News / Health & Wellness
Working While Intoxicated
High-stress jobs make workers more prone to addiction. Was that the case when a Denver air traffic controller tested positive for alcohol while at work?
Studies show that those in high-stress jobs -- including doctors, nurses, pilots, CEOs and air traffic controllers -- are at higher risk for addiction. They often begin using drugs or alcohol to help them cope with the intense demands and long hours, then before they know it, they are addicted.
What’s scary is that so many of these jobs involve having the lives of others in their hands, so any kind of impairment can be deadly. That’s why substance use is screened for and harshly dealt with in so many of these professions.
The most recent reported incident happened in Denver, when an air traffic controller with 25 years of experience was removed from duty after he tested positive for alcohol while on the job. ABC News reported that the controller was six hours into an eight-hour shift at the Denver Center, which oversees aircraft flying in more than nine states, when Federal Aviation Administration officials entered the center to administer drug and alcohol testing.
The test reportedly revealed that the controller was above the legal limit for blood-alcohol content for controllers, which is less than .02 (automobile drivers are considered drunk when they have a blood-alcohol level of .08 or above).
Strict DUI Rules for Air Safety Officials
In addition to the stricter limits, air safety officials take the offense much more seriously than a DUI. The controller in question was immediately removed from duty and is currently in an alcohol rehab facility, local ABC station KMGH reported.
The FAA continues to investigate the incident, while the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association issued a statement saying, “We take our responsibility of ensuring aviation safety very seriously. That includes acting professionally in all that we do. ... Thus, the incident is deeply troubling. [We] will continue to work to keep our airspace system the world's safest.”
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