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Inspections

All departments within the ACA are subject to be inspected. An inspection is unscheduled or unannounced check of ACA departmental operations or our contract services providers operations. The inspection confirms that ACA or our contract services provider’s processes, policies or procedures are compliant with ACA standards and compliant with CAAT requirements. The main purpose of an inspection is to identify unsatisfactory practices before they cause an accident.

ACA’s QAS inspection program aim is to improve ACA’s by raising the quality standards of all ACA departments and contract service providers by auditing, inspecting and monitoring their processes, policies and procedures. The QAS inspection program compares the performance of all ACA departments and contract service providers by scoring them against the estimated compliance or non-compliance severity table. All ACA departments and contract service providers are expected to attain levels of at least compliance with the compliance or non-compliance severity table. ACA’s QAS inspection program is meant to help and encourage all ACA departments and contract service providers to achieve levels of compliance. The non-compliance process describes how the ACA deals with departments and contract service providers that do not achieve compliance.

The Quality Assurance System Audit or Inspection Form QAS-3 contains Compliance or Estimated Non Compliance Severity Values that consists of values of A, B, C, D and E. The Auditor or Inspector will circle that value that, in their judgment, indicates that the area that was inspected was found to be compliant or non-compliant. The auditor or inspector will then add the discrepancies that were found and what they believe is the root cause of the discovered non-compliance(s). The audit or inspection will be considered a pass if NO non-compliance(s) are found. The audit or inspection will be considered a fail if any non-compliance(s) are found.

Note

See Non-Compliant Findings and Quality Assurance Committee Meetings sections for expanded non-compliant findings and corrective actions.

The same forms will be used to conduct an Inspection that is used to conduct and Audit.

  1. Audit or Inspection Checklist Form QAS-2;
  2. Audit or Inspection Form QAS-3;
  3. Audit or Inspection Report Form QAS-4.

Audit or Inspection Checklists, Form QAS-2 are required to be completed before conducting Inspections. The Quality Audit or Inspection Form QAS-3 is required to be completed and shall be delivered to the Head of Quality within 48 hrs of completing the Inspection.

Note

Inspections will be used as an immediate reaction to a Non-compliance Report that has been received and determined to be an Excessive Non-compliance by a Nominated Person or the Head of Quality. The Audit or Inspection Checklist Form QAS-2 will be forgone in the case of an excessive non-compliance report.

All forms used during the inspection shall be delivered to the Head of Quality within 48 hr of completing the Inspection.

Inspection Types

Quality Inspections

A Quality Inspections are an unscheduled and a review to evaluate compliance with ACAs quality standards for our processes, policies, procedures, and contractual requirements. Quality inspections cover internal, ACA operations, and external, contract service providers operations.

Compliance Monitoring Inspections

A Compliance Monitoring inspection is a scheduled and a formal review to evaluate compliance with CAAT requirements.

Internal Inspections

Internal inspections are undertaken by ACA’s quality department to ensure that ACA’s process, policies and procedures meet the requirements of ACA and that all applicable CAAT requirements are being complied with.

External Inspections

External inspections are undertaken by ACA’s quality department to ensure that our contracted service providers process, policies and procedures meet the requirements of ACA and that all applicable CAAT requirements are being complied with

Follow Up Inspections

This inspection is a required as part of the corrective action verification process.

Inspection Subject Areas

Typical subject areas quality inspections are:

  1. Organization;
  2. Plans and Company objectives;
  3. Operational Procedures;
  4. Operator certification (AOC/Operations specification);
  5. Supervision;
  6. Aircraft Performance;
  7. All Weather Operations
  8. Communications and Navigational Equipment and Practices;
  9. Mass, Balance and Aircraft Loading;
  10. Instruments and Equipment ;
  11. Manuals, Logs and Records;
  12. Flight and Duty Time Limitations, Rest Requirements, and Scheduling;
  13. Aircraft Maintenance / Operations interface
  14. Use of MEL;
  15. Maintenance Programs;
  16. Continued Airworthiness Part M;
  17. Airworthiness Directives management
  18. Maintenance Accomplishment;
  19. Defect Deferral;
  20. Flight Crew;
  21. In-Flight Service Representative;
  22. Dangerous Goods;
  23. Security;
  24. Training.

