Composite Material Handling: Safety & Precautions

Maintenance Practices: Material Handling, Safety & Precautions

• When working with composite materials, observe correct safety precautions and pay attention to the material safety data sheets (MSDS).
• MSDS contains health precautions, the material's flammability, ventilation requirements, and information for health professionals in case of an accident.
• Some materials are dangerous and cause allergic reactions, so take care and observe all safety precautions.
• Prevent materials from contacting skin or clothes by wearing textile or latex gloves.
• Refrain from inhaling vapors, being untidy, washing skin with solvents, or eating, drinking, or smoking in work areas.
• Wear protective clothing and a dust mask when machining materials.

Safety Precautions - Aircraft and Workshop

• Fire and safety precautions in and around workshops and hangars are very important, making safety everyone's responsibility.
• Most accidents result from overestimating one’s capabilities.
• Personnel fatigue is a dangerous accident source, especially when working with precise instruments.
• Personal malpractices, such as alcohol and drug abuse, can endanger the person and co-workers. Supervision and training are essential.
• Hazards can occur everywhere, such as with unauthorized work with tools, poorly maintained equipment, slippery floors, bad lighting, and dirty surroundings.
• Several laws address people's health, safety, and welfare at the workplace.
• Accidents can be prevented by eliminating or removing the hazard, guarding equipment, wearing protective work clothes, and providing safety training.
• Employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace, equipment, and procedures.
• Employees are responsible for adhering to safety procedures and correct equipment use.
• Prohibition signs indicate actions to avoid for safety, like smoking. Mandatory signs direct actions, like wearing ear protection.
• Warning signs alert to dangers, such as toxic materials. Emergency signs indicate escape routes.

Safety Precautions - Manual Lifting and Carrying

• "Loads" are heavy/bulky objects moved within the engineering industry. Moving them requires careful planning and hazard anticipation.
• Loads lifted manually should not exceed 20 kg.
• Mechanical lifting equipment must be used for loads exceeding 20 kg.
• Injuries and equipment damage can be reduced with simple precautions before lifting.
• Ask for assistance if a load is too heavy or bulky. Even light loads obscuring vision can be dangerous.
• The lifting technique must be correct, or high loads lead to inter-vertebral disc damage.
• Start in a balanced squatting position, legs at hip width, one foot slightly ahead.
• Hold the load close, straighten the back, keep the head up, and the chin drawn in.
• Straighten legs first to raise the load, using thigh muscles, then raise the body to a vertical position.
• Carry loads upright and close to the body, using bone structure to support the load.
• Wear protective gloves for jagged edges, and protective clothing for hazardous liquids.
• For team lifting, the leader must not participate in the lifting but should delegate appropriately.
• Team members should understand the job and chosen method, and the area should be free of obstructions.
• Lifting party members should be of similar height and physique, wearing protective gear.
• Each person should be positioned for even weight distribution. A responsible person would take up a position with clear view to prevent any accidents.
• Any equipment moved should be put back in its original position after the task.

Safety Precautions - Safety Protection at Work

• Health and safety at work has become a major issue for employers and employees in the last 30 years.
• The employer is responsible for providing personal protective equipment which the employee must use.
• If injury occurs and suitable protection was available but not used, the injured party cannot claim compensation.
• Never wear watches, rings, or jewelry, or have a "Hit or Miss" attitude.
• Always minimize dermatitis chances by applying barrier cream to the hands (and arms if necessary) before starting work and after washing
• Use suitable protective gloves wear correctly-fitting overalls fastened completely, protect the ears with ear-protection or plugs, and wear a safety helmet or hard hat.
• Always protect the feet by wearing safety boots.
• Prevent injury to the eyes by wearing safety spectacles or goggles. Dust masks and/or respirators should be worn in the presence of dust and fumes.
• Handle tools and equipment and always minimize the possibility of accidents by covering cables, hoses, lines etc.

Safety Precautions - Electrical Equipment

• When using electrical equipment, the device must be fitted with a three-pin plug incorporating an earth wire, stand on a dry surface and wear safety shoes with insulated soles.
• The electrical cable should not get into contact with moisture, and it must be ensured that the cable is in proper condition before using the equipment.
• Electric shock victims should have the current switched off, be removed from the electrical circuit using insulation, be treated for shock, kept warm, and receive immediate medical assistance.
• Electrical fires can be prevented by never overloading extension cables or wall sockets, which generate excessive current flow.

Safety Precautions - Compressed Air or Gases

• Compressed air and gases are used for certain aircraft work.
• Compressed air powers pneumatic tools while compressed nitrogen inflates tires and shock struts.
• Compressed air is created by a compressor, stored in a tank and distributed via pressure lines.
• Other compressed gasses, such as nitrogen and oxygen, are stored in steel cylinders, and when full, they are normally pressurized to 2,900 PSI (200 bar).
• Take care so that compressed gasses do not enter the bloodstream, as this can result in severe injury or death.
• Avoid personal injury by not indulging in horseplay, disconnecting air supply, using eye protection, preventing hose damage, and obeying safety precautions.
• Also, use calibrated gauges for tires and protective caps for cylinders.

