Category: DOT Drug Testing News

on

Random Drug Testing Program in Missouri Schools

Oct. 3 2016

Random Drug Testing Program in Missouri Schools

Belton School District is the latest district in Missouri to start randomly testing its students for drugs.  This policy was created by the district’s students who came up with the idea.

Under this policy, students with a permit to drive to school are now considered fair game to be randomly tested. Furthermore, any student in Grades 7-12 who is involved with an extracurricular activity would be required under this policy as well.

The school district provided the parents with letters discussing the policy during open enrollment.

Some parents were strongly on board with the decision, while others challenged the policy.

Many parents, interviewed were surprised that it was the district’s students that created and developed the idea.

Belton School District Superintendent Andy Underwood. Stated that “There was concern from students in meetings in regards to fellow students being addicted to drugs,”

This latest rollout will be in addition to 160 other school districts in Missouri.

The logistics for Belton County consist of 25 students in both middle and high schools that will be required to give a urine sample and be randomly tested each month.

If a student fails a test, they are immediately suspended from their activity, lose their parking pass and are offered counseling.  Also as a results of a failed test, the student will be automatically tested again the following month and if there are three positive drug tests, it would result in the student getting permanently suspended from the activity.


For information regarding the effects of drug abuse – Click Here
For  information on a drug free work place – Click Here
For  information on substance abuse programs – Click Here
For information on DOT Drug / Alcohol Testing requirements – Click Here
 

John Burgos, CPC
Business Development Manager
https://accrediteddrugtesting