Narrative:

I submit this report on behalf of amt currently being held OTS at ZZZ base engine maintenance facility. He was trying to correct a safety issue with a nose cowl hoist sling. The sling was taken OTS due to a deteriorated condition of that sling. Rather than replace the sling; a substitute was introduced into the job card by an engineer. The substituted sling was a wire rope construction which had no adjustable sections on the sling. The adjustable lines on the original sling were necessary in order to properly align the 400 pound nose cowl to the engine. The substitute wire rope design now makes it necessary to pull the nose cowl onto the engine mounting. The engine is only positioned on freestanding pedestals and could be pushed off with this new customized undocumented maintenance technique. It is an unsafe practice and local management is circumventing the original intent of the adjustable sling assembly. Amt's have brought this concern to local management and have been met with intimidation and coercion. I believe in handling issues with local management but there is history with this management group and I feel this warrants attention. Please have original hoist sling restored to the work group per the original job card. If an equivalent hoist can be used; the safety specifications of that equivalent should mirror the original. Engineering needs to cooperate with amt's and management.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MAINT SAFETY EMPLOYEE REPORTS ON A DETERIORATED NOSE COWL HOIST SLING BEING REPLACED WITH A SUBSTITUTED AND UNSAFE WIRE ROPE TYPE SLING.

Narrative: I SUBMIT THIS RPT ON BEHALF OF AMT CURRENTLY BEING HELD OTS AT ZZZ BASE ENG MAINT FACILITY. HE WAS TRYING TO CORRECT A SAFETY ISSUE WITH A NOSE COWL HOIST SLING. THE SLING WAS TAKEN OTS DUE TO A DETERIORATED CONDITION OF THAT SLING. RATHER THAN REPLACE THE SLING; A SUBSTITUTE WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE JOB CARD BY AN ENGINEER. THE SUBSTITUTED SLING WAS A WIRE ROPE CONSTRUCTION WHICH HAD NO ADJUSTABLE SECTIONS ON THE SLING. THE ADJUSTABLE LINES ON THE ORIGINAL SLING WERE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PROPERLY ALIGN THE 400 LB NOSE COWL TO THE ENG. THE SUBSTITUTE WIRE ROPE DESIGN NOW MAKES IT NECESSARY TO PULL THE NOSE COWL ONTO THE ENG MOUNTING. THE ENG IS ONLY POSITIONED ON FREESTANDING PEDESTALS AND COULD BE PUSHED OFF WITH THIS NEW CUSTOMIZED UNDOCUMENTED MAINT TECHNIQUE. IT IS AN UNSAFE PRACTICE AND LCL MGMNT IS CIRCUMVENTING THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE ADJUSTABLE SLING ASSEMBLY. AMT'S HAVE BROUGHT THIS CONCERN TO LCL MGMNT AND HAVE BEEN MET WITH INTIMIDATION AND COERCION. I BELIEVE IN HANDLING ISSUES WITH LCL MGMNT BUT THERE IS HISTORY WITH THIS MGMNT GROUP AND I FEEL THIS WARRANTS ATTN. PLEASE HAVE ORIGINAL HOIST SLING RESTORED TO THE WORK GROUP PER THE ORIGINAL JOB CARD. IF AN EQUIVALENT HOIST CAN BE USED; THE SAFETY SPECS OF THAT EQUIVALENT SHOULD MIRROR THE ORIGINAL. ENGINEERING NEEDS TO COOPERATE WITH AMT'S AND MGMNT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.