Safety Precautions - Oxygen

• Pressurized oxygen is carried to support breathing at high altitudes if cabin pressure is lost.
• Oxygen causes spontaneous combustion with oils or greases, without heat.
• Oxygen supports and intensifies fire with any combustible material, which can be ignited by static electricity.
• Trained personnel who can assess dangers are allowed to work with oxygen systems.
• They must reduce dangerous situations by taking appropriate actions.
• Maintenance staff must keep hands, cloths, tools, components, and connectors clean and free from grease.
• Cloths must not be saturated with oxygen, and smoking is prohibited when working with oxygen systems.
• Fires and explosions can be caused by damaged devices, so only necessary staff should be near oxygen systems.
• Oils and greases become easily combustible due to carbon, so cloths and hands must be clean, and the working area must be non-smoking.
• Minimize static, display warning signs, and ensure the aircraft is grounded.
• Tools and torque wrenches must be spark-free if oxygen system components have not been oxygen supplied.
• Tools, equipment and clothing must be free of oils, greases, dust or lints.
• Protective caps should be installed, and use materials approved for use with oxygen.
• Do not use PTFE tape or sealant. Only use approved solutions for leak tests.
• Obey safety distance between oxygen cylinders and hydraulic or refueling equipment.
• Turn off oxygen valve prior to disconnection of couplings, prevent build-up of heat by opening valves slowly, and have appropriate fire-fighting equipment ready.

Safety Precautions - Oils and Chemicals

• Oils and chemicals present a potential inflammable, slippery, and harmful risk.
• Personnel safety can be improved if the staff are familiar with a material's COSHH and safety instructions
• Prevent fire hazards by avoiding metal tips on shoes and not carrying matches or lighters.
• Minimize fumes or gases by wearing a mask or using a fume extractor. Clean up spillages of liquids.
• Before eating, drinking or smoking, clean hands and face.
• When handling carcinogens, eating, drinking, smoking or taking snuff is disallowed.
• Use automatically operated facilities, explosion-proof electrical installations, operating instructions, storage procedures, and effective fume extracting cabinets.
• When toxic gases, fumes or aerosols may develop, prevent hazards for employees.
• Appropriate devices like funnels must be used for the bottling of hazardous fluids.
• Particularly hazardous and easily flammable substances should be kept in special storage rooms.
• Solvents are mainly organic substances used to dissolve, dilute, or suspend other materials, but they can be narcotic and cause dermatitis & intoxication.

Safety Precautions - Aircraft Devices, Fire Fighting and Alarms

• Devices which must not be operated for safety reasons have to be protected by methods documented in the Log Book.
• Attach red warning signs, open circuit breakers with safety clips, insert safety devices at hydraulic components or remove connectors for electrical control.
• Before operation make sure all the areas of the applicable devices are clear and free from danger for employees and the aircraft safety.
• It's forbidden to position stairs and ladders on working platforms, which must be free from oils and greases
• Platforms, stairs and ladders have to be arrested to prevent rolling, and defective devices should not be used.
• Locate tools and equipment to prevent them from falling, keep stairs and docks free of any obstacles, install ladders safely and secure them from falling.
• Use full belt safety harnesses when performing tasks at a higher danger level.
• The type of work should determine if the workers are required to use safety belts or harnesses.
• Several precautions and potential hazards must be observed on the apron, including rolling, starting engines, vehicle movement and noise.
• Briefing is carried out by a group of people instructed by the divisional manager to avoid possible hazards.
• Workers need to be familiar with the dangers, and they have to attend a safety briefing. It's important to act carefully since employees are responsible for their tools.
• If workers adhere to safety rules, FOD can be prevented, and FOD (which stands for foreign object damage) has been the cause of some accidents.
• For fire extinguisher cartridges, a qualification certificate is necessary in Germany.
• In Germany, only qualified persons should handle cartridges, who must be instructed and supervised.
• Maintainers install, maintain, supervise, and remove pyrotechnical aircraft cartridges and signal devices.
• Cartridges must only be handled by, and handed over, from qualified persons, with short-circuit protection and no unsupervised intermediate storage,

Safety Precautions - Fire Prevention

• Be aware of fire hazards due to flammable fluids present.
• Prohibit smoking except in designated areas, do not carry matches, and do not wear steel tips on shoes to avoid sparks.
• Make sure a foam fire extinguisher is available when working with petrol-powered equipment.
• Store flammable liquids in an approved store outside the hangar or workshop.
• When welding or soldering, direct the flame towards fire bricks when not in immediate use.
• Inform staff about the location of fire extinguishers and fire-fighting equipment.
• Fire-extinguisher systems must know the position of these systems, and they must know about the alarm and activation systems.
• In an emergency, fire brigade should be called by phone.

