Module 09, Human Factors

General .09.1
Accidents and engineering faults are .1
.A)insignificant and decreasing
.B)significant and increasing
.C)insignificant and increasing
Murphy's law is perpetuated mainly by.2
A)violations
B)poor aircraft design
C)complacency
Murphy's law can be regarded as the notion .3
A)If something can go wrong it will
B)It can never happen to m
C)If something goes wrong I am certain to get the blame
A company's safety policy should be defined in.4
.A)in CAP 716
.B)the Maintenance Schedule
.C) the Maintenance Organization Exposition
The incident where a 737 lost oil from both engines is a direct result of .5
.A)poor design
.B)human error
.C)engine vibration
The percentage of accidents attributable to aircraft maintenance and .6
.inspection causes is
.A)now less significant due to the introduction of more sophisticated aircraft
.B) significant and rising
.C)now less significant due to more advanced maintenance practices
What is the most common cause of in-flight engine shutdown .7
A)Incomplete installation
B)Improper fault isolation, inspection or test
C)Foreign object damage

Most engineering related incidents are due to8.

.A)installing dirty connectors
.B)installing components incorrectly
.C)installing worn or old components
.
What causes the most aircraft accidents. 9
.A)Technical faults
.B)Communication
.C)Misunderstanding between ATC and pilot on approach
.Human Performance and Limitations .09.2
of the total focusing ability of the eye is carried out by the 80% - 70. 10
.A)iris
.B)cornea
.C)lens
At what distance should a person without hearing difficulties be able to hear . 11
an average conversational voice in a quiet room
A)2 metres (6 feet
B)3 metres (9 feet
C)1 metre (3 feet)
A perforated ear drum could occur if. 12
A)you were subjected to intermittent noise above 25 kHz
B)you blew your nose excessively
C)you were subjected to continuous noise below 8 kHz

What is white finger. 13

A)A disorder of the finger which may occur through continuous use of pneumatic
tools because of reduced blood flow
B)A reaction when the white blood cells die and contaminate the fingers
C)A skin disorder caused by extensive contact with oils and solvents
When someone is working in an enclosed space (such a fuel tank), another .14
person should be outside the space in constant communication to
A)provide instructions to the tradesman
B)ensure compliance with the maintenance manual
C)for safety reasons

What part of the eye controls the amount of light that is allowed to enter the .15
eye
A)The pupil
B)The iris
C)The cornea

Learning of a routine by repeated practice is known as .16

A)cognitive learning
B)motor programming
C)episodic memory
The ear is used to detect17 .
A)speed
B)neither acceleration or speed
C)acceleration
.Light enters the eye through the. 18
.A)cornea
.B)visual cortex
.C)retina
Extreme discomfort experienced by a maintenance engineer due to working . 19
.in a confined space is known as
.A)claustrophobia
.B)acrophobia
.C)agoraphobia
What type of lens is used to overcome short sightedness .20
.A)Concave
.B)Bi-focal
.C)Convex
.An aircraft maintenance engineer who wears glasses or contact lenses should .21
A)not require their duties to be restricted providing they wear their glasses/contact
.lenses at all times they carry out their duties
.B)have their duties restricted accordingly
.C)not require their duties to be restricted providing they have frequent checks to

What type of lens is used to correct long sightedness. 22

.A)Concave
.B)Convex
.C)Bi-focal

.Visual Acuity is the ability . 23

.A)to differentiate between different colours
.B)to detect objects in the peripheral vision
.C)of the eye to discriminate sharp detail at varying distances
.

.Colour defective vision affects . 24

.A)almost 1 in 10 of men
.B)more women than men
.C)almost 1 in 10 of women

People with colour defective vision usually have difficulty differentiating

between
.A)red and green
.B)blue and yellow
.C)blue and green

.The 'cocktail party effect' is descriptive of. 26

.A)selective attention
.B)divided attention
.C)focused attention
. Hypermetropia is the medical name for 27
A)short sightedness
B)long sightedness
C)deafness
.A person with 20/40 vision has . 28
.A)worse eyesight as a person with 20/20 vision
.B)better eyesight than a person with 20/20 vision
.C)the same eyesight as a person with 20/20 vision

. 25 .

