DAMP Audit

[601]

Has anyone had a DAMP audit?
Was your DAMP based on the CASA template?
Did you have a separate DAMP training manual or was training included as part of the DAMP?
What was the result of the audit?

[YPJT]

Has anyone had a DAMP audit?
I am involved with two organisations that have DAMPS and both currently undergoing audit.

Was your DAMP based on the CASA template?
Yes as that appeared to be the easiest way to comply with Part 99 requirements. A few mining companies have kicked and screamed like petulant children claiming their D&A regime is far more rigorous. That may well be the case but it is the specific aviation DAMP that CASA will audit. Remember and auditor keeps him/herself in a job finding fault with your processes so why give them an extra opportunity.

Did you have a separate DAMP training manual or was training included as part of the DAMP?
Until recently, we did not have a dedicated Drug and Alcohol Education Program apart from the brochures provided by CASA. There are now quite a few resources available on the AOD website and if you put all of those together into your training, you can tick off all the boxes pertaining to training in the audit checklist.

What was the result of the audit?
Still wating to hear back. AOD office does not have enough people to travel around and completely audit every DAMP organisation. They don't even have enough people to answer the phone or respond to emails in a timely manner. :mad: My guess is they will look at the documentation provided and focus on those that clearly are off the mark with their documentation or just go for a sample of responses to do a face to face audit.

Headsup though, if you are only using urinalysis for pre - employment screening or reasonable suspicion / post incident testing through the local path clinic, you are not going to be compliant. All alcohol screening under DAMP must be by approved breathalyser which means many will have to go out and purchase their own machines.

[megle2]

601
Yes
Yes
No
7 RCA Basically rather than errors admin changes to comply with CAO
4 Observations As with RCA

4 hours for audit - very thorough
3.5 months from audit to receival of audit report.
20 days to respond from audit reply date.

The audit will involve far more than you expect.
Education aspect the main area we need to enhance.
As the previous poster said you need more than just the Casa guide.
And from what I hear the " big stick " is there to make sure you comply.

[Mill Worker]

What a waste of public money!

[Mach E Avelli]

Mill Worker I tend to agree. Anyone serious about a job these days will go on the wagon for a few days before being DAMP tested as part of the pre-employment process. Does not prove a thing. Then when the poor little screwed-up individual whose father abused them as a child and whose mother was a hooker subsequently proves to be a p!sspot or druggie, the firm is stuck with a whole process of trying to rehab them. Why should someone's problem become everyone's problem?
Under the influence and on duty? Find a reliable witness and then go for instant dismissal.
Should we have random testing in aviation? Absolutely, but leave that to the authorities.
Over .02 or performance affecting drugs in system and on the job? Instant dismissal.

[davidgrant]

well guys, went through the whole process....The gambit seemed to be to force you into a position where your company wears whatever law suit comes out of whatever breach of privacy comes out of whatever test is done.
We tried to do pre employment tests through a GP. Unfortunately CASA considers GP's are incompetent and do not have the integrity to do these tests..you have to use.. an approved medical officer to do the tests
ie someone who has paid CASA a fee to become approved. anyone else is considered incompetent or does not have the integrity to do a test.
They knocked back blood tests which their own spin says is the only way to get a 100% accurate test...you have to do the saliva or urine test which their own spin says produces false positives...for which you can get sued.
We purchased a commercially produced education program which most of the rest of industry uses, unfortunately it dosnt have our company name on it so its not adequate, it has to be under our name...in other words ensuring we get sued if things go Tits up...it seems to me that this whole process has been deliberately written by CASA lawyers ( bottom feeders) to put the industries head on a block to ensure they can buy their next BMW or water front mansion.
I dont have a problem with drug and alcohol testing, regardless of the evidence that its a waste of time ( Where's the evidence)...if thats what they want to do..okay do it!! just dont put the whole liability back on the industry which is struggling to pay their exorbitant fees for doing nothing except shuffle paper work.

[Super Cecil]

I dont have a problem with drug and alcohol testing, regardless of the evidence that its a waste of time
Me either, I think it's fair that Judges and State and Federal politicians be tested as well. If you can't fly an aircraft pi$$ed then how can you run courts and the country pi$$ed? Anybody think there's a big chance of that?

[Exit Strategy]

Does anybody know what was the driver for the whole DAMP issue? Have we had an increase in pissed idiots working around aircraft?

This is costing the industry and ultimately the public a lot of money and what benefit are we all getting for this expense?

[maverick22]

It was probably in the pipeline for a while but I'm pretty sure this accident was the catalyst for it:
200204328 (http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2002/AAIR/aair200204328.aspx)

[PLovett]

My understanding, which may be wrong, was that it was the bureaucrats in DOTARS that came up with the idea over the objections of CASA. :eek:

Yet again another example of bureaucrats coming up with a solution to a problem that doesn't exist to please their political masters so that they can spin a line to the public about how well they are being protected from the boogy monster. :mad:

[YPJT]

Maverick22,

The CASA AOD staff always trot out that little chestnut whenever they are out pushing their DAMP doctrine. So in the absence of any other significant event involving drugs or alcohol I also think that the HI incident was the main catalyst.

PLovett, Couldn't agree more. Not sure about the then DOTARS input with this though. They probably know or care as much about aviation safety as CASA knows about aviation security. That is 4/5 of the proverbial.

[601]

From the CASA AOD Self Audit document

1.1. DAMP has a Drug and Alcohol Education Program.
1.2. DAMP has a Drug and Alcohol Testing Program.
1.3. DAMP has a Drug and Alcohol Response Program.


Are these supposed to be separate documents or they sections in the DAMP.

On the CASA AOD site the above are sections in the DAMP template .

But I have heard that the Drug and Alcohol Education Program (DAEP) has to be a document separate to the DAMP.

Is this correct?
If so where is it detailed in CASA's documentation?