The Inspections Process

The Inspection will include the following processes:

  1. Define the Inspection:
  • Inspection Objectives
  • Inspection Scope
  • Inspection Criteria
  1. Inspection Preparation:
  • Inspection Plan;
  • Assign work to inspection team;
  • Inspection Checklists
  • Opening Meeting
  • Invite Questions
  1. Documentation review:
  • Relevant Documents
  • Appropriate CAAT requirements
  • AOC Limitations
  • Documentation Hierarchy
  1. Data Gathering:
  • Make Observations
  • Review Documents, Polices and Procedures
  • Communication Activities
  • Questioning approaches
  • Incorporate Interactive’ Listening
  • Verifying Gathered Data and Information
  • Recording Inspection Evidence
  • Write a summary and list all observations and findings
  1. Data Analysis:
  • Analyse data with the Head of Quality
  • Raise nonconformities or non-compliant area
  • Classify Findings
  1. Closing Meeting:
  • Review positive findings with and observations each person whose department be inspected or inspected
  • Review non-compliant findings and observations each person whose department be inspected or inspected
  • Agree upon a corrective action and implementation date for the corrective action
  1. Report Findings and give Feedback to Accountable Manager and the Quality Assurance Committee:
  • Report Inspection Results
  • Review Inspection Report Content
  • Agree upon Corrective Action(s) for all Non-Compliant Area(s) that were found (if applicable)
  • Review Corrective Action for all Non-Compliant Areas that were found (if applicable)
  • Closed-Loop Corrective Action Process (if applicable)
  1. Follow-up and Closing Meeting with the Person(s) who’s Department was Inspected:
  • Review the corrective action(s) with the each person whose department be inspected and the corrective actions that have been agreed upon by the Quality Assurance Committee. (if applicable)
  • Observe all areas that were found to be non-compliant
  • Were the Quality Assurance Committees corrective action implemented?
  • Were corrective action(s) effective?
  • Are the non-compliant areas now found to be compliant?
  • Post Closing Meeting Review with the or / Inspector Head of Quality
  • Remit negative follow up Inspection finding to the Head of Quality
  1. Follow Up Inspection of Non-compliant Areas (if applicable)
  • Define the Inspection
  • Inspection Preparation
  • Documentation review
  • Notify the Nominated Person, Department Manage or Supervisor of the Inspection
  • Entry Meeting
  • Data Gathering
  • Data Analysis
  • Closing Meeting
  • Report Findings and give Feedback to Accountable Manager and the Quality Assurance Committee
  • Follow-up and Closing Meeting with the Person(s) who’s Department was inspected.

The Inspector will brief the Head of Quality as to whether the corrective actions have been implemented and are being followed with a follow up inspection.

If corrective actions have not been implemented, the Safety Manage will meet with the Nominated Person responsible for the department to discuss why the corrective actions have not been implemented.

It is the responsibility of the Head of Quality to ensure that all corrective actions have been implemented. The Head of Quality will refer the matter to the Head of Flight Operations if there is a refusal to implement the corrective actions.

Inspection Scope

ACA are required, according CAAT requirements to monitor compliance with the procedures that have designed to ensure safe operations, Airworthy Aircraft and the serviceability of both operational and safety equipment.

Some of the typical subject areas for quality inspections are:

  • Actual Flight Operations;
  • Ground De-icing/Anti-icing;
  • Fueling;
  • Contracted service providers;
  • Load Control;
  • Maintenance records;
  • Maintenance work areas;
  • Training standards.

Inspectors Requirements When Conducting Inspections

A list of qualified Inspectors is kept by the Head of Quality. Inspectors are required to:

  1. Perform quality inspections as part of ongoing Quality Assurance System;

  2. Identify and record any non-conformities and the evidence;

  3. Necessary to substantiate such findings;

  4. Complete a verbal debrief with the responsible manager. (For line operations this includes the Captain and purser as required);

  5. Perform inspections with proficiency and professional care and exercise honesty, objectivity and diligences in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.

