BT
The driving analogy is of course correct. My point, in the context of CAP371, goes back to the origins of the document and the Bader report distinction made between tiredness and fatigue. If an airline's FTL or rostering scheme results in a crewmember becoming 'fatigued' then something is very wrong and there is a case to be made for an MOR or at least a thorough investigation, basically, it should never happen. Tiredness however, is common, I'm tired after a 12 hours shift, most crews are tired after a night LCA, but few would say there are fatigued. It is an oft mis-used word and it dilutes the important distinction between the two,
I'm sure you get my point.
Fractional
Perhaps a slightly less confrontational stance with the crews would be better. With a safe operation as our first priority, we should, in first instance, be one their side. I know we have commercial pressures, but very simply, the responsibility rests with the crewmember to tell us if they are fit for a duty. True, their management can deal with anyone who's got a problem, but the old what goes around, comes around isn't really where we should be heading. The good relationships most aircrew have with their ops and crewing department needs guarded jealously and it is very easy to loose it.
On discretion, you seem to imply discretion is there for you. Discretion is there for the Commander alone and the most ops or crewing should ever be doing, is 'asking the commander if he/she is ' prepared to consider the use of discretion' so they can plan the next step. We should 'never' ask a crew member to go into discretion that can be seen as commercial pressure and that is not our first priority.