Umar:
US/FAA based answers.
Survey question
1. Are you involved in tool control in any way?
Yes, I was both a user and an auditor of tool control.
2. Do you work in the civil or military industry for aircraft maintenance?
Civilian industry; rotorcraft.
3. What is your role in this field of work?
I was a line mechanic, manager, and quality inspector.
4. Have you ever been involved in missing tool procedures?
Yes.
5. How do you account for tool control and who is accountable?
A mechanic selects one of the available tool control methods. Everyone was accountable up to the Director of Maintenance.
6. What types of method do you guys follow for tool control currently?
Due to the variety of operations, the company policy allowed: tool shadowing, photographic records, and itemized listings as methods to control tools.
On top of the individual control, there was a daily audit requirement and signoff by a person other than the tool owner.
There was a separate control program for the company owned tool cribs that used a chit system to account for removal of the tools.
7. Does your company/work place provide tool control mandatory training
for current employees and/or induction for new employees? (MCQ) Both only induction only mandatory
Primarily new employee training, but tool control was a common topic in ongoing safety meetings.
8. What are the main points of the policy i.e. who is accountable summery of
handling and protocol for lost tools?
The mechanic complies with the tool control requirements of his personal tools and tool boxes. A daily visual audit of each mechanic's tools is performed at the beginning and end of the work day and recorded on a log. If the aircraft is operational (flying) the tools are audited prior to each flight (normally a mechanic will have a simple tote tray on the flight line).
If a tool is lost, there is a form to fill out and certain notifications made to supervisors. A search is made of the area. If the tool is not found only the Director of Maintenance, or his designee, can clear the lost tool form. If the aircraft is operational, it is grounded until the Director of Maintenance clears the aircraft for flight.
9. Is there any certain requirement your company need to follow as a minimum standard by CAA and/or EASA for tool control procedures?
The FAA has no requirement that I know of. It was done as a best practices program and customer contractual requirements.
10. Do you audit compliance for tool control inventories?
The mechanic's personal tools were audited daily. The company owned tools were audited daily and quarterly by designated personnel.
11. How often the tools are inventoried in the workplace?
Daily or prior to each flight, if applicable.
Good luck!
W1