ARSA Maintains New Regs Add Unnecessary Burden
Representatives with the
Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) tell ANN the union
is calling on outsourced aircraft repair shops to stop fighting a
recent FAA ruling that subjects them to the same drug and alcohol
testing as aircraft mechanics directly employed by US airlines.
The move comes after the Aeronautical Repair Station Association
(ARSA), a trade association representing 690 outsourced repair
shops, filed the Petition for Review with the US Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit seeking a review of the
regulations, which extend drug and alcohol testing to
subcontractors at any tier of the maintenance process.
"ARSA's placing its economic self-interest above public safety,"
said AMFA National Safety and Standards Director John Glynn. "The
FAA noted that ARSA and other commenters 'did not substantiate
their cost concerns with specific data.' Frankly, any contractor
who cannot bear the nominal cost to prevent drugged or inebriated
workers from performing critical maintenance should not be in the
business."
ARSA maintains the new rule is an unnecessary burden that
provides no aviation safety-related benefits.
"Certificate holders, including repair stations, are the safety
net in FAA's system," said ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod.
"They are responsible for inspecting and testing their own work and
the work of all subcontractors to ensure airworthiness, and they
are required to have FAA-approved drug and alcohol testing
programs. Expanding the drug-and-alcohol program requirements below
the maintenance tier's certificate-holder level adds only
unnecessary costs and complications to a system that already
ensures the safety and airworthiness of all work being done on air
carrier aircraft."
ARSA states under the
FAA's current drug and alcohol testing program rules, employees
performing "safety-sensitive" functions for air carriers, either
directly or by contract, must be part of an FAA-approved testing
program.
In its ruling, the FAA said, "We do not believe we should wait
until there is an actual loss of human life before we take action
to ensure the remaining subcontractors who are not already
subjected to testing are brought into compliance with the
regulations. Only one link in the safety chain would have to fail
for an accident to occur."
"It's shocking that the aircraft Americans fly on are
increasingly being worked on by individuals whose backgrounds have
never been checked for drug and alcohol abuse. Safety measures that
were once accepted industry practices are now being discarded in
the zeal to reduce costs," said Glynn. "Cost is important but
should never trump the safety of the flying public."
A December 2005 report from the Department of Transportation's
Inspector General said that the FAA needed to extend its oversight
to noncertificated shops, which originally were intended to perform
only minor and emergency repairs, because airlines are increasingly
using these facilities for critical repairs including engine
replacement.
With over 16,000 members AMFA represents aircraft maintenance
technicians and related support personnel with over 16,000 members
at carriers including Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest
Airlines, Northwest Airlines, ATA, Horizon and Mesaba Airlines.