What are the FAA Alcohol Testing Regulations?
Are you curious about the FAA alcohol testing regulations? The Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act requires DOT Agencies to implement drug and alcohol testing of safety-sensitive transportation employees. This act applies to all federally-regulated employees, including those operating under the FAA. The drug or alcohol tests can be conducted during pre-employment, randomly throughout employment, if there’s reasonable suspicion, after an accident, to complete the return-to-duty process, or during follow-up testing. Its primary purpose is to keep the public safe.
Safety Sensitive Jobs
The employer is responsible for evaluating the duties of the employees and if their work involves safety-sensitive functions. Safety-sensitive functions are: flight crewmember duties, flight attendant duties, flight instruction duties, aircraft dispatcher duties, aircraft maintenance and preventive maintenance duties, ground security coordinator duties, aviation screening duties, air traffic control duties, and operations control specialist duties. Any employee assigned to safety-sensitive work must submit to drug and alcohol testing.
You are violating the FAA drug and alcohol testing regulations if you have:
- A verified positive result on a drug test;
- Misused alcohol in any of the following situations:
- An alcohol test resulting in an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater;
- Used alcohol while on-duty;
- Used alcohol pre-duty (8 hours prior to duty for a pilot, flight attendant, or air traffic controller; or 4 hours prior to duty for all other employee categories);
- Used alcohol within 8 hours following an accident.
- A refusal to submit to required testing
If you fail, the next step is to find a DOT qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) to begin the return-to-duty process. Otherwise, you will not be able to get back to any safety-sensitive work. Your test results will be accessible to any future employers, which means you will need to undergo the return-to-duty process if your work involves safety-sensitive functions.
Where to Find a SAP
Your employer is required to provide you with either a list of SAPs or a referral to a service agent. Unfortunately, getting a hold of a SAP on your own can take time and effort. You will have to ensure that the SAP you are being evaluated by holds current qualifications. If you complete the process with a SAP that has lapsed credentials you may have to complete the process again.
Partnering with a service agent can save you time and energy, as they can get you scheduled with a SAP typically within 72-business hours. All of the SAPs we refer to hold current credentials so you never have to worry.
Do You Have Questions About FAA Alcohol Testing Regulations? Do You Need a SAP Quickly?
If you need more information about FAA alcohol testing regulations, or need a SAP in your area quickly, get in touch with SAP Referral Services. Contact us today!