  6. Pass the complete inspection paperwork to the Head of Quality within 48 hours;

  7. Inspection paperwork:

    • Inspection record;
    • Non conformities;
    • All supporting documentation including planning detail and check lists.
  8. The Inspector is responsible for planning all aspects of the inspection in conjunction with the Head of Quality;

  9. The Inspector in discussion with the Head of Quality is then responsible for organizing travel arrangements;

  10. The team of Inspectors will be selected on the basis of experience, familiarity with processes or technology likely to be encountered and to interface effectively with the inspected;

  11. In addition the inclusion of trainee Inspectors (observers) is to be considered.

The Inspector will allocate sufficient planning time in advance of the inspection to ensure that the inspection is conducted in accordance with ACA Compliance Monitoring / QAS Inspection Procedures and to achieve the required objectives. The planning time should ideally be one day and conducted on the day prior to the commencement of the inspection. However, should longer be considered necessary, then approval is required from the Head of Quality.

Note: If a non-compliance finding had significant flight safety implications, the Inspector should immediately the Nominated Person overseeing the department, the department manager or supervisor and then informs the Head of Quality.

The Inspectors are to ensure that they arrange their inspection days, including planning, to be included in their departmental roster.

If there is need for external Inspectors, the agreement will be signed between ACA and the Inspector. The relevant procedures and practices applied by ACA will be submitted to the Inspector. External Inspectors have to satisfy necessary qualifications for Inspector

Inspection Preparation

When preparing for the inspection, it is important to establish the following:

  1. Inspection plan to include entry and exit meetings;
  2. Objectives and scope;
  3. Inspection staff required;
  4. Accommodation requirements;
  5. Required documentation;
  6. Access to controlled environments.

The following forms are to be used:

  1. Non-compliance Report, Form QAS-1;
  2. Audit or Inspection Checklist Form QAS-2;
  3. Audit or Inspection Form QAS-3;
  4. Audit or Inspection Report Form QAS-4.

The Inspector is to ensure that the inspection objectives are fully developed before beginning the inspection begins.

The Inspector will fully familiarize themselves with the required standards and obtain the required documentation. If no standard exists for a particular area, then familiarization with the existing procedure is required.

Once the Inspector is in possession of required documentation and is fully familiar with the area to be inspected, they allocate the tasks and decide which Inspectors are to perform which tasks.

After completing and getting acquainted with the documents, the Head of Quality shall organize a meeting with the Inspector and the Inspectors for a short briefing about that particular Inspection. The date and time of the meeting is set forth in the document naming the Inspector/Inspectors, which is delivered to them after the Head of Quality has formed the Inspection Team.

Techniques Which Contribute to an Effective Inspection

The following techniques may contribute to the effectiveness of an inspection are:

  • Interviews or discussions with departmental personnel;
  • A review of published documents and CAAT requirements;
  • The examination of an adequate sample of records, documents and logs;
  • The witnessing of processes, activities and procedures which make up the operation;
  • The preservation of documents and the recording of observations.

Data Gathering Guidelines

The conduct of the inspection is to include the following considerations.

The Inspector is responsible for ensuring the inspection achieves the required objectives.

  • Follow the inspection plan as closely as possible.
  • Answer all the questions on the Audit or Inspection Checklist Form, QAS-2.
  • The inspection may require a variation to the initial inspection plan.
  • Make observations and record all quality concerns and / or non-compliant areas as appropriate on Audit or Inspection Checklist Form, QAS-2 and Audit or Inspection Form, QAS-3.
  • Schedule Inspection update meetings with the Head of Quality to ask questions or take council.
  • If the inspection takes longer than one day, the Inspector is to provide a summary of the daily findings to the responsible Nominated Persons, department managers or supervisors.
  • The use of “guides” to introduce Inspectors to required personnel, locate particular documentation and answer any questions, is generally a normal practice, however, they can be externally valuable as witnesses when nonconformities are identified. The role of the “guides” is to ensure that the Inspectors are able to move around freely, are accompanied at all times to meet with company confidentiality and health and safety requirements and to ensure that fair play prevails.
  • Provide positive reactions and comments of findings to the responsible Nominated Persons, managers or supervisors.

