Carrying out maintenance of night vision goggles
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out servicing and maintenance activities on night vision goggles (NVG) assemblies, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to select the appropriate tools and equipment to use, based on the maintenance activities to be carried out, and to check that they are in a safe and serviceable condition. The maintenance activities will involve dismantling the equipment, cleaning the various parts using suitable solutions, carrying out a thorough examination of the night vision goggles and associated parts, in line with the relevant schedule, replacing any damaged or defective parts, carrying out any required modifications, making any required adjustments, checking and testing equipment operation and performance.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the maintenance activities undertaken, and to report any problems with these activities that you cannot personally resolve, or that are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work, and will provide an informed approach to applying maintenance techniques and procedures to night vision goggles. You will understand the type of night vision goggle being maintained, and its application, and will know about the various components, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities, identifying and correcting faults, and ensuring that the equipment is maintained to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out maintenance operations on night vision goggles. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- follow the relevant maintenance schedules to carry out the required work
- carry out the maintenance activities within the limits of your personal authority
- carry out the maintenance activities, and replace components in the specified sequence and in an agreed timescale
- report any instances where the servicing or maintenance activities cannot be fully met or where there are identified defects outside the planned schedule
- complete the relevant documentation, in accordance with organisational requirements
- dispose of waste materials in accordance with safe working practices and approved procedures
- leave the work area and goggle assembly in a safe and appropriate condition, free from damage or foreign object debris on completion of the activities
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions and procedures to be observed whilst carrying out the maintenance of the night vision goggles (including any specific legislation, regulations or codes of practice relating to the activities, equipment or materials)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area in which you are carrying out the servicing/maintenance activities and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the hazards associated with maintaining night vision goggles and how to minimise them and reduce any risks
- the requirements and importance of understanding and applying human factors as defined by the regulatory requirements and the potential impact if these are not adhered to
- the personal protective equipment (PPE) that you need to use during the maintenance activities and where it can be obtained
- the maintenance schedules and servicing specifications that are used during the servicing and maintenance, and the importance of following the procedures listed in these documents (to include Urgent Technical Instructions (UTI), Routine Technical Instructions (RTI), Maintenance Instructions (MI), Preliminary Warning Instructions (PWI) and Serious Defect Signals, Service Modifications)
- the types of fault, defect or wear characteristic that are likely to occur with the night vision goggles
- how to determine when components require adjustment, repair or replacement
- the components to be replaced in the night vision goggles and the method of replacement
- how to identify the components to be used for the various types of night vision goggle assembly being maintained
- the quality control procedures to be followed during the maintenance procedures
- how to conduct any necessary checks to ensure that the night vision goggles function to specification
- the problems that can occur with the maintenance of the night vision goggles and how these can be overcome
- the importance of correct securing and locking of connections
- the importance of tool control and the organisational tool control procedures used
- why tool/equipment control is critical, and what to do if a tool or piece of equipment is unaccounted for on completion of the activities
- the tools and equipment used in the maintenance activities, and their calibration/care and control procedures
- the importance of ensuring that, when the maintenance is completed, the equipment is free from dirt, swarf and foreign objects
- the disposal methods for waste and petrol, oil and lubricants (POL)
- problems with the maintenance procedures and the importance of informing appropriate people of defects
- the recording documentation to be completed for the activities undertaken and, where appropriate, the importance of marking and identifying specific pieces of work in relation to the documentation
- the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the servicing and maintenance of the night vision goggles:
- obtain and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, servicing or maintenance schedule, technical instructions and specifications)
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, COSHH, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
- provide and maintain a safe working environment for the maintenance activities
- obtain the correct tools and equipment for the activity, and check that they are in a safe, tested and usable condition and within current calibration dates
- use appropriate and approved servicing and maintenance techniques and procedures at all times
- return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the activities
Carry out all of the following repair/maintenance methods and techniques:
- dismantling equipment to component or sub-assembly level
- cleaning the equipment/components using the appropriate methods
- monitoring the condition/deterioration of components
- replacing all damaged or defective components
- carrying out any required modifications to the equipment
- reassembling the equipment
- carrying out adjustments to components and connections
- checking equipment operation and performance
- testing the equipment, in accordance with the relevant air publication (AP)/maintenance procedure
Carry out a thorough examination of the night vision goggles, to include all of the following:
- the objective lens assembly and eyepiece lens assembly for freedom from cracking and integrity of assembly
- all function switches for operation and security of attachment
- image intensifier tube assembly, for freedom from damage and deterioration
- sealing and retaining rings, for freedom from damage, deterioration and security of attachment
- switch assembly, switch strap and switch release lever for freedom from damage
Replace a range of components, as detailed below:
replace one of the following:
1. image intensifier tube (IIT)
2. eyepiece lens assembly
3. objective lens assembly
plus two of the following:
4. sealing ring
5. light absorbing filter
6. straight head pin
7. retaining ring
8. threaded shaft
9. objective locking ring
plus three of the following:
10. screws
11. grommets
12. switches/switch straps
13. washers
14. shims/bushings
15. ocular sub-assembly
Carry out maintenance requirements, in accordance with two of the following types of instruction:
- Urgent Technical Instructions (UTI)
- Routine Technical Instructions (RTI)
- Maintenance Instructions (MI)
- Preliminary Warning Instructions (PWI)
- Serious Defect Signals
- Service Modifications
Carry out maintenance work in compliance with one of the following:
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)/European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- Ministry of Defence (MoD)
- Military Aviation Authority (MAA)
- Aerospace Quality Management Standards (AS)
- Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
- IBS, ISO or BSEN standards and procedures
- customer standards and requirements
- company standards and procedures
- manufacturers standards and procedures
Complete the relevant maintenance records, to include one from the following and pass it to the appropriate people:
- maintenance schedule/log
- job cards
- aircraft service/flight log
- other specific recording method
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:
- strong work ethic
- positive attitude
- team player
- dependability
- responsibility
- honesty
- integrity
- motivation
- commitment