Getting Back to Work After Post-Accident Drug and/or Alcohol Testing

Are you a safety-sensitive employee who has recently been in an accident involving train or rail equipment, causing a fatality, release of hazardous material accompanied by an evacuation, an injury caused by hazardous materials, or railroad property damage in excess of 1,000,000? If so, you will need to submit to post-accident drug and/or alcohol testing to check if you were under the influence when the accident happened.

If you test positive, or refuse, you’ll no longer be able to be considered to perform safety-sensitive duties unless you complete the return-to-duty process with a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP). If you have been removed from your safety-sensitive duties due to a failed test, your next step is to get in touch with a SAP professional to be evaluated.

How Does the Return to Duty Process Work?

Getting a positive result on your drug and/or alcohol test can be stressful but it’s still possible for you to return to safety-sensitive work. To do this, schedule an appointment with a qualified SAP professional for your initial evaluation. After the evaluation, they will recommend an educational and/or treatment program. It’s up to you to successfully comply with the program and during your follow-up evaluation the SAP will determine your compliance. If they confirm you have complied, you will be referred to submit to a return to duty drug and/or alcohol test. You can go back to safety-sensitive work if the test results are negative.

The employee must submit to follow-up testing as recommended by the SAP professional. They can request a minimum of six follow-up tests in the first 12 months or they can extend the follow-up tests out as long as 60 months after returning to safety-sensitive duties.

Do You Need a SAP Professional After Post-accident Drug and/or Alcohol Testing?

Did you fail your post-accident drug testing? You need a SAP professional stat. SAP Referral Services (SRS) can help you find one. We have helped both employees and employers with their return-to-duty process. Contact us today to be scheduled with a DOT qualified SAP professional in your area.