EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Communication Breakdown; Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Equipment / Tooling; Procedure; Human Factors
At ZZZ Hangar; we only have one Ground Power Unit (GPU) for [ERJ]-170 work. We normally have two if not three 170s in the hangar every night. To provide power to the aircraft without the GPU; we must run the APU all night which wasn't too bad during the winter with the doors closed but has caused dangerous noise levels now that its summer and we must keep the doors open for cooling. So our current options are to wear hearing protection; but then you can't communicate with the other mechanics you are working with; which is also a hazard in itself (you would be unable to warn someone if they were in danger; etc.). Or to close the hangar doors which causes it to get extremely hot in the hangar. We have talked to management about this problem and they reported that it has been summited on the 2015 expense report; but that has been the answer since January when we first brought the coming problem to their attention. I also know that many have chosen not to wear hearing protection so that communication is possible; which will eventually lead to hearing loss. I feel it is sad that we have to choose immediate danger versus long term hearing loss because getting GPUs to the hanger is held up in red tape.
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) describes his work environment where the lack of adequate Ground Power Units (GPUs) to supply electrical power to all their ERJ-170 aircraft requires the running of APU's all night in their hangar. As a result; due to the excessive noise levels; mechanics have chosen not to wear ear protection in order to communicate even though they face long term hearing loss.