Ericson Manufacturing

From leadership to inspection to production, successfully manufacturing and maintaining aircraft to meet deadlines or up-time requirements while ensuring overall safety can be challenging. There are several challenges that aviation companies must consider in order to stand out among competition and satisfy customer demands.

When you hear someone talking about working in a "confined space," that doesn't just mean that they are working in tight quarters. "Confined space entry" is actually a tightly (pun intended) defined term that comes with a certain set of safety requirements for personnel.

In order for an area to be called a confined space, it needs to meet all 3 of the following criteria:

1. Large enough for personnel to perform work
2. Limited openings for entry and exit
3. Not intended for continuous human occupancy

Examples of these types of spaces include tanks, vessels, manholes, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits.

2018 was a busy and profitable year for aerospace manufacturers and suppliers. What lies ahead for the commercial aerospace and defense (A&D) industries in 2019? From major OEMs to small but innovative companies, let’s look at the five biggest trends impacting growth--as well as the largest-looming threat.