blokehitchedwith2 is that your RSVP Chat name or what? 
AOD testing is about risk management - although the
likelihood of a pilot being impaired at work is very small, the
potential consequences are catastrophic.
Same-same for LAMEs and everyone else.
As others have said above, we have been living with this idea for
over 20 years on the roads and it is absolutely standard practice in most Australian industries using machinery... I can't believe it's taken this long in Aviation, or even believe we're having this debate!
...it's just a part of life.
EMB120ER ...Thank you! - well said.
Like Comp Stall I have been subject to random D&A testing on mine sites - given your limited exposure to mine sites over a relatively short time, Stallie mate I dunno what you were eating! In six years as a mining contractor (with 10% of our workforce randomly tested each week) I never returned a positive sample. There were several guys who did, however, and they were stood down on full pay until the results could be verified.
IF the results were verified as illicit drugs, the employee was referred to the company's AOD rehabilitation policy and was required to provide clean samples before they could return to work.
IF you refused to submit to the test, you were stood down without pay until you provided a doctor's certificate stating you were clean.
IF, on the day of the test, you shoot through and go home, you would be subject to a test when you next turned up to work.
The Chain of custody for the samples was water-tight and taken very, very seriously.
Everyone doing the testing was aware that people's livelihoods were at stake, and
everyone in the operation was aware that being at work under the adverse influence of anything could kill you, or one of your mates.
Sometimes, reading these threads, I think that some Aviation "professionals" could learn a thing or two from labourers I have known in the mining industry.
On another note- At one Anglo Coal site in the Hunter two or three blokes would get advanced warning of the test, pop 2 Panadeine Forte's and win themselves 4 days off on full pay
The subsequent testing confirmed it was legit medication, and the HR dept had a doctor's letter in a sealed "medication" envelope in their files stating that employee ABC sometimes took Panadeine Forte for acute back pain.
