DAMP check, what is it?
 

A recent Pilot ad job in the Australian, had this as a requirement, any ideas what it is?

"Will require current DAMP check and Jump Pilot Authorisation Certificate.
Minimum 5-10 hrs on Piper Lance, C182 & C206. "

Drug and Alcohol Management Plan.

It just means you will need to pass a drug and alcohol screening test prior to employment. (CASA Requirement)

I have done a few damp checks in Phuket !

gobbledock I have done a few damp checks in Phuket !
What do you mean Gobbledock? Why do CASA do drug test in Phuket?:confused:

If you had been to Phuket or Bangkok you would understand the need for a DAMP check!:= Think hermaphrodite:yuk::yuk::yuk::yuk:

Pee in a bottle basicly

No pee in a bottle.

It's a swab test in your mouth for drug screening and a breath test for alcohol. A silly expense on the industry, I fully support random drug and alcohol testing but for employment screening?? You know you are going for a test, so who would be silly enough to rock up drunk after snorting a couple of lines of coke?

:ugh::ugh:

Couple this with the fact most GA companies charge potential staff for the privilege and it's pretty hard to organize one in the middle of bum **** nowhere.

I'd suggest paying for one before you head north. It will make you easier to employ than someone who has not and I believe the results are valid or 6 months.

This just seems a bit wierd to me. If an organisation is requred to comply with part 99 of the regs then they should be the ones arranging the testing. We test our staff as part of the employment process. I can't believe operators are stooping to this new low level.

GG, I am pretty certain that drug testing under a DAMP can be carried out using urinalysis whereas CASA testing is carried out using swab only. The urinalysis tests are probably the easiest way to go as you can get them from just about any of the path labs with a written report for about $25.00.

The alcohol component becomes a bit more difficult as it is specified that DAMP testing must be done using a device conforming to AS3547. The organisation that is asking for the DAMP certificate should have, or have access to, their own device otherwise how would they complete post incident or reasonable suspicion testing?

When I had mine done recently I went to a third party provider and had a swab test for drugs and a breath test for alcohol.

The on site damp only does random testing I believe, not pre employment drug and alcohol testing.

On site testing can do random, post incident and reasonable suspicion testing. In fact the organisations DAMP has to specify this. The only element that can be exempted is random which we don't do simply because there is no past evidence to support it being required. For pre-employment we send the dude/dudette off to the path lab for the drug screen and do a breath test with our own device. A pain in the backside but not too difficult.

A word of warning - from the person that did my pre-employment DAMP test:

The mouth swab is a less accurate test and can give false, yet believable, results. They said that if ever given the choice (as I believe you're supposed to be given) then choose the urine test.

Green Goblin:

CASR does not specify which methodology is to be used. CASA use the oral swabs for a number of reasons.

The urine tests are simple and quick (4-5 minutes and it's all over) but they DO require a bathroom or some other suitable, private place. If a bathroom is used, there is an extensive protocol required in accordance with the relevant Australian Standard.

ALL testing (oral or urine) must be done iaw the AS, otherwise the results are invalid or, at least, not legally defensible if it comes to that. This means if your company sets up in-house testing, your testing personnel must be accredited to collect body samples etc etc etc.

Nothing in the CASRs specifies this and as YPJT states, it's a matter for the DAMP organisation to determine how they are going to satisfy the requirements of CASR 99.

As for "pay for your own": common enough in the mining industry, especially amongst contractors.

ConfigFull, yeah I have heard about false positives from mouth swabs too from some people with a lot of experience in this area. Also as Horatio Leafblower said, if you don't have your sh1t in one sock when doing the testing you can easily be brought undone by a legal challenge. We use third party testers for that very reason.

Well they are the ones who probaby need it more than anyone. Most of them are ferals. :} As for GA though, I don't think it's too much to ask for an employer to foot what is a relatively mnor expense.

Retrosoectivity
 

Ahh - but if either a Dubious or Worthless FOI in the YSBK area should allege that there was the smell of alcohol on your breath some 6 months previously, you will find your medical certificate suspended immediately. And no, this is not a joke or rumour, it actually happened, and the victim has only just got their medical back after a seriously serious DAMP review, and some very heavy communications from some very heavy people.
:mad:
The court action is in excess of a mill !!!!:mad:

There are some tall tales. etc
 

Some yarns are funny, and, as we all know, there is many a true word spoken in jest.

There are sad stories, which although we all feel 'em, don't signify, (think of Bambi).

There are even stories which get better with telling, honed over countless tellings by master craftsmen. These are the legends, which we all know and love. Endless, classic and worth our time. (Think Gann).

Then there is the dark side. Reality. There are some tales, usually founded in truth which need not to be told. Not here, not now, and certainly not without permission. QED.

Mr Pie man.
I find this incedibly hard to believe.
A CASA FOI with no training ( I believe the industry had to do a course as a drug and alcohol supervisor before we could legally make an accusation) can accuse someone of being under the influence, take away their livelihood, destroy their reputation, with no recourse to a judicial review with punative damages if the accusation turns out to be false!!...What kind of a country are we living in here???...a public servant can make a false accusation destroying someones life and there is no recourse...This is just another reason for a royal commission, I do apologise to the many competent and honest people within CASA, but there is enough smoke within the pages of these forums to suggest that there are people without probity totally out of control within CASA, Good grief people this is corruption on a massive scale!!
There would be riots in the streets if a policeman could front you in the street and say your pissed..give me your livelihood...why does the industry tolerate this!! Our apathy allowed the whole DAMP B..sh..t thing to be bought in in the first place...a total and expensive waste of time..random testing I dont have a problem with, but the rest is just a waste of time and money.