Did my job make me sick?
Many people ask that question when an illness has occurred. In actual fact….Aviation Maintenance Technicians do have a high rate of non-fatal occupational illnesses and injuries. Non-certificated mechanics working on their own aircraft projects also experience occupational exposures. For these private maintainers complaints arise such as rashes after using solvents or tingling in the hands after using vibrating tools. Using preventive measures before an illness strikes is the preferred treatment for both the professional and private aircraft maintainers.
This course offers Aviation Maintenance Technicians, owner - maintainers, and airplane builders/restorers insights into methods to prevent common occupational illness. To avoid medical jargon, the course uses the Working Healthy-8. An aviation maintainer uses the Working Healthy–8 to recognize health risks in the hangar and implement preventive measures. Each of the eight steps raises awareness about likely exposures, provides a medical basis for understanding the health consequences, and recommends preventive measures. Aviation Maintenance Technicians, owners, or builders/restorers who are healthy and aware of health risks in their worksite are more productive and less likely to take short cuts. A healthy work force improves aviation safety, just as any other industry benefits from a healthy workforce.
Narrators of this on-line course are James Allen, MD an aviation medical examiner and his daughter Mary, an airline pilot. To increase realism, the course uses case reports and medical studies that document on-the-job exposures from which Aviation Maintenance Technicians experienced an adverse health effect. Basis of the course are the books written by Dr. Allen, Working Healthy and Working Healthy, Solvents. The course also highlights resources that are available from the web based references to reinforce the steps of the Working Healthy–8.
Your work on aircraft does not have to make you sick. Click on chapter 1 above to start protecting your health, implementing preventive measures, and promoting the safety of your aircraft repairs. As a useful reference for the Working Healthy - 8, download the file below before starting the course.
To receive appropriate course credit for this course you must:
- Have an account on FAASafety.gov
- Be logged into that account
- Be enrolled in the course
- You must visit each chapter of the course, using the navigation bars at the top or bottom of each screen, and complete all the course material found on each.
NOTE: Some links may take you to other sites or open windows on top of the course window. You will need to return to this course on FAASafety.gov to complete the exam. This might be as simple as closing all the additional windows. However, you may find it necessary to return to FAASafety.gov, log in again, and then "continue" the course from the Course List.
- Upon completion of the review section the button will turn blue indicating you are ready to start the examination. Upon successful completion of the exam you are given the appropriate course credit automatically.