
It will become an integral part of the underlying philosophies
of aircraft maintenance – teamwork, professionalism and integrity.
Throughout the year, AMIP has focused much attention on a critical
driver of maintenance quality, namely workforce culture.
The AMIP team has been working closely with senior leaders in
FEGs, Wings, Regiments and units to influence behaviours and attitudes
within the ADF aircraft maintenance workforce to achieve the desired
culture. The AMIP team is confident that the ADF Aviation Maintenance
Safety Week and the Knock It Off program will be looked back upon
as positive outcomes from the project.
For more AMIP information, check out the AMIP intranet site
at: http://sorweb.sor.defence.gov.au/dgta/
