A B767-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH 2 DEFERRED ITEMS PER THE MEL; BUT REQUIRED PLACARDS WERE NOT INSTALLED.

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I WAS THE ONLY LEAD TECHNICIAN AT TERMINAL X ON SHIFT ON DEC/THU/04; WITH THE USUALLY HVY WORKLOAD. LATE IN THE SHIFT; I REALIZED THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE ALL OF THE PAPERWORK; AS ACFT DEPS GREW CLOSER. I CALLED THE GENERAL FOREMAN AND CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM ANOTHER LEAD TECHNICIAN; BUT NONE WERE AVAILABLE. I THEN ASKED FOR ANOTHER LEAD TECHNICIAN AND MR X WAS SENT DOWN TO HELP ME. MR X WAS CLOSING OUT ONE OF THE LOGBOOKS AND ASKED ME TO GET HIM 2 DEFERRALS FOR 2 MISSING PLACARDS. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND GOT THE DEFERRALS; AND FILLED OUT THE LOG ENTRY. MR X THEN HAD THE LOGBOOK TAKEN TO THE ACFT THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE IN APPROX 5 MINS. AS WE DISCUSSED THE ACFT; I REALIZED THAT THE MECH HAD NOT INSTALLED THE TEMPORARY PLACARDS. I TRIED TO TAKE THE TEMPORARY PLACARDS TO THE ACFT; BUT THE ACFT WAS GONE. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND TOLD THEM THAT THE 2 TEMPORARY PLACARDS WERE NOT INSTALLED; AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THEM INSTALLED AT THE NEXT STATION. BECAUSE MAINT CTL SAID THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF HAVING THE PLACARDS INSTALLED AT THE NEXT STATION; I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE END OF THIS DISCREPANCY. I THOUGHT NO MORE ABOUT IT UNTIL THE FAA CONTACTED ME ABOUT THIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO RPT THIS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DEP TIME; AND I WAS CO-WORKING WITH ANOTHER LEAD TECHNICIAN TO COMPLETE THE LOGBOOK. THE PHONE AND 2-WAY RADIOS KEPT CALLING FOR LOGBOOKS; AND WITH MECHANICAL PROBS; AND IT WAS AT THE END OF MY 10 HR SHIFT.