Random drug test on air crew, traffic controllers to commence from 2022: DGCA

Indias civil aviation regulator announced it will institute random drug testing on flight crews and air traffic controllers effective from January 31 2022The Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA on Monday said that provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements rules are applicable on aircraft operators MROs FTOs and air navigation service providersThe CAR requires random testing to trace the presence of psychoactive substances such as amphetamine and amphetamine type stimulants opiates and metabolites cannabis marijuana as THC cocaine barbiturates and benzodiazepineAll scheduled commercial aircraft operators and air navigation service provider shall carry out random drug testing for the consumption of psychoactive substance by flight crew members and air traffic controllers employed by them respectively at the facilities established by them using the services of an appropriate laboratoryThe medical personnel of the concerned organization shall associate during this process The programme shall ensure that at least 10 per cent of the employees of an organisation are covered in a yearBesides the DGCA said that these organisations shall ensure testing before employing a person before admitting a trainee pilot in a FTO followup testing of confirmed cases and at first available opportunity in case an aviation personnel has refused drug test to a foreign regulator during flight operation to that countryOrganisations should encourage their employees for selfdeclaration regarding use of psychoactive substance Such employees shall be subjected to rehabilitation process by the organisation before return to the active dutyNumber of such cases shall be reported to DGCA on a six months basisFurthermore organisations have been asked to educate their employees about the prescription drugs that contain such substancesIn addition the CAR mentions that these tests shall be carried out post flight or post shift or anytime during the duty period as the case may be It shall not be carried out while an employee is on leave or on rest periodThe preflight testing requirement will be introduced in due course all the applicable organization are required to build capacity or infrastructure for the sameIn terms of penalties the CAR mentioned that if screening test is nonnegative the employee shall be immediately removed from the safety sensitive duty till a confirmatory report is receivedIn case of positive confirmatory test for the first time the concerned employee shall be referred by the organisation to a specialist doctor or counsellor or deaddiction centre for deaddiction or rehabilitation programme as applicable in consultation with the MROSuch an employee shall return to active duties after again having undergone the tests for the consumption of the psychoactive substance with a negative test report In addition fitness certificate by the medical in charge of the concerned organisation shall be requiredIn case an employee who has returned to safety sensitive duties after having been tested positive and is again found positive in the confirmatory test second occasion then the license of such person shall be suspended for period of three years and for third positive occasion the license shall be cancelledThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever