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Old 21st Dec 2003, 03:12
  #38 (permalink)  
Spitoon
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Although I have no view on the Virgin incident - the Police etc will do whatever they do in cases like this and I hope that the allegations are shown to be groundless and then given the same level of media coverage - I do have an interest in aviation and alcohol.

In the UK there is now legislation that sets absolute limits for the amount of alcohol in blood for people involved in operating, maintaining or controlling aircraft. The CAA recently published the following words
The “prescribed limit” for a maintenance engineer is the same as for a driver on the road, at 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. However, the limit for those in categories 1 to 3 is a mere 20 milligrams per 100 millilitres. The human body manufactures its own alcohol, and it is possible for the level of that ‘self manufactured’ alcohol to almost reach that 20 milligram level, so it would be prudent for anyone who is subject to the Act to think of the permitted level as equating to no consumed alcohol at all.
Assuming this to be correct (it comes from GASIL), and in the interests of accuracy, claims that anyone's blood/alcohol result is zero must be suspect.