Narrative:

Aircraft was located in hangar bay with the nose of the aircraft within a foot of the stores department central accumulation area. This area contained 55 gallon drums of flammable and hazardous liquids/materials. The nose of the aircraft was also positioned 5 feet away from hangar wall. This aircraft required a weather radar receiver/transmitter operational test per work card. This work card references amm which has several warnings not to operate the system within 50 feet of fuel spill; fuel; or open fuel cells.the amm reference step (6) instructs the system to be turned on; which allows full operation of the weather radar system; until you reach step (9) where you are told to put the system in test mode. This sudden burst of power is a concern as the system is in full operation mode before step (9) in close proximity to the hazardous/flammable materials/liquids and conditions.I let management know about the safety warnings in the maintenance manual and said I couldn't complete this task while it was in the hangar. Management told me I could perform the task as the amm does not specify not to operate near hazardous and flammable materials.please clarify whether the weather radar sys can be operated near hazardous and flammable materials in a satellite area and so close to the hangar wall.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Maintenance technicians were directed to conduct weather radar test inside hanger and within 50 feet of flammable liquids.

Narrative: Aircraft was located in hangar bay with the nose of the aircraft within a foot of the stores department central accumulation area. This area contained 55 gallon drums of flammable and hazardous liquids/materials. The nose of the aircraft was also positioned 5 feet away from hangar wall. This aircraft required a weather radar receiver/transmitter operational test per work card. This work card references AMM which has several warnings not to operate the system within 50 feet of fuel spill; fuel; or open fuel cells.The AMM reference step (6) instructs the system to be turned on; which allows full operation of the weather radar system; until you reach step (9) where you are told to put the system in test mode. This sudden burst of power is a concern as the system is in full operation mode before step (9) in close proximity to the hazardous/flammable materials/liquids and conditions.I let Management know about the safety warnings in the Maintenance Manual and said I couldn't complete this task while it was in the Hangar. Management told me I could perform the task as the AMM does not specify not to operate near hazardous and flammable materials.Please clarify whether the weather radar sys can be operated near hazardous and flammable materials in a satellite area and so close to the hangar wall.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.