Deflector shield improves quality of life

Published July 20, 2007
34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- A maintenance unit here recently developed a piece of equipment that improves the quality of life of its maintainers and saves the Air Force money.

The 34th AMU professionals identified, researched and eradicated an operational risk management hazard in the work area of the B-1 aft weapons bay during bomb-loading procedures.

The problem was exposed when weapons load crews and the section chief raised concerns about a potential safety hazard associated with excessive heat while working in the aft weapons bay of the B-1 with aircraft auxiliary power units running.

Validating the heat index with a heat gun identified load crews were subjected to high temperatures measuring a constant 225 degrees Fahrenheit in the aft weapons bay, which directly inhibited the loader's operational effectiveness.

The likelihood of successfully generating an aircraft quick turn decreased because of doubled weapons task times and personnel required to load weapons while maintaining work rest cycles associated with 225 degrees.

Once weapons loaders expressed their safety concerns, the AMU's leadership started brainstorming ideas to minimize risks to acceptable levels, proportional to mission accomplishment, and to manage risk so the aircraft quick turn could be accomplished with a minimum amount of delay.

Using Air Force Special Operations for the 21st Century continuous process improvements, the AMU came up with several innovative ways to use personnel and materials to rectify the problem. Both personnel and materials were tabled and plans were drawn up, which validated ideas that ensured other processes supporting the loading task were not sub-optimized while trying to reduce or eliminate the excessive heat problem.

The dedicated team efforts resulted in the APU Exhaust Diverter Cart Stand. Airmen with the AMU, machine shop, quality assurance, Air Force Engineering and Technical Services and weapons safety all came together to build, test and train personnel on the use of the locally approved piece of equipment. Aside from protecting Airmen and equipment, two more benefits were noted. Leadership noticed there was a major reduction of exhaust fumes, which cut the amount maintainers were exposed to, reducing health problems.

Additionally, concrete directly under the APU exhaust port was no longer subjected to 750-degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Diverting the hot exhaust reduced premature repairs to damaged concrete at an average cost of $19,400 to each aircraft parking spot subjected to heat damage.

The joint effort by all members in the team photo eliminated an ORM hazard. The forward-thinking approach to building a diverter channeled 90 percent of the APU's exhaust gasses away from the aft weapons bay area, reducing temperatures from 225 degrees to about 10 degrees above the air's temperature and saved the Air Force thousands of dollars.

(Information provided by the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit.)