Should any other aspects be observed which whilst not being nonconformity could be a cause for concern; these are to be reported immediately to the responsible Nominated Person, department manager or supervisor.

All the findings are to be collected together, utilizing the, Audit or Inspection Checklist; Form QAS-2, Audit or Inspection Form QAS-3, Audit or Inspection Report Form QAS-4.

Reporting Findings

When the inspection has concluded the Inspector shall brief the Inspected of all findings. Should the Inspected refuse to accept the Inspector’s findings, the final decision regarding the validity of a specific finding shall be made by the Quality Assurance Committee.

  • Subsequent to an inspection, the Inspector will record and report:
  • The seriousness of the findings;
  • The need for immediate corrective action;
  • The origin of the finding;
  • Initiates procedures to ensure that corrective actions are implemented such that the non-conformity does not recur;
  • A schedule for corrective action;
  • Identify the individual responsible for implementing corrective action;
  • That the corrective action process is correctly implemented and completed;
  • The effectiveness of corrective action through the re inspection process; Report any corrective actions that are not being closed within the defined time scale to the Head of Quality;
  • Notifying the Head of Quality in the first instance of any requirement for additional resources;
  • All non-compliant items are reviewed by the Head of Quality for their degree of importance and the allocated time scale for rectification.
  • The Inspector shall submit the QAS-2, Audit or Inspection Checklist; QAS-3, Audit or Inspection Form; QAS-4, Audit or Inspection Report to the Head of Quality within 48 hours.

Data Analysis

This is a critical component of ACA’s QAS. The Head of Quality and Quality Assurance Committee will review all Non-compliance Forms, QAS-1, Safety Inspection Forms and Reports. Tracking and analyzing data is used to enhance our awareness of all non-compliant areas within ACA of our contract service providers. This screening and decision process will evaluate the data for significance applied to all incoming data. We collect and analyze quality data as described in this manual and support the sharing of the data to continually improve ACA’s level of overall quality.

This quality information is used to:

  • Identify risks and verify the effectiveness of implemented controls;
  • Identify areas in which quality could be improved;
  • Contribute to accident and incident prevention;
  • Assess the effectiveness of training

Both the Head of Quality and Quality Assurance Committee are responsible for analyzing quality data to identify adverse trends and to identify indicators of potential quality issues.

Over a period of time, this data will help identify indicators that point to potential problems in the system before they occur.

Inspection Closing Meeting

An inspection closing meeting is held to close the inspection. In attendance would be the same personnel as for the inspection entry meeting. The Inspector as chairman and supported by their team will provide the inspected with the initial findings of the inspection, accompanied by any other relevant comments.

The inspected will be made aware as to the documented process following on from the inspection exit meeting; this will ensure that they understand what is required of them in order for the inspection process to be completed. The inspected and inspector will agree upon a date that all findings will be corrected. All reports will be delivered to the Head of Quality.

Non-Compliant Findings

Value A or B Non-Compliant Findings

All non compliant finding will be logged on Audit or Inspection Form QAS-3 and the Audit or Inspection Report QAS-4. All non-compliant items will be reviewed by the Inspector and the Head of Quality. The Head of Quality will determine the non-compliant value of each non-compliant process, policy or procedure that was found during the inspection. If the non-compliant value is determined to be an A or B, the Head of Quality will immediately notify the Nominated Person that is responsible for the department and immediately stop all department operations. The Nominated Person for the department will enact a temporary new process, policy or procedure with the approval of the Head of Quality. The Nominated Person of the department will be responsible for any temporary revision to all affected manuals and for dissemination of all temporary revisions.

The Safety Manage will call an emergency Quality Assurance Committee meeting. The Quality Assurance Committee will review the non-compliant findings and agree on a new process, policy or procedure for the department. The procedure will be immediately implement the corrective action and is responsible for the revision process for all affected manuals.

Value C, D or E Non-Compliant Findings

The Quality Assurance Committee will review all Value C, D or E non-compliant findings at the scheduled monthly meeting and agree upon any corrective actions that may be required.

