By Skies Magazine | March 13, 2024 Estimated reading time 7 minutes, 19 seconds.
Boeing has released a raft of new safety measures amid swirling criticism over its manufacturing practices following a near-disaster involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max airliner.
In a message to employees on March 12, 2024, Boeing Commercial Airlines CEO Stan Deal laid out safety improvements the manufacturer plans to take after months of scrutiny stemming from a door panel that fell off mid-air in a January airline flight.
“As we conduct quality stand downs across our company, your improvement ideas have been invaluable,” Deal said in a statement to employees, also posted to the company website.
“We have used your feedback, and those from our regulator and customers, to take immediate actions to strengthen our safety and quality. These actions are central to a comprehensive plan we will soon deliver to the FAA.”
Boeing cited two recent independent assessments of its operations and provided an update on actions to date.
This includes an audit by inspectors from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at Boeing’s Renton, Wash., production facility in January and February.
“They examined 737 work instructions, monitored mechanics, inspected for defects, and more,” said Deal. “The vast majority of our audit non-compliances involved not following our approved processes and procedures.”
Boeing said it has added layers of inspections and taken prompt action to ensure understanding and compliance with requirements, including: “Working with each employee noted with a non-compliance during the audit to ensure they fully understand the work instructions and procedures.”
The manufacturer is also implementing weekly compliance checks for every Boeing 737 work cell as of March 1, and is dedicating time in each shift for mechanics to complete compliance and foreign object debris (FOD) sweeps.
Additionally, Boeing plans to audit all toolboxes, remove any box that isn’t “fully compliant,” and plans additional audits this month of its 737 program to “ensure full compliance,” per Deal’s statement.
Boeing acknowledged concerns about its safety management system (SMS) following a review in 2023 as part of a mandate from the U.S. Congress.
A panel of industry experts found Boeing’s SMS reflects global standards, “but our procedures are too complicated, we change them too much, and we can do more to connect metrics to the safety outcomes we want,” said Deal.
“Our teams are working to simplify and streamline our processes and address the panel’s recommendations,” he said.
Boeing emphasized to employees the need to “precisely follow every step” of its manufacturing procedures and processes.
“These have been designed to ensure conformance to specifications and compliance to regulatory requirements,” said Deal. “We can and should update procedures and processes, but until then, we must adhere to the existing ones.”
He also asked employs to always “be on the lookout for a potential safety hazard or quality escape.”
“If you spot an issue, you are fully empowered to report it through your manager or the Speak Up portal, so we address it right away rather than travel the risk to the next person or position,” said Deal.
In terms of progress, Boeing said it has reduced traveled work in its factories, “including minimizing the need for rework of parts coming from our suppliers.”
“Through our collaboration with Spirit AeroSystems, we have implemented additional inspection points at their facility in Wichita,” said Deal. “As such, starting March 1, teams there have been ensuring first-pass quality before any fuselages are shipped to Renton.”
Boeing also plans to deploy its SMS to conduct “new reviews” of travelled work in its manufacturing facility and put mitigation plans in place, if needed.
“We will not hesitate in stopping a production line or keeping an airplane in position,” said Deal.
“We have more to do and you play an important role,” he added, speaking to Boeing employees.
“The quality stand downs have been a great platform to surface ideas and we have more of those planned this month. Meanwhile, please continue to raise concerns, anonymously or otherwise …. Thank you for strengthening our commitment to compliance and ensuring safety and quality in all that we do.”
