ATS.OR.305 Responsibilities of air traffic control service providers with regard to the problematic use of psychoactive substances by air traffic controllers

POLICY AND PROCEDURES Within the context of the policy, the air traffic control service provider should:

(a)provide training or educational material to air traffic controllers relating to:

(1)the effects of psychoactive substances on individuals and subsequently on air traffic control service provision;

(2)established procedures within its organisation regarding this issue; and

(3)their individual responsibilities with regard to legislation and policies on psychoactive substances.

(b)make available appropriate support for air traffic controllers who are dependent on psychoactive substances;

(c)encourage air traffic controllers who think that they may have such a problem to seek and accept help made available by their air traffic control service provider;

(d)ensure that air traffic controllers are treated in a consistent, just and equitable manner as regards the problematic use of psychoactive substances; and

(e)establish and implement principles and procedures for occurrence investigation and analysis to consider the problematic use of psychoactive substances as a contributing factor.

POLICY

(a)Guidance for the development and implementation of the policy is contained in ICAO Doc 9654 ‘Manual on Prevention of Problematic Use of Substances in the Aviation Workplace’, First Edition - 1995, and in particular:

(1)Attachment A (pp. 27–34) as regards elements for the definition and the implementation of policy and programme;

(2)Chapter 3 (pp. 9–12) as regards the identification, treatment, and rehabilitation of staff, with related supporting material, available in Attachment C (pp. 61–68); and

(3)Attachment D (pp. 69–75) as regards the employment consequences of problematic use of substances.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

(b)Guidance for the development and implementation of training and education programmes is contained in ICAO Doc 9654 ‘Manual on Prevention of Problematic Use of Substances in the Aviation Workplace’, First Edition - 1995, in particular:

(1)Chapter 2 (pp. 6–7) as regards the education of the workforce and educational material, with related supporting material available in Attachment A (pp. 35–48); and

(2)Attachment B (pp. 49–59) and Attachment F (pp. 87–94), where extracts from the ICAO Manual of Civil Aviation Medicine are provided

THIRD PARTY ASSISTANCE TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS The air traffic control service provider may employ third-party assistance. Such assistance should be made freely available to air traffic controllers who are dependent on psychoactive substances.

PROCEDURE FOR THE DETECTION OF CASES OF PROBLEMATIC USE OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES The objective, transparent and non-discriminatory procedure should specify:

(a)the mechanisms and responsibilities for its initiation;

(b)its applicability in terms of timing and locations;

(c)the person(s)/body responsible for testing the individual;

(d)the testing process;

(e)thresholds for psychoactive substances;

(f)the process to be followed in case of detection of problematic use of psychoactive substances by an air traffic controller; and

(g)the appeal process.

PROCEDURE FOR THE DETECTION OF CASES OF PROBLEMATIC USE OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES Guidance for the development and implementation of the procedure for detection of cases of psychoactive substances is contained in ICAO Doc 9654 ‘Manual on Prevention of problematic use of Substances in the Aviation Workplace’, First Edition - 1995, particularly in Chapter 5 (pp. 15–23) and Attachment E (pp. 77–85) as regards biochemical testing programmes, with related supporting material.