The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) wants a uniform policy for drug and alcohol testing at facilities outside
of the United States that work on commercial airline maintenance.
The agency proposes that all repair
stations outside the U.S. have a safety certificate.
It would better match the standards
set in the U.S. by the FAA and the Department of Transportation, the agency
said in a press release.
The FAA is also proposing that a
testing program be instituted.
“This would be an important step in our
overall safety mission because few countries require testing of aviation or
maintenance personnel," an FAA spokesperson said.
"This rule
would ensure these employees are held to the same high level of safety
standards regardless of where they are physically located," the statement
continued. "The repair stations would have to ensure their employees
receive all necessary anti-drug and alcohol training and send their testing
data electronically to the DOT."
Ironically, this
request comes on the heels of a report that accuses some FAA air traffic
controllers of drinking or abusing drugs while on the job.
The certificate would
impact nearly 1,000 workers in 65 countries.
The report also
found that a shortage of air traffic controllers is leading to drugs
and alcohol
for some.
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