EWIS BACKGROUND AND TARGET GROUPS

EWIS TRAINING

BACKGROUND

Over the years there have been a number of in-flight smoke and fire events where contamination sustained and caused the fire to spread. Regulators and Accident Investigators have conducted aircraft inspections and found wiring contaminated with items such as dust, dirt, metal shavings, lavatory waste water, coffee, soft drinks, and napkins. In some cases, dust has been found completely covering wire bundles and the surrounding area.
Research has also demonstrated that wiring can be harmed by collateral damage when maintenance is being performed on other aircraft systems. For example, a person performing an inspection of an electrical power centre or avionics compartment may inadvertently cause damage to wiring in an adjacent area.
Aviation Accident Investigators have specifically cited the need for improved training of personnel to ensure adequate recognition and repair of potentially unsafe wiring conditions. To fully realise the objectives EWIS, operators, holders of type certificates (TC), holders of supplemental type certificates (STC), maintenance organisations and persons performing modifications or repairs, will need to rethink their current approach to maintaining and modifying aeroplane wiring and systems. This may require more than simply updating maintenance manuals and work cards and enhancing training. 

Maintenance personnel need to be aware that aeroplane EWIS should be maintained with the same level of intensity as any other system in the aeroplane. They also need to recognise that visual inspection of wiring has inherent limitations. Small defects such as breached or cracked insulation, especially in small gage wire may not always be apparent. Therefore, effective wiring maintenance combines visual inspection techniques with improved wiring maintenance practices and training. 

The objective of this EWIS training programme is to give operators, holders of TC, holders of STC, maintenance organisations and persons performing field approval modifications or repairs a model for the development of their own EWIS training programme. This will ensure that proper procedures, methods techniques, and practices are used when performing maintenance, preventive maintenance, inspection, alteration, and cleaning of EWIS.

This programme was developed for eight different target groups and may be used for the minimum requirements for initial and recurrent training. Depending on the duties, some may fall into more than one target group and, therefore, must fulfil all objectives of the associated target groups. 

EWIS TARGET GROUPS

The target groups are:

1. Qualified staff performing EWIS maintenance.
These staff members are personnel who perform wiring systems maintenance and their training is based on their job description and the work being done by them (e.g. avionics skilled workers or technicians cat B2).

2. Qualified staff performing maintenance inspections on wiring systems.
These staff members are personnel who perform EWIS inspections (but not maintenance), and their training is based on their job description and the work being done by them (e.g. inspectors/technicians cat B2).

3. Qualified staff performing electrical/avionic engineering on in-service aeroplane.
These staff members are personnel who are authorised to design EWIS installations, modifications and repairs (e.g. electric/avionic engineers).

4. Qualified staff performing general maintenance/inspections not involving wire maintenance (LRU change is not considered wire maintenance).
These staff members are personnel who perform maintenance on aeroplane that may require removal/reconnection of electrical connective devices (e.g. inspectors/technicians cat A or B1).

5. Qualified staff performing other engineering or planning work on in-service aeroplane.
These staff members are personnel who are authorised to design mechanical/structure systems installations, modifications and repairs, or personnel who are authorised to plan maintenance tasks.

6. Other service staff with duties in proximity to EWIS.
These staff members are personnel whose duties would bring them into contact/view of aeroplane wiring systems. This would include, but not be limited to: Aeroplane cleaners, cargo loaders, fuelers, lavatory servicing personnel, de-icing personnel, push back personnel.

7. Flight Deck Crew.
(E.g. Pilots, Flight Engineers)

8. Cabin Crew.

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