Airworthiness Notices - C009, Edition 4 - 26 January 2005

Trade Standards for Personnel Working in Approved Maintenance Organizations

(This Airworthiness Notice supersedes AN No. C009, Edition 3 dated 08 February 1999)

Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to advise the Canadian aviation maintenance industry of the trade standards that are recognized by Transport Canada (TC) for use by technical personnel working in Approved Maintenance Organizations (AMOs). More specifically it identifies the classification system that is based on the type of standard and qualification requirements to sustain certification status.

General

Trade standards and other nationally or internationally accepted standards can be referenced by an AMO as a means of satisfying competency requirements for trades personnel engaged in the performance of maintenance activities.

To ensure that AMO selected standards fully meet TC requirements, this Airworthiness Notice expands on the number of accepted standards available for use in an AMO, and identifies a categorized listing of those trade standards currently accepted by TC.

Background

In accordance with the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), an AMO may satisfy regulatory requirements by demonstrating compliance with any of the national or international TC accepted standards.

Due to various qualification criteria that support individual occupational trade standards, it has become necessary to recognize each standard according to its respective qualification requirements. Where qualification or continual certification status is linked to periodic testing requirements, the links must be identified. Standards that are silent regarding testing must also be identified separately. AMOs choosing to use such standards will be better positioned to address any variances that may exist between TC requirements and the selected standards.

Two fields where such differences may arise are nondestructive inspection and aircraft welding. Depending on the trade standard selected, the AMO may have to include qualification testing in its policy manual to address an absence of testing requirements in the selected standard.

Where there is no TC requirement for re-qualification testing in a particular trade standard, the AMO is free to introduce its own re-qualification requirements if so desired. As a minimum, where a standard fails to include periodic qualification testing as an integral element, and that standard has been identified by TC as requiring periodic qualification testing, then the additional TC requirement can be addressed by AMO documented policy.

Policy

1. The application of national or international accepted standards of trade competency by an AMO must be TC approved.
2. In addition to general evaluation procedures employed by TC for trade standard acceptance, TC will further review each standard to confirm whether periodic qualification testing requirements are integral to the standard.
3. Where TC determines that periodic qualification testing is a conditional requirement to support a particular type of work performance within an AMO, that additional requirement will be identified.
4. Where an AMO selects an accepted standard that does not include periodic qualification testing as an integral part of the standard, and TC has identified this as an essential requirement for program approval, the additional TC requirement will be addressed by AMO policy.
5. Where there is no TC requirement for re-qualification testing in a particular trade standard, and the selected standard includes periodic qualification testing, the AMO will comply with the selected standard.
6. Where a selected standard does not include qualification testing, but is deemed essential to the AMO program, the AMO is free to introduce its own qualification testing requirements if so desired.

Annual, or periodic payment of fees to maintain membership status in an accredited standards organization does not provide or indicate TC acceptance where periodic qualification has been established as an AMO requirement by TC.

Note: Recognition of the trade standards identified in this notice does not pertain, nor relate, to the requirements for issue of an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licence (AME). Individuals seeking to obtain an AME licence must meet the requirements of STD 566, Division I.

Trade Standards For Personnel Working in Approved Maintenance Organizations

The following standards may be referenced and used as one means of satisfying personnel competency requirements in regard to applicable work performed in an AMO.

Trade Standards For Personnel Working In Approved Maintenance Organizations