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Civil Aviation Authority Alcohol and Drug Testing Requirements

Helping you maintain the highest standards of safety within the aviation sector

Alcohol and drug misuse can have a significant impact in the workplace, often resulting in higher levels of absence and reduced performance.

It also greatly increases risks to the health and safety of employees and clients, which needs to be taken particularly seriously in a sector as safety sensitive as aviation.

To ensure the highest standards of safety and professionalism within the aviation sector, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently developed a specific policy and additional AMC and GM to guide and direct Air Traffic Control service providers in complying with the requirements of ATS.OR.305.

What the CAA are requesting

A provision of a comprehensive drug and alcohol policy.
Precise procedures to safeguard against impairment of individuals while on duty on board the aircraft.
Effective methods of detection to prevent the misuse of drugs and alcohol.
Drug and alcohol testing and assessment by appropriately trained persons for the following situations:
- Pre-employment
- Periodic Random testing (undefined by volume but recommend the following Rail at 20% PA)
- Post-incident / post-accident (2 hr response)
- Reasonable suspicion of impairment (2 hr response)

Awareness and policy training for all managers on:
- The prevention and detection of the misuse of psychoactive substances
- The effects of misuse on the individual and flight safety
- Policy and procedures
- Individual responsibilities

Consistency and equality through all testing procedures and policies.

Who do these policy requirements affect?

It is crucial that the aforementioned measures are implemented for the following personnel:

Passenger handling staff
Crew members
Other safety-sensitive personnel
Air traffic control personnel

Neglecting them could compromise safety standards and expose individuals and organisations to potential legal consequences.

Get Free No-Obligation Advice from our Alcohol & Drug Screening Experts

How Hampton Knight can help

Hampton Knight are one of the UK’s leading specialists in workplace alcohol and drug testing and support services. We provide an end-to-end solution, offering complementary policy review, manager training and awareness sessions, and counselling and support services alongside our flexible testing options to help you ensure that any issues regarding drugs and alcohol in your workplace are dealt with fairly and effectively.

Promote compliance with your drug and alcohol policy with testing conducted by experts

Our trained technicians provide both scheduled and unscheduled testing at your workplace, ensuring compliance with UK Chain-of-Custody Standard and European Workplace Drug Testing Guidelines. We offer various testing methods and can accommodate onsite or clinic-based testing, including mobile units.
We assist in crafting legally defensible drug and alcohol policies that align with health and safety regulations and meet employment law and data protection requirements.
We help plan and deliver tailored training programs to effectively implement your policy throughout your organisation. Our training equips management teams with the skills to conduct accurate in-house testing. Options include online, e-learning, or onsite delivery to suit your organisation’s needs.
We also offer oral fluid and urine point-of-care testing kits with confirmation analysis via our laboratory and hand-held, Home Office approved, legally defensible breath-testing kits, giving fast, accurate digital results with easy-to-read display.

Compliance with the Civil Aviation Authority directive is essential to maintain the safety of your teams and organisation.

No matter which of our services you choose to use, you can be confident that our expert team will always be on hand to provide you with the guidance and support you need, so you can better protect the welfare of your employees and maintain a healthy and safe environment for everyone.

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