Safety Precautions - Fire Fighting

• Safety instructions regarding fire and other emergencies are to be followed, such as what is in the Alarms Order.
• General measures are to be followed to be prepared for or prevent and emergency.
• Never forget carlessness can endangers human life, material and the environment, hence safety precautions must be followed all times.
• Escape routes have to be kept free, get information about available safety devices and facilities and familiarise with the their operation.
• In case of alarm, provide clear information (Location of hazard, what happened? How many got injured and what caused it?) Provide an assistance in any possible way. Ensure there is no any further actions being done (don't increase the scale and risk).
• In case of explosion alarms and/or explosive device is being discovered in facility or aircraft immediate evacuation is to be done. Search is conducted by the authorities (security force and etc.).
• The place and assignment can be learned from alarm order. The search is conducted by the authorities.

Safety Precautions - Fire Classes and Extinguishers

• Fires are divided into these different classes depending on the materials:

  • Class A covers solid material like wood
  • Class B covers liquid material
  • Class C covers gaseous matter
  • Class D covers flammable metals
  • Class F covers cooking oils.

• Water extinguishers work by cooling class A fires, but should not be used near electricity or chemicals.

• Carbon dioxide extinguishers eliminate oxygen effectively on both classes A and B.

• Dry powder extinguishers work well on A, B and C fires, interupting the combustion.

• Halon is used in aircraft cabins, suppressing fire by disrupting combustion.

• Foam extinguishers create a film over the fuel, and can suppress sparks when aircraft tough down with retracted landing gear.

• Sand is used on D and class F Fires for coverage. Water should not be used on certain fires, as doing so could possibly start an explosion.

• To avoid electrical shocks in the event of a fire, personnel are required to know shut-off locations, in addition to use and handling of fire extinguishers.

• Every site has to be equipped with fire blankets for personnel with burning clothes.

Safety Precautions - Aircraft Fuel Tank Safety

• Fuel handling safety procedures are categorized into fire prevention, fire extinguishing, and personnel safety.
• Eliminating ignition sources, like naked flames and smoking, becomes fire prevention
• Providing the correct extinguishers fights possible fires.
• Personnel safety involves preventing fuel vapor inhalation or contact with skin and eyes, as it is poisonous.
• The fuel vapours that mainly come with leakages from fuel tank openings and safety areas will be designated around the aircraft when potential high fire hazard situation exists, which is shown through the use of markings in the gate.
• The gate area is a no smoking area, and the refueling side kept safe with proper placement of the fuel safety trucks.
• All persons must be trained on fuel tank entry and minimize precautions and risks.
• Ensure electrical grounding, fire extinguishers, and deactivation of the aircraft's electrical systems.
• Defuel the aircraft via the Maintenance Manual Procedures, and deliver a safe atmosphere for maintenance personnel.
• Adequate ventilation should be ensured, and recommended ventilation techniques must be followed in order to properly monitor fuel tanks.
• Ventilation is the single most important method of controlling the fire risks, and dead air structural tank spaces present challenges in maintaining ventilation.
• Fresh air that may be required in order to maintain the fuel tank, as well as the environment itself.
• Continuously push air to ensure a vapor concentration does not reach the point where fires and explosions can occur.
• Flammability will be expressed at the lower limit, or the lower explosion limit
• Be aware of oxygen deficiency, which can occur with high fresh air volumes, starting with deficiency signs at 19.5% oxgyen in the air, and asphyxiation can be possible. This is caused by displacing the oxygen.
• Ballistic recovery system use must be with a light weight aircraft due to its emergency safety features.

Safety Precautions - Aircraft Ballistic Recovery System

• An Aircraft Ballistic Recovery System is a rocket deployed parachute that enables an aircraft that encounters problems to gradually descend to the ground
• A solid-fuel rocket can deploy a packed parachute and accelerates away at 50m per second and begins to inflate to generate drag forces.
• Currently, the Ballistic recovery system (BRS) has been fitted to an aircraft with a maximum weight up to 3,500 kg.
• Ballistic recovery systems are composed of explosives, and can not be disarmed through rescue crews or firefighters. That may involve calling disarming specialists.
• Factors that increase the risk are the potential heat to set off explosives, friction or impact, and reaction of extinguisghing elements of water when attempting to extinguish rocket fires.
• A BRS-equippied aircraft is clear to note its identification, that it is registered, that heat sink indicators exist, that a cutout system exists, and that it has a clear ID with a clear hanger. A BRS should have proper safety gear and techniques (such as non-explosives and heat measurements taken).
• Heat indicators should be checked for temperatures being 90°C or less, normal operation should be switched back, and specialist should be called to move the plane before getting above 90°C.