A B737-500 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED WITH DOOR 1R EMER ESCAPE SLIDE INSTALLED WITH THE SAFETY PIN STILL INSTALLED.

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I WAS ASSIGNED TO DO THE A-CHK ON ACFT IN THE CABIN. DOOR 1R EMER SLIDE INSPECTION WINDOW OF PRESSURE GAUGE WAS FOUND CRACKED AND I MADE THE WRITE-UP. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME TO REPLACE THE EMER SLIDE. SO; I ASKED MY LEAD MECH FOR HELP AND TRAIN ME TO DO THE SLIDE REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH MAINT MANUAL. ON JUL/FRI/06; I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE REGULATOR PIN OF THE EMER SLIDE AT DOOR 1R WAS FOUND STILL INSTALLED ON ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE RECENTLY WAS FACING LAYOFF AT ANOTHER STATION AND EXERCISING SENIORITY WAS XFERRED TO THIS STATION TO WORK AS AN ACFT AND PWR PLANT TECHNICIAN. PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE WAS WORKING IN AVIONICS FOR 16 YRS AND ALTHOUGH HAVING AN ACFT AND PWR PLANT LICENSE HAD NO PRACTICAL WORK EXPERIENCE. THIS WAS THE FIRST ESCAPE SLIDE INSTALLATION ASSIGNMENT AND THE RPTR REQUESTED THE LEAD TECHNICIAN TO INSTRUCT AND ASSIST WITH THE INSTALLATION USING THE MAINT MANUAL. THE SAFETY PIN WAS NOT REMOVED DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE SLIDE. THE RPTR ADMITS THE MANUAL IS CLR IN ONE OF THE STEPS TO REMOVE THE SAFETY PIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR FROM ACN 703556 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SLIDE INSTALLATION IS AN FAA REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEM AND THE INSPECTION IS A VISUAL OVERALL INSPECTION. THE REMOVAL OF THE SAFETY PIN CANNOT BE VERIFIED UNLESS THE SLIDE IS REMOVED. THE RPTR STATED THE INSTALLATION TECHNICIAN REPORTED THE PIN WAS REMOVED AND STOWED. THE PIN STOWAGE CANNOT BE CONFIRMED AS THE SLIDE WOULD REQUIRE REMOVAL. THE PIN PROB MAY FINALLY BE RESOLVED AS IT IS RUMORED A NEW MAINT PROC AND PIN CONFIGN IS IN THE WORKS.