Use Of Illegal Drugs/Alcohol

[pistonhigh]

My apologies, guess I should have been more clear In answering the original posted question. YES I have seen plenty of folks under the influence of alcohol at work, though always from the night before. And NO I have not seen anyone(with one exception, an engineer) under the influence of any drug while working. However, ater work around the hotel or the camp though and most certainly while on time off...I know a tonne of guys that smoke the green. Pilots AND engineers. Not sure how I feel about testing. I have removed crew from aircraft to go "sleep it off for a few hours and denied flight to many a intoxicated customer

[MMike]

Now there is the worst excuse ever for that behaviour! I have nothing else to do, so I'll get drunk every night???

 

Must have a pretty poor excuse for a life... :down:

 

I'm not saying i agree with it....nor did my brother adhere to it. I meant that "nothing else to do" was the only explanation he could come up with.

[SuddenStop]

the "nothing better to do" is evidently clear across many of canada's reservations too.

But i'd really stop short of insinuating our Native Canadians have a pretty poor excuse for life. Thats just not right on giving that label to anyone with an addictions problem or a situation they have minimal control over.

 

When relating that comment to our peers in the field, it kind of shows the brotherhood isn't there.

I once had a pilot who clearly was having a tough time with his battle, and he felt it was necessary to yell at me in front of customers from some little reason, i believe it was because i didn't aknowledge him when he entered the tent or something. later that tour he simply landed on a ridge, with a load of drillers...got out and layed in the meadow leaving the machine running with 4 confused drillers until he managed to get his wits about him and continue the flight, my understanding close to 45 mins later.

At that time I though he was a serious whack job, I didn't know he was a recovering alcoholic....now that I'm older, wiser and dealing with people on a regular basis who have troubles, I see things in a different light.

He needed help, and I never gave him any. Today I would.

[FREDDIE]

test everyone. Drugs are Illegal for a reason. If everyone was tested things would change. I know in the oil patch swab testing is mandatory if you want to work.If you refuse you leave camp.

[Heliian]

My religious beleifs don't allow me to give blood or any other sample from my body.

 

Luckily I don't work in the patch or for an american company, not that i would ever want to. Not to mention the fact that I find it insulting to be tested and questioned about what I do with my personal time. If someone is intoxicated at work, they will be dealt with accordingly, absolutely no need to test anyone. If a company wants to impose strict policies then let them but you'll scare away most of the employees and even if they were imposed to everyone do you think that people won't circumvent the tests anyway?

 

Let's face it, we work in an industry that's inherently dangerous and highly stressful, blowing off some steam at the end of the day should not be anyone's worry or business.

[Gary Watson]

Drinking and working on aircraft is certainly less prevelant than years ago. In the 70s and 80s It was normal to leave your job and go for a semi-liquid lunch at the Airliner then the Port O Call in YYC. The bar would be full of your fellow workers having a beer and burger. No one thought anything of it. There was notable exceptions, my boss for a few years, would leave the hangar at 10 - heading for the Port shaking like a 1/2 bladed helicopter. If we were lucky he stayed over there for a couple days. If not he would come back to work all pissed up and start growling at people. Sr. managment knew all about him but did nothing - no counseling - no firing.Didn't recall working veryoften with anyone that was drunk - did experience working with guys having some bad hangovers. there were a few pilots around who were notorious drunks even in the corporate and airline world.

 

By the 90s there seemed to be a change in that fewer people were going to the Port (maybe somewhere else?) for a liquid lunch. Also the big, after-work "few drinks with the boys" seems to have lessened to just Friday nights, if at all. Perhaps my age group was the last of the era from a booze point of view.

 

I did partake in some lunches over the years but found that the biggest problem I had was staying awake in the afternoon

 

Drugs - never had anything to do with them anywhere but I know there have been some incidents in Calgary as some companies have drug-testing due to their customers being from the US

[redliner]

test everyone. Drugs are Illegal for a reason. If everyone was tested things would change. I know in the oil patch swab testing is mandatory if you want to work.If you refuse you leave camp.

I have seen whole crews take the "swab test" and a lot of them were obvious smokers. They all passed with flying colours. Those tests are useless if you know how to beat them.

[Elvis]

Drinking and working on aircraft is certainly less prevelant than years ago. In the 70s and 80s It was normal to leave your job and go for a semi-liquid lunch at the Airliner then the Port O Call in YYC. The bar would be full of your fellow workers having a beer and burger. No one thought anything of it. There was notable exceptions, my boss for a few years, would leave the hangar at 10 - heading for the Port shaking like a 1/2 bladed helicopter. If we were lucky he stayed over there for a couple days. If not he would come back to work all pissed up and start growling at people. Sr. managment knew all about him but did nothing - no counseling - no firing.Didn't recall working veryoften with anyone that was drunk - did experience working with guys having some bad hangovers. there were a few pilots around who were notorious drunks even in the corporate and airline world.

 

By the 90s there seemed to be a change in that fewer people were going to the Port (maybe somewhere else?) for a liquid lunch. Also the big, after-work "few drinks with the boys" seems to have lessened to just Friday nights, if at all. Perhaps my age group was the last of the era from a booze point of view.

 

 

 

I did partake in some lunches over the years but found that the biggest problem I had was staying awake in the afternoon

 

Drugs - never had anything to do with them anywhere but I know there have been some incidents in Calgary as some companies have drug-testing due to their customers being from the US

 

 

This reminds me of Yul in the late 70's early 80's when the Friday lunch time watering hole was the Dorval Tavern.

[marc]

Test Everyone!!!????

 

WTF has this world come to??? I thought we defeated the Nazis in WW2.

 

The only time testing is appropriate is if there is an incident. If an employer notices something that is an issue get rid of the employee. Don't trample on everyone's rights just to "feel good" about getting rid of a problem.

 

There has to be trust in this world, and testing everyone makes it known the employer does not trust its own employees.

[Elvis]

The only time testing is appropriate is if there is an incident.

 

 

That's like let's close the gate after the horses have escaped.

 

I have no problem with random testing, how about You