Category Archives: Regulatory News

Commercial Transportation, Regulatory News

FMSCA COVID-19 Drug and Alcohol Testing Guidance(In effect 6/30/2020)

 
 

Recommendations for FMCSA Regulated Employers.

Random Testing

If COVID-19 disrupts your normal testing, and you are not able to meet your required testing rate, you must document your specific reasons and make up the missing tests by the end of the year.

Pre-Employment Testing

If you are unable to test a prospective employee, you cannot allow that employee to perform DOT safety-sensitive functions.

Post-Accident Testing

If, due to COVID-19 disruptions, you are not able to administer an alcohol test within 8 hours, or a controlled substance test within 32 hours, you are required to document the specific reasons why testing couldn’t be performed.

Reasonable Suspicion Test

If testing is not available, due to COVID-19 disruptions, you should document in writing the specific reasons, including efforts to mitigate the effect of the disruption, such as seeking alternative collection sites. Included with this should be the reasons for observations leading to the need for testing.

Return to Duty Testing

You must not allow a driver to return to duty until the RTD test is conducted with a negative result.

BOON DATA makes easy work of all of these requirements and keeps you on track after the COVID-19 crisis ends.

Regulatory News, User Information

DOT Drug Testing Guidance during COVID-19 For DOT Regulated Employers

“DOT is committed to maintaining public safety while providing maximum flexibility to allow Transportation industries to conduct their operations safely and efficiently during this period of national emergency.”

For DOT-Regulated Employers (DOT guidance for March 23, 2020)

  1. You must still comply with applicable training and testing requirements. DOT recognizes that resources for testing may be unavailable in certain areas. If fixed sites are not available, consider mobile.
  2. If closures, State mandates or other impediments exist, you must document why a test was not completed. Follow up testing must be performed.
  3. If testing resources are unavailable, underlying regulations still apply. Without a negative pre-employment drug test an employer may not permit prospective employees to perform DOT safety-sensitive functions.
  4. The employee is not able to get tested due to COVID-19 restrictions, the employer is obligated to document the reasons and decide if a refusal exists.

Boon Data is designed to handle these situations taking worry and confusion out of the equation. When the crisis is over you will know exactly where you stand and what steps must be taken to get back to normal.