How do requirements flow into AGL maintenance?
Turn each maintenance requirement into a planned task with an interval and an acceptable condition, then isolate, work, verify, restore and record.
The maintenance requirement flow turns the requirement list into a maintenance plan that states each task, its interval, the spares and tools needed and the acceptable condition afterwards. After safe isolation, the work is carried out, verified and the circuit restored before the records are signed.
Maintenance with no plan behind it leaves requirements unmet and unprovable. Keep signed records, return the circuit to service only after verification, and use repeat faults and findings to review the plan.
- List what must be maintained. Standards, manufacturer data, regulator rules and contract terms.
- Write the maintenance plan. Task, interval, spares, tools and acceptable condition for each.
- Prepare safely. Permit, isolation, earthing, spares and coordination with the tower.
- Work and verify. Do the task, then check it against its acceptable condition.
- Restore, record and review. Return to service, sign the records, update the plan.
Tasks, intervals and acceptable condition set beforehand from the requirements, so work is repeatable and can be shown to be done.
Faults are fixed as they appear, with no plan or records, so requirements are not shown to be met and repeat faults go unnoticed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1How do maintenance requirements come from the design?
The manufacturer's instructions, the applicable standards and the regulator's rules each set what must be kept working and how often. The contract or service agreement adds availability targets. Together they become the maintenance requirement list, and each item is turned into a task with an interval and a standard of acceptable condition.
Q2What is the difference between preventive and corrective maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is planned work done at set intervals to stop faults developing, such as cleaning, checks and tightening. Corrective maintenance is work done after a fault or a failed inspection to restore the item. Both start from the same requirement list, and findings from corrective work should feed back into the preventive plan.
Q3Why must a series circuit be isolated before maintenance?
Airfield series circuits run at a constant current that can be dangerous, and an open or unprotected circuit can produce high voltage. Work should only start under the site's permit-to-work and lock-out procedure, with the circuit confirmed isolated and earthed as that procedure requires.
Q4What must be checked before the circuit is returned to service?
Check that the work meets its acceptance criterion, then carry out the post-maintenance tests the plan calls for, such as insulation resistance and a functional check. Confirm the circuit is safe to energise, remove the isolation and permits in order, and tell the control tower or airfield operations that the lighting is available again.
Q5Why keep maintenance records?
Records show that required work was done, by whom and when. They support audits, help trace repeat faults, and let intervals be reviewed against real failure data. Without them the requirement list cannot be shown to be met.
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