August 9, 2022

Considering Drug Use as a Safety-Sensitive Employee? Think Again!

Life can be stressful which may lead people to turn to drugs or alcohol in order to escape from reality. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2019 20.4 million people in the U.S. had a substance abuse disorder diagnosis. This figure doesn’t take into account the number of people whose substance misuse goes undiagnosed.

If you’re a safety-sensitive employee, the risks associated with drug abuse are even greater than the average person’s.

Reasons for Drug Abuse

Some people may abuse drugs and/or alcohol to avoid unpleasant emotions, including stress, frustration, and general upset. In some cases, it occurs when people have mental health issues and try to self-medicate. For others, drug and alcohol abuse is to become more social and fit in with others around them.

DOT Requirements for a Safety-Sensitive Employee

Due to the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act, safety-sensitive employees are not permitted to use drugs. If they are found to have misused these substances by failing a drug and/or alcohol test, they will immediately be removed from their safety-sensitive position and not be able to return to their safety-sensitive duties until they complete the return to duty process.

Applicants will undergo a drug and alcohol screening before being hired to perform safety-sensitive duties. Once you are an employee, you will have to test at random, due to reasonable suspicion, after certain accidents, and as part of the return to duty process.

Consequences of a Failed Test

If your employer refers you to submit to a drug and/or alcohol test and you either refuse or fail you will immediately be removed from your safety-sensitive duties. At this time, employees must find a SAP in their area to complete the return to duty process.

Finding a SAP can be difficult, especially if you have to locate one off a SAP list. This may lead you to call several SAPs and wait for returned calls regarding availability. An alternative to relying on SAP lists, and one that will save you time, is getting in touch with SAP Referral Services (SRS), a service agent. SRS can typically schedule you with a SAP in your area within 72-business hours.