Maintenance News: Book focuses on technician health issues

Numerous medical books are available for pilots, but until now mechanics and technicians have been on their own.

“A typical book on aviation medicine contains chapters on hypoxia, visual illusions and effects of medications but those aren’t issues for maintainers and builders,” explained Dr. James Allen. “What they do experience are work processes that result in skin disease, hearing loss, stiff and sore muscles and exposure to the elements.”

Working Healthy: A Manual on Health Techniques for Aviators, Maintainers and Aircraft Builders examines the exposures that cause these symptoms and recommends work processes to minimize adverse health effects.

For example, the book describes how noise, solvents, paint, heavy metals and other chemical, physical, bio-logical and radiological agents produce biologic effect.