Aircraft Maintenance Professionals: Stress, Pressure and Fatigue

Abstract

The objective is to emphasize on the environmental and organizational pressure, namely, the pressure and fatigue induced in aircraft professionals. Safety is the main driver of aviation; environmental and organizational conditions, including extended working hours, have a negative impact on the performance of aircraft maintenance professionals and on aircraft safety. Just as aircraft crews and air traffic controllers have their work schedules highly monitored by aviation regulators; but regulators do not monitor the work schedules of professionals and they are subject to extended working timetables required by aeronautic players. The authors, through an international survey aimed at aeronautical professionals, demonstrate that errors are linked to stress, pressure and fatigue, environmental and organizational. This work also intends to demonstrate the need for regulators to monitor the work schedules of aircraft professionals to avoid that extended working hours having a negative impact on aircraft safety. The authors give the possible diagnostics and recommendations, which can be used to help the aeronautical players and aircraft maintenance staffs to create a safety culture and a decision and validation matrix of the aircraft maintenance.