New EASA Regulations

The new EASA peer support, drug & alcohol and psychological assessment regulations

What does EASA CAT.GEN.MPA.215, CAT.GEN.MPA.175, CAT.GEN.MPA.170 mean to aircraft operators?

By the 14th February 2021, every AOC holder must comply with the regulations from EASA outlined in these documents.

The psychological wellbeing and positive mental health of commercial pilots is of fundamental importance to safe Commercial Air Transport (CAT) operations. Early recognition and reporting of issues is essential to enable quick resolution. CAT operators should facilitate access to support from a peer support volunteer for their pilots in a just culture environment and to other forms of support, including health care professionals, if expert help is needed.

Life events and psychological stressors can affect anyone. Pilots are not immune to mental ill-health that affects the general population. It is essential that pilots have an easily accessible route for seeking assistance when under pressure or when symptoms of ill-health first present, so that they can be supported or referred for treatment without fear of reprisal. A known and trusted pilot peer support system will benefit both the individual by maintaining a fulfilling career and the organisation by supporting a safe operation.

This guidance outlines a framework for a CAT operator’s Pilot Support Programme (PSP), which should form part of their Safety Management System.

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The team at KURA are passionate about supporting our clients at all stages of the peer support journey; from making that difficult first contact through to satisfactory outcome (and beyond if you need us!). As part of this commitment, we have created MAPS.

Pete Whitten

Managing Director

EASA CAT.GEN.MPA.215 Peer Support

The psychological wellbeing and positive mental health of commercial pilots is of fundamental importance to safe Commercial Air Transport (CAT) operations. Early recognition and reporting of issues is essential to enable quick resolution. CAT operators should facilitate access to support from a peer support volunteer for their pilots in a just culture environment and to other forms of support, including health care professionals, if expert help is needed.

What does a support programme contain?

  • Education of flight crew regarding self-awareness and facilitation of
    self-referral;
  • Assistance provided by professionals, including mental and psychological health professionals with relevant knowledge of the aviation environment;
  • Involvement of trained peers;
  • Monitoring of the efficiency and effectiveness of the programme;
  • Monitoring and support of the process of returning to work;
  • Management of risks resulting from fear of loss of licence;
  • Referral system to an aero-medical examiner in defined cases.

Any Support programme should be linked to the management system of the operator, provided that data is used for purposes of safety management and is anonymised and aggregated to ensure confidentiality.

The Kura MAPS solution is founded on guiding principles we call,

The Three Pillars:

  1. Treat every operator as a partner.
  2. Pilots supporting Pilots.
  3. Robust Corporate Governance and GDPR.

Read more about The Three Pillars

Life events and psychological stressors can affect anyone. Pilots are not immune to mental ill-health that affects the general population. It is essential that pilots have an easily accessible route for seeking assistance when under pressure or when symptoms of ill-health first present, so that they can be supported or referred for treatment without fear of reprisal. A known and trusted pilot peer support system will benefit both the individual by maintaining a fulfilling career and the organisation by supporting a safe operation.

This guidance outlines a framework for a CAT operator’s Pilot Support Programme (PSP), which should form part of their Safety Management System.

How can Kura Human Factors help you become compliant?

Kura Human Factors has a regulatory approved programme for peer support, drug and alcohol testing and psychological assessment.  Read about our MAPS product and how we can provide you with a compliant+ solution to meeting all requirements of EASA CAT.GEN.MPA.215.

To contact us about MAPS Peer Support

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