Safety, rules and quality in moving technology
Why aviation is one of the most regulated trades, and what it means for your work
Safety in moving technology is about two things at once: that you work safely with heavy and dangerous things and that what you make keeps the plane safe to fly. Both are bound by rules that are stricter than in most other trades — and there are good reasons for that.
§Physical security around aircraft and workshop
An aircraft and an aircraft workshop contain many hazards: heavy parts, heights, engines, pressurised systems, fuel and chemicals. You work with lifting, stairs and platforms, under high pressure and near hot parts. Personal protective equipment, correct lifting and respect for the dangerous systems are part of everyday life. Safe working practices protect both you and your colleagues in a busy workshop.
§The safety culture — control and openness
Aviation is growing and requires regulations
§Procedures and documentation as safety
Following procedures and documenting work is not paperwork — it is how aviation ensures that the work is correct and can be verified. When you follow the established sequence and write down what you have done, others can trust the work, and you can always see what has happened to the plane. Procedures and documentation are safety equipment like protective equipment.
§Approved companies and trained people
Aircraft maintenance must only be performed by approved companies and by people with the right training and authorization. It ensures a uniform high level and means that the person who releases an aircraft has the responsibility and competence for it. The rules on training and approval in aviation go together precisely to keep safety uniformly high.
§Quality is safety
In most crafts a small inaccuracy can be corrected afterwards. In watchmaking a misplaced dust particle or a bent part can mean a watch does not keep time. Therefore quality here is not something you check at the end — it is something you build in at every step.
“The rules in aviation are written from experience. Following them is not being cautious – it's doing your job.”
— Professional view on responsibility in moving technology.