When you are involved in aircraft maintenance, your performance can be dramatically affected by the conditions you are required to work within. If a team is needed to repair or service an aircraft in extreme conditions, there may be complications where the health of the team limits their ability to work, and the time and cost of a routine procedure can increase exponentially as a result.
A practical and cost-effective solution to this problem is the IglooMX®, the revolutionary inflatable work shelter that offers an alternative to conventional hangar space and is ideally suited to extreme hot and cold conditions. This allows for humidity control and makes working on the apron a comfortable prospect whether you are in sub-zero or tropical conditions.
Common complications from working in high temperatures
Creating a controllable environment for your team to work within will help to protect their health and increase their productivity. The IglooMX® is designed to eliminate risks such as these:
- Heatstroke and heat exhaustion. Heatstroke and heat exhaustion can be life-threatening, and working at high temperatures is a common cause of heat-related illness. Working on the apron in areas such as the Middle East, in very high temperatures and high humidity, can be very dangerous and can seriously limit productive time, so that aircraft are on the ground for longer. The IglooMX® is a portable solution to this problem, ensuring that teams can work comfortably in any climate.
- Dehydration. Dehydration is a real danger in tropical climates, and if workers are affected, this will compromise AOG downtime. Working in a protected environment is a great way to reduce the risk of dehydration, which is much greater when you are exposed to extreme heat.
- Lack of training. Many employees do not receive adequate training in heat-related illnesses, and a 2005 study showed that 80% of incidents of this type involved people who had been in their job for four days or less. All employers who require their teams to work in hot conditions should provide high-quality training on the dangers of working in high temperatures and how to spot the signs of heat-related illnesses, but providing a safe and controllable working environment will always be a safer option.
- Compromised equipment. Many engineering tasks become exceptionally challenging at high temperatures since they are reliant on stable and effective equipment. Equipment that is susceptible to damage in heat, humidity or tropical rain could de-rail an entire operation, and maintaining steady temperatures can ensure that equipment, as well as personnel, stays at a constant, manageable temperature. Composite repairs, for example, require a controlled environment that can have environmental data recorded for repair sign off, such as that created in the IglooMX®.
The IglooMX® also enables inspection and sign off of work within a professional MRO enclosure, streamlining maintenance operations and making a positive difference to your outcomes and your forward planning. Talk to us today to find out how we can make emergency and scheduled maintenance easier and more efficient for you. Check the range of our standard aircraft hangars.
