Fitting aircraft seating and furniture
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to fit aircraft seating and furniture, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to select the appropriate tools and equipment to use, based on the operations to be performed and components to be fitted. The seating and furniture to be fitted will include items such as cockpit seats, cabin seats, attendant seats, standard furniture, parachute seats, passenger seats, divan beds and VIP furniture. The fitting activities will include making all necessary checks and adjustments to ensure that components are correctly positioned and aligned, have appropriate working clearances, cosmetic appearance is acceptable, and that they function as per the specification.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the fitting activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the activities, materials or equipment used that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will need to ensure that all tools, equipment and materials used are correctly accounted for on completion of the fitting activities, and must complete all necessary job/task documentation accurately and legibly.
You will be expected to work either with a high level of supervision or as a member of a team, and you will take personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out. Where team working is involved, you must demonstrate a significant personal contribution during the team activities in order to satisfy the requirements of this standard, and you must demonstrate competence in all the areas required by the standard.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work, and will provide an informed approach to applying appropriate fitting techniques and procedures to aircraft seating and furniture. You will understand the seating/furniture being fitted, and its application, and will know about the relevant components, fastening and securing devices, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities and ensuring that the work is to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the fitting activities. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand the responsibilities 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 legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines
- follow all relevant drawings and specifications for the installation being carried out
- use the correct tools and equipment for the installation operations and check that they are in a safe and usable condition
- install, position and secure the equipment and components in accordance with the specification
- ensure that all necessary connections to the equipment are complete
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- check that the installation is complete and that all components are free from damage
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety practices and procedures that you need to observe when fitting aircraft seating and furniture (including any specific legislation, regulations/codes of practice for the activities, equipment or materials)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area in which you are carrying out the activities, and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the hazards associated with fitting aircraft seating and furniture, and with the tools and equipment used, and how these hazards can be minimised
- the protective equipment that you need to use for both personal protection (PPE) and protection of the aircraft
- the interpretation of drawings, standards, quality control procedures and specifications used for the fitting activities (including BS and ISO schematics, symbols and terminology)
- the components to be fitted, and their function within the particular seating or furniture system
- the various mechanical fasteners to be used, and their method of installation (including threaded fasteners and special securing devices)
- the importance of using the specified fasteners for the particular component, and why you must not substitute others
- why securing devices need to be locked and labelled, and the different methods that are used
- the quality control procedures to be followed during the fitting operations
- procedures for ensuring that you have the correct tools, equipment, components and fasteners for the fitting activities
- the techniques used to position, align, adjust and secure the components to the aircraft without damage
- methods of lifting, handling and supporting the seats or furniture during the fitting activities
- why electrical bonding is critical, and why it must be both mechanically and electrically secure
- how to conduct any necessary checks to ensure the system integrity, functionality, accuracy and quality of the installation
- how to recognise installation defects (such as cosmetic appearance, misalignment, ineffective fasteners, foreign object damage or contamination)
- the importance of ensuring that the completed installation is free from dirt, swarf and foreign object damage
- the tools and equipment used in the fitting activities, and their calibration/care and control procedures
- 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
- problems that can occur with the fitting operations, and how these can be overcome
- 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 whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following whilst fitting the aircraft seating and furniture:
- ensure that you have the correct documentation for the fitting operations (such as drawings, job instructions, aircraft standards)
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, COSHH, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations
- ensure that all tools and equipment used are within current calibration dates
- maintain safe access and working arrangements for the area in which the fitting activities take place
- dispose of waste items in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner, in line with company procedures
- return all tools and equipment to the correct location on completion of the activities
- leave the work area in a safe condition and free from foreign object debris
Fit two of the following items:
- cockpit seats
- attendant seats
- parachute seats
- divan beds
- cabin seats
- standard furniture
- passenger seats
- VIP furniture
Apply all of the following fitting methods and techniques:
- positioning and aligning
- setting working clearances
- manual handling
- functional checking
Make four of the following types of connections:
- nuts and bolts
- locking devices
- torque load bolts
- electrical
- screws
- quick-release fasteners
Carry out all of the following quality and accuracy checks during the fitting activities:
- cosmetic appearance
- accuracy of furnishing lines
- freedom from damage
Fit aircraft seating and furniture, in compliance with one of the following standards:
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Ministry of Defence (MoD)
- customer standards and requirements
- Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
- company standards and procedures
Complete the relevant paperwork, to include one from the following, and pass to the appropriate people:
- build records
- log cards
- job cards
- aircraft flight logs
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Additional Information
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