What does the DOT Require of your company?

In 1996 The US Department of Transportation (DOT) established rules requiring drug free workplace programs for safety sensitive workers in the Trucking, Airline, Maritime, Railroad and Pipeline industries.

I like to summarize the requirements as basically falling into three categories of paperwork, training, and testing Requirements.

State vs Federal DOT Requirements:

Individual states mostly follow the Federal DOT regulations. So when you have an audit by either a state or federal official here’s what they’ll be looking for you to be in compliance with:

Paperwork and Record-keeping Requirements

A written company drug and alcohol policy for your employees who are covered under the regulations. An Employee Assistance program. Someone who is the Designated Employee Representative (DER) who is in charge of your drug testing program

You're required to keep secure and confidential employee files with records including about their training, drug and alcohol testing, and other drug program related information such as Substance Abuse Professional, reasonable suspicion, and post accident testing notes.

You also must keep supervisor training records, summary reports, and any correspondence with your drug testing program consortium, lab, collection sites, Medical Review Officer (MRO) and program administrators such as Mydrugtestingprogram.com.

Employee and Supervisor Training Requirements

Safety sensitive employees such as CDL holders must be given training and information covering Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), the regulations they must comply with, what happens if they fail to comply, drugs and alcohol, a drug and alcohol policy, and voluntary self-disclosure of a problem.

Supervisors of safety sensitive employees are required to have two hours of training to spot and employee who is abusing/using drugs or alcohol.

Drug Testing Requirements

All covered safety sensitive employees must be in a valid random drug and alcohol testing program that tests at the percentage required by the current Federal DOT rules. In addition to random testing there is also pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, and return to work and follow up testing following a positive result.

This is only a summary of what’s required. If you want to read the regulations Google “CFR 49 part 382”. Mydrugtestingprogram.com helps our clients to comply with the regulations in each of these areas with programs that are easy to start and and set up and affordable. Contact us today if you have questions at 800-413-4917.