Collegiate Aviation Maintenance Programs: Focus on Quality or Safety?

Safety is a prime concern of managers of collegiate aviation maintenance facilities, but often the 'safety' program developed is not as effective as the managers desire. A literature review was conducted to explore the relationship between quality and safety programs, and to determine whether coupling a safety program with a comprehensive quality program might produce better results. Strategies such as behavioral sampling, fishbone diagrams, flow charts, and statistical process control (SPC) - all techniques used extensively in the quality profession - can reveal system flaws and lead to continuous improvement. The literature review suggests that the implementation of a quality program has the potential to improve both safety and the process and efficiency of the maintenance facility in a structured, continuous manner.