SAP Provider in Maryland for FTA Mandated Employees

City buses, subways, light and commuter rails, as well as trolleys fall under the authority of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). To help maintain public safety, the FTA requires pre-employment, post-accident and random drug and alcohol testing for DOT mandated safety-sensitive employees working in local public transportation systems. As an employer of these safety-sensitive workers, it is essential to stay up to date on the latest drug and alcohol rules. Do you know what to do if one of your employees fails or refuses a drug and/or alcohol test? What do you do if they need a SAP provider in Maryland, or elsewhere in the U.S.? Please read on to discover how and when the FTA requires drug and alcohol testing, what changes have been made recently and how you can stay up to date as an employer.

FTA Random Drug and Alcohol Testing

Ensuring employees aren’t using prohibited drugs or misusing alcohol is particularly important in industries involving transportation. Therefore, the FTA requires employers within this industry to perform random drug and alcohol tests on a regular basis.

Quite recently, the FTA increased the minimum required random drug testing rate from 25 percent to 50 percent. This means that employers who are subject to the FTA’s drug and alcohol rules will have to randomly test twice as many safety-sensitive employees for drugs. It’s important to note that the alcohol testing rate will stay at 10 percent for the year of 2019.

The Importance of a SAP Provider

If an employee is found to be in violation of an FTA drug or alcohol rule (i.e. they fail or refuse a drug and/or alcohol test), they must complete a return-to-duty program. Included in the program is a mandatory process completed with a qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP). The SAP will make recommendations in terms of education, treatment, follow-up testing and/or aftercare

It’s the duty of a SAP to take action that helps an employer make the decision of whether or not to allow an employee who violated FTA drug and/or alcohol policy to resume their safety-sensitive duties. A SAP doesn’t work on behalf of an employer or employee, but for the public. With the inherent dangers present in the transportation industry, a good SAP plays one of the most important roles in terms of mitigating some of those dangers.

Choosing the right SAP is important. If your employee finds a SAP who isn’t DOT-qualified, their treatment steps won’t be valid. At SAP Referral Services, we take the burden off of employers by maintaining a network of thousands of qualified SAPs throughout the U.S. Visit our website to find out more about how we can help you.

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.