The first stage in information processing is .29

.A)decision
.B)memorizing
.C)perception
.Motor programme refers to .30
.A)motivational computer software
.B)a task that has been carried out so many times that it becomes automatic
.C)a task that becomes programmed into short term memory
.Noise signals are carried to the brain by the. 31
.A)sensory nerve
.B)auditory nerve
.C)Eustachian nerve
At what maximum frequency does the human ear hear . 32
.A)16 kHz
.B)8 kHz
.C)20 kHz
Social Psycholog .09.3
. What is peer group pressure 33
.A)The influence the House of Lords have over the House of Commons
.B)Our behaviour influenced by our friends and colleagues
.C)The influence an individual has over a group of people

.In a discussion, the person who is most likely to be agreed with is . 34

.A)the person who repeats the point most times
.B)the most argumentative person
.C)the person with the highest status
.An engineer who has developed his own way of performing a task . 35
.A)is in regular violation
.B)is improving maintenance efficiency
.C)should be commended for his resourcefulness
.The aim of human factors programs within an organizations is . 36
A)to safeguard the health and safety of maintenance personnel by reducing accidents
.in the workplace
B)to optimize the relationship between maintenance personnel and systems with a
.view to improving safety, efficiency and well-being
C)to reduce costs by increasing efficiency, safety and quality and decreasing waste
.through human error

.The impact of human factors and human error is most important to

.A)technicians and engineers
.B)planners and managers
.C)It is equally important to technicians, engineers, planners and managers

. 37

.Risky shift' is . 38
A)the probability of being assigned to a work task which involves some element of
.risk or physical danger
.B)the name given to an inadequate shift handover
C)the tendency for a group of workers to arrive at a course of action which is riskier
.than that which any individual member might pursue
.
To ensure that a technician remains reasonably current on the aircraft types .39
.to which they hold authorizations, they are required that
.A)they have appropriate continuation/refresher training only
B)they are involved in at least 6 months of actual aircraft maintenance experience in
.any 2 year period only
.C)they are involved in at least 6 months of actual aircraft maintenance experience in
Whose responsibility is it that an engineer remains current on new
technology and procedures
.A)The organization's
.B)The CAA's
.C)The engineer's

. 40

.The symptoms of de-motivation are very similar to the symptoms of . 41

.A)stress
.B)tiredness
.C)mental illness
A good team is one where every member has. 42
.A)an opinion
.B)an input
C)a job

Organizational culture (whether good or bad) is best described as .43

A)the way we do things around here
.B)written procedures
.C)team resource management
Who is most likely to deviate from standard procedure4 . 4
.A)Young, inexperienced man
.B)Over confident, young man
.C)Old tired man

.Factors Affecting Performance .09.4

If you have been prescribed new medicine by your doctor you should45 .
.A)continue with your normal shift pattern
.B)take 3 days off work to try out the new medication
.C)give the new medication a 24 hour trial
The use of 'pep' pills by an aircraft engineer . 46
.A)is recommended only when working late or on night shift
.B)as they stimulate the senses and make you less prone to accidents
C)can only be used if prescribed by your doctor should never be done (except for
.coffee)
Human error can be caused by47 .
.A)high body temperature
.B)normal body temperature
.C)low body temperature
Long shift work will . 48
A)initially decrease your diagnostic and maintenance ability but eventually increase
.your diagnostic and maintenance ability as you get used to it
.B)always decrease your diagnostic and maintenance ability
.C)always increase your diagnostic and maintenance ability
.Performance is . 49
.A)inversely proportional to the individuals state of arousal
.B)directly proportional to the individuals state of arousal
C)greatest only at one optimum level of arousal but diminishes as arousal decreases or
.increases
.Paradoxical sleep is also known as . 50
.A)Stage 3 sleep
.B)Stage 4 sleep
.C)REM sleep

.Human Circadian rhythms cycle on a . 51

.A)25 hour timescale
.B)8 hour timescale
.C)24 hour time scale

.A good rule of thumb for an adequate amount of sleep is . 52

.A)one hour of high quality sleep is good for two hours of activity
.B)two hours of high quality sleep is good for one hour of activity
.C)one hour of high quality sleep is good for one hour of activity