Quality Assurance Committee Meetings

Quality Assurance Committee meetings provide organizational control and continual quality improvement are made. The Quality Assurance Committee meeting is a formal meeting of all Nominated Persons and invited department managers, supervisors and Fight Crews. To be effective, a formal Quality Assurance Committee review take place on a regular monthly basis or as an emergency meeting if required.

Input to the Quality Assurance Committee reviews and the process includes the following:

  • Hazard reports;
  • All submitted inspection checklist, forms, logs and documents;
  • Non-compliant findings found during inspections;
  • Finding from organizational inspections and inve
  • stigations;
  • Evaluation
  • of processes, policies and procedures;
  • Report Findings and give Feedback to
  • Accountable Manager and the Quality Assurance Committee;
  • Incidents and near-miss reports;
  • Changes in regulatory policy or civil aviation legislation;
  • Process performance and organizational conformity; Status of corrective and preventative action;
  • Follow up action from previous Quality Assurance Committee reviews;
  • Feedback and recommendations for quality system improvement;
  • Regulatory violations.

Output from the Quality Assurance Committee review process would typically include decisions and actions related to:

  • Improvement of the QAS process throughout the ACA;
  • Agree upon corrective action plan for all found non-compliant areas;
  • Monitor all corrective action plans that have been implemented and ensure that the agreed changes improve ACA’s QAS.

The Quality Assurance Committee meeting that will record the names of all attendees, the minutes of the meeting, a review of all inspections, corrective actions to be implemented and other quality topics that are discussed.

Corrective Action

The Head of Quality will:

  1. Ensure that the corrective action process is correctly controlled by the Inspector or Inspector and ensure that all corrective actions have been implemented and complied with in the agreed upon timeframe.
  2. Monitor the effectiveness of changes resulting from proposals for corrective action identified by the accident and flight safety program.
  3. Provide department managers and Nominated Persons with an independent assessment of corrective action, implementation and completion.
  4. The Quality Assurance Committee shall provide an independent assessment of corrective action, implementation and completion.
  5. Evaluate the effectiveness of corrective action through the follow-up inspection process.
  6. Highlight any areas of concern to the Accountable Manager including additional resource requirements.
  7. Review all non-compliance’s for their degree of importance and the allocated time scale for rectification.

Follow Up Inspections

The Head of Quality will verify that corrective actions have been implemented and are being followed with a follow up inspection.

The following process and procedures will be used for all follow up inspections:

  1. Inspection plan to include entry and exit meetings;
  2. Objectives and scope;
  3. Inspection staff required;
  4. Accommodation requirements;
  5. Required documentation;
  6. Access to controlled environments.

The following forms are to be used:

  1. Non-compliance Report, Form QAS-1;
  2. Audit or Inspection Checklist Form QAS-2;
  3. Audit or Inspection Form QAS-3;
  4. Audit or Inspection Report Form QAS-4.

Monitoring and Corrective Action

The principal aim of the Quality Assurance System is to ensure that all defined processes, policies and procedures are being continuously complied with.

Monitoring activity is based on daily monitoring, which is performed by all ACA employees. The organization structure ensures that regulatory compliance is monitored on a continuing basis. In this regard, the aim of the Quality Assurance System is to eliminate the causes of unsatisfactory performance and reduce risk to the lowest possible level.

All failures of implementation of procedures shall be investigated within ACA by the Head of Quality. The appropriate Nominated Persons, department managers and supervisors shall be informed about failures. All data about failures of implementation of procedures as well as information from inspections will be collected and analyzed for the purpose of estimating whether or not quality measures contribute to reducing ACA identified threat and risks

The Head of Quality is responsible for recording all inspection reports, non-conformities, resolutions and recommendations.

The Accountable Manager has ultimate authority for ensuring that sufficient resources are available for the rectification to be effective.

Reports requiring additional financial resources will be brought to the attention of the Accountable Manager during Quality Assurance Committee Meetings.

Closure

Closure of an Inspection with NO Non-Compliant Findings

The Inspection process will be considered closed if there were no non-compliant findings.

Closure of an Inspection with Non-Compliant Findings

The inspection findings will be considered closed when the corrective action has been implemented and has been found to improve quality of the process, policy or procedure in the follow up inspection. All revisions to all affected manuals will be the responsibility of the Nominated Person overseeing the department.