Mandated Employee DOT Drug Testing Rules
The mandated employee DOT drug testing rules were put into place in 1991 when The Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act passed. This act sought to reduce the rising number of accidents by putting mandatory drug and alcohol testing into place for safety-sensitive employees.
What are the Mandated Employee DOT Drug Testing Rules?
Mandated employee DOT drug testing rules apply to DOT agencies, which include FAA, FMCSA, FRA, FTA, PHMSA and USCG. “Each have industry specific regulations which in total cover approximately 12.1 million transportation employees who perform safety-sensitive functions.” Though each industry varies and DOT-mandated employees working in one of these industries should fully understand their industry’s specific regulations, there are some regulations that employees should be familiar with.
Drug and/or Alcohol Testing
- Applicants to DOT-mandated positions are required to submit a drug and/or alcohol test upon application to a safety-sensitive position. This is referred to as pre-employment testing.
- In addition to pre-employment testing, current DOT-mandated, safety-sensitive employees are required to submit a drug and/or alcohol test after certain accidents on the job.
- Employees are also required to submit a drug and/or alcohol test if their employer has cause for reasonable suspicion. For example, if an employee is suddenly showing excessive tardiness, or is having anger management issues on the job, their employer may refer them to submit to a drug and/or alcohol test to see if drug or alcohol abuse is at play.
- Random drug tests may also occur for DOT-mandated, safety-sensitive employees.
- Follow-up drug and/or alcohol testing is mandatory for those who recently completed a SAP program.
Mandated Employee DOT Drug Testing Rules – Failed Drug and/or Alcohol Test
If a safety-sensitive employee fails a drug and/or alcohol test they are to be immediately removed from their safety-sensitive position and must complete the SAP process before they can return to their safety-sensitive tasks. Not until their SAP determines their successful compliance with the outlined treatment and/or education can they be considered for return to any safety-sensitive position.
Failed a Drug and/or Alcohol Test? Find a SAP Quickly!
Have you recently failed a drug and/or alcohol test and you need to locate a SAP in your area? SAP Referral Services’ FastTrack Enrollment is your best option for those who are looking to get back to work fast. When you enroll in the FastTrack Enrollment Program you will typically be scheduled with a SAP in your area within 72-business hours of enrollment. Click here to learn more and enroll today.
SAP Referral Services (SRS) is the leading facilitator for mandated substance abuse evaluations. SRS maintains an extensive network of qualified providers in more than 3,000 locations nationwide for testing violations that originate from any of the DOT’s modes including FMCSA, FAA, FRA, FTA, USCG and PHMSA, or a company’s internal drug and alcohol testing policy.