.The symptoms of stress are . 53

.A)violence, sickness, absence from work, drug and alcohol abuse
.B)indications of improved work performance
.C)irritability, forgetfulness, sickness, absence from work, drug and alcohol abuse
The cycles of body temperature, sleep requirement and alertness are
.called
.A)earth cycles
.B)circadian rhythms
.C)ecto - meridian cycles

. 54

An individual suffering from stress when confronted with a task within his . 55
.capability is likely to think the task is
.A)too demanding
.B)not demanding enough
.C)someone else's responsibility
.Correct Answer is.
someone else's responsibility
Which is important in sleep.56
.A)Quantity
.B)Quality
.C)Both
How many stages of sleep are there57 .
.A)5
.B)3
.C)4

.Physical Environment .09.5

.Environmental stresses are . 58
.A)caused by noise, fumes, heat and vibration
.B)tolerated by everyone equally
.C)not normally cumulative

Employers must provide their employees with personal ear protectors if the .59
.noise level reaches
.A)70 dB
.B)85 dB
.C)60 dB
maximum allowable noise dose is 60 .
.A)85 dB
.B)any combination of noise and time which exceeds 90 dB TWA
.C)90 dB for 24 hours
Up to what proximity to an aircraft with engines running is the use of ear .61
protection recommended for maintenance personnel
.A)200 - 300 metres
.B)20 - 30 metres
.C)2 - 3 metres
The effect on an engineer of environmental noise is
.A)it improves concentration and quality of work
.B)it decreases concentration and quality of work
.C)it has no affect on concentration of quality of work

.62

Which of the following environments is best suited to aircraft maintenance . 63

.A)Working outside, at night, in the rain
.B)Working outside, in the direct midday sun
.C)Working inside in a well lit, comfortable hangar
Intense or loud noise may lead to.64
.A)deafness
.B)fatigue
.C)no effects
.Task lighting in a hangar is mainly.65
.A)provided by fixed lighting
.B)provided by fluorescent tubes
.C)portable so that individual tasks may be well lit
Tasks 09.6
When inspecting an airframe structure for small cracks, to avoid a crack .66
.being missed you should
A)hold the vision stationary for several seconds on each area to allow the eye to focus
.correctly
.B)not use a mirror as mirrors absorb and refract light and may obscure a crack
C)constantly move the eye across and around the area of interest to avoid the crack

.Itemized checklists should be dealt with . 67

.A)in any order, provided all steps are completed
.B)item by item, in order, to cover every step diligently
.C)as memorized
The main disadvantage of carrying out critical inspections under very bright . 68
.artificial light is
.A)glare
.B)shadows
.C)filtered light
When carrying out a visual inspection, an engineer is likely to make a . 69
.parallax error when
.A)inspecting a component using a 5x or 10x magnifying glass
.B)using precision measuring instruments such as a vernier gauge or AVO meter
.C)Nothing

.Communication .09.7
.What constitutes a good work handover 70
.A)A written and verbal account of the work done
.B)A written documentation of the work done
.C)A verbal account of the work done
.
.A good shift handover should include details of .71
A)tasks that have been completed; persons who carried out the tasks; tasks to be
.carried out and general company and technical information
B)tasks that have been completed; tasks in progress, their status, any problems
.encountered etc.; tasks to be carried out and tools required to carry out the tasks
C)tasks that have been completed; tasks in progress, their status, any problems
encountered etc.; tasks to be carried out and general company and technical
.information

A good practice for a shift handover is for shifts to be specifically rostered so . 72

.there is an overlap of
.A)2 - 3 hours
.B)5 - 10 minutes
.C)20 - 30 minutes

What is the most important means of communication in aircraft

maintenance engineering
.A)Written
.B)Implicit
.C)Verbal

. 73

.If you are given a task that you are unsure of you should .74
.A)consult the appropriate approved data
.B)ask someone who has done it before
.C)consult type course notes
.Human Error .09.8
.The SHEL model of human factors takes into account .75
.A)Software, hardware, environment and liveware
.B)Software, hardware, efficiency and liveware
.C)Software, hardware, environment and location
What part of the SHEL model would the writing and interpretation of . 76
.maintenance manuals fit into
.A)Hardware
.B)Software
.C)Environment
. The 'error chain' theory refers to .77
A)a chain of errors within an organizations can be investigated, and similar errors
.prevented by determining a common link between them
B)a company is only as good as its weakest employee or employees, and removal of
.that/those employee from the chain should prevent errors
C)errors are caused by a chain of linked events, and the breaking of one link in the
.chain will prevent the error
What part of the SHEL model would the aircraft design fit into . 78
.A)Liveware
.B)Hardware
.C)Environment
.
Which part of the SHEL model is most difficult to protect from errors by
'designing out' or to 'work around
.A)Liveware
.B)Software
.C)Environment

