The (believe it or not) RAILWAYS AND TRANSPORT SAFETY ACT 2003 regarding this clause, comes into force in February 2004.
In it it states that
under JAR-OPS limits, the new maximum limit for pilots ATCO's and cabin crews blood alcohol limit, will be reduced from 80mg of alcohol/100mg blood; to 20mg/100mg.
This is the equivalent of drinking a quarter of a pint of medium strength beer, or not even one tot of spirits!!
If the old limit was adhered to (80mg), then the time it would take for that limit to reduce to the new limit, would/could be 24hrs!!!
Basically to remain below the new limit would mean not drinking AT ALL from >1 day before until immediately after your long run of continuous shifts
Aircraft licensed engineers are mentioned in this, but because they are perceived as not as great a threat to transport safety as the others (
), then they can retain their original limit.
{Actually it's because everyone knows that engineers can't hold their own
}
Penalty for busting the limit: fine and/or up to 2 yrs in prison!!
The UK altered the penalty system a fraction by removing the other penalty clause which may exist elsewhere in Europe: Loss of licence
Persons responsible for prosecuting this new law: PC plod!!!!
They are not allowed to board an a/c, nor do a random test, but they can request to meet up with the 'target' and breathalyse him away from the a/c and in private (thats OK then).
It is being suggested, that if a crew member/ATCO is targetted, that they be given the rest of the shift off because of the stress of waiting to see if they fail the test
2 pilots from an unnamed airline -recently resigned immediately prior to being tested, because they were advised (apparently) that if they exceeded the limit, they would lose their licences too [existing system (80mg), not the new law where LOL is not an option].
Oooh er missus!