Dobson said aviation has numerous safety-sensitive roles and activities occurring at once, “and if something does go wrong, it can be catastrophic”.
The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) chief executive Glenn Dobson.
“[The CAA have] followed a little bit of international best practice. DAMPs are not an unusual thing in aviation industries around the world.”
The new rules mean operators must file not only workplace testing plans, but also a “response plan” for what happens when problems arise.
Furthermore, operators are required to keep the regulator updated with developments in the implementation of their plans.
“If there is a refusal or an attempt to cheat a test that indicates drugs, then the operator has to report that to CAA – I think the term they use is as soon as practicable,“ Dobson said.
“But there’s also quarterly reporting as well. That’s each operator has to report to the CAA quarterly in relation to how many tests they’ve done, the safety-sensitive roles that those tests cover.”
The CAA told the Herald that it will rely on “a range of education, engagement, monitoring, and auditing activities to ensure that participants effectively implement aviation safety requirements”.
The Civil Aviation Authority is now tasked with providing active oversight of drug and alcohol management plans in New Zealand’s aviation sector. Photo / Getty Images
When asked what would happen if operators failed to submit plans or fell short of the required standard, the CAA said there was a range of actions it would consider.
But while industry oversight was strengthening, it wouldn’t come with increased transparency.
“The compliance results for individual participants with CAA rules are not made public,” the CAA said, adding it instead shares broader safety insights with the sector.
Dobson, however, believed operators should go further.
“I think they should stand loud and proud and say, ‘Yes, we’re taking it seriously and this is what we’re doing,’ so the public have a degree of confidence around it.
“The CAA will take … a bit of a watchdog sort of scenario where they’ll make sure that everything has been applied correctly,” Dobson said.
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