. 79

.A violation in an aircraft maintenance procedure. 80

A)is usually carried out with the best intentions from a genuine desire to 'get the job
.'done
.B)is always considered an act of vandalism or sabotage
C)is always carried out to satisfy some personal need, often unrelated to the actual
.task
. Which type of human error is easiest to correct. 81
.A)Constant error
.B)Reversible error
.C)Variable error
In the 'slips, lapses and mistakes' definition of errors, forgetting to replace
.an engine cowling would be considered a
.A)mistake
.B)lapse
.C)slip

.82

On a task that is complex, an engineer uses his own procedures due to . 83

.pressure. This is legally termed
.A)modification
.B)initiative
.C)violation
.A violation is . 84
.A)an unintentional error
.B)a deliberate departure from the rules
.C)an intentional act of sabotage
.A mistake is . 85
.A)a deliberate departure from the rules
.B)an intentional act of sabotage
.C)an unintentional error

Whilst working on an aircraft a spanner placed on the wing surface is . 86

kicked off and subsequently falls into an open engine cowl, breaking off a sensor
.connector. This is an example of
.A)a skill based error
.B)Murphy's law
.C)a punishable occurrence

An experienced engineer is fitting a valve. A required seal is not fitted.

What type of error is this
.A)Knowledge based
.B)Rule based
.C)Skill based
.The hub of the SHEL model of human factors is
.A)liveware
.B)hardware
.C)enviroment

. 87

. 88

What is the difference between error and violation . 89

.A)Violation is deliberate, error is not
.B)Error is deliberate, violation is not
.C)No difference
.
What happens when you break the 'chain of error . 90.
.A)Accident happens
.B)Pilot submits report within 72 hours
.C)Accident does not happen
.If an engineer forgets to fit a seal to an engine drain plug, he or she has. 91
.A)made an error of commission
.B)committed a violation
.C)made an error of omission
An engineer who has developed his or her own method of performing a . 92
.complex task
.A)should be commended for his/her resourcefulness
.B)is performing a rule based behaviour
.C)is violating on a regular basis
.Visual inspection by an 'experienced' maintenance engineer is . 93
.A)knowledge and rule base behaviour
.B)skill and knowledge based behaviour
.C)skill and rule based behaviour
.A violation in an aircraft maintenance procedure . 94
A) is usually carried out with the best intentions from a genuine desire to 'get the job
.'done
.B)is always considered an act of vandalism or sabotage
C)is always carried out to satisfy some personal need, often unrelated to the actual
.task

In the 'slips, lapses and mistakes' definition of errors, a mistake would . 95

.typically occur at the
.A)storage (memory) stage
.B)execution stage
C) planning stage
.
. Troubleshooting is.96
.A)rule based
.B)skill based
C)knowledge based
.
.A type 1 visual inspection error occurs when . 97
.A)a faulty item is missed
.B) a good item is incorrectly identified as faulty
.C)a duplicate inspection is not carried out
.Hazards in the Workplace .09.9
Engineers often work on raised platforms, ladders etc. What dangers can this . 98
.contribute to
.A)Staging may be made of wood
.B)Ladder may slip and man falls
.C)Two workers may be carrying out maintenance on the same lift
.
.Risk assessment and management is . 99
.A) reduction of risks to a tolerable standard and monitoring the situation
B)the investigation of risks and totally removing them and the monitoring of new
.work practices
.C)choosing a cheaper supplier or manufacturer for parts
.
. When carrying out a risk assessment 100
.A)a hard hat should be worn
.B)it is necessary to identify where equipment/procedures might fail
.C)Nothing