Narrative:

The problem I am reporting is not new, yet for some reason many of us have not paid much attention to it. On 10/sat/90, I went in to work after about with the flu, and in no time it was evident that I would not be able to complete my shift, so I requested sick leave as soon as possible. My request was denied because random drug testing was going to take place that day, and I was told no leave of any kind could be granted. When I complained loudly enough about compromising safety for a drug test, I was relieved from my position, yet not allowed to leave the property. Needless to say, I was furious, and that is the reaction from most controllers when the drug testers come on the property. I was mad, but eventually I went home when others feeling the same anger I had were plugging back into operational positions. This made me realize that when you test during the beginning or middle of a work shift, that you have greatly distracted your work force, thus compromised safety. This test seems to be creating more of a problem than it is solving. My suggested solution is to test at the end of an individual's shift, or if tested early on in a shift, allow the individual to leave on administrative leave after the sample is collected. This would prevent a disturbed or angered controller from going back on duty and possibly making a mistake over an agency created distraction. I am not opposed to drug testing, yet the way that the FAA has implemented it seems all wrong. A friend of mind who flies fora major carrier said that if they get randomly tested, it is as they are exiting the aircraft from their final flight of the trip; i.e., they don't get back in the cockpit with a major distraction. Once again, we at the FAA should look to the private sector for the best ways to implement our own programs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT FAA RANDOM DRUG TESTING POLICY AND PROBLEMS OF TRYING TO TAKE SICK LEAVE WHEN TESTING IS SCHEDULED.

Narrative: THE PROB I AM RPTING IS NOT NEW, YET FOR SOME REASON MANY OF US HAVE NOT PAID MUCH ATTN TO IT. ON 10/SAT/90, I WENT IN TO WORK AFTER ABOUT WITH THE FLU, AND IN NO TIME IT WAS EVIDENT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE MY SHIFT, SO I REQUESTED SICK LEAVE ASAP. MY REQUEST WAS DENIED BECAUSE RANDOM DRUG TESTING WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE THAT DAY, AND I WAS TOLD NO LEAVE OF ANY KIND COULD BE GRANTED. WHEN I COMPLAINED LOUDLY ENOUGH ABOUT COMPROMISING SAFETY FOR A DRUG TEST, I WAS RELIEVED FROM MY POS, YET NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS FURIOUS, AND THAT IS THE REACTION FROM MOST CTLRS WHEN THE DRUG TESTERS COME ON THE PROPERTY. I WAS MAD, BUT EVENTUALLY I WENT HOME WHEN OTHERS FEELING THE SAME ANGER I HAD WERE PLUGGING BACK INTO OPERATIONAL POSITIONS. THIS MADE ME REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU TEST DURING THE BEGINNING OR MIDDLE OF A WORK SHIFT, THAT YOU HAVE GREATLY DISTRACTED YOUR WORK FORCE, THUS COMPROMISED SAFETY. THIS TEST SEEMS TO BE CREATING MORE OF A PROB THAN IT IS SOLVING. MY SUGGESTED SOLUTION IS TO TEST AT THE END OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S SHIFT, OR IF TESTED EARLY ON IN A SHIFT, ALLOW THE INDIVIDUAL TO LEAVE ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AFTER THE SAMPLE IS COLLECTED. THIS WOULD PREVENT A DISTURBED OR ANGERED CTLR FROM GOING BACK ON DUTY AND POSSIBLY MAKING A MISTAKE OVER AN AGENCY CREATED DISTR. I AM NOT OPPOSED TO DRUG TESTING, YET THE WAY THAT THE FAA HAS IMPLEMENTED IT SEEMS ALL WRONG. A FRIEND OF MIND WHO FLIES FORA MAJOR CARRIER SAID THAT IF THEY GET RANDOMLY TESTED, IT IS AS THEY ARE EXITING THE ACFT FROM THEIR FINAL FLT OF THE TRIP; I.E., THEY DON'T GET BACK IN THE COCKPIT WITH A MAJOR DISTR. ONCE AGAIN, WE AT THE FAA SHOULD LOOK TO THE PVT SECTOR FOR THE BEST WAYS TO IMPLEMENT OUR OWN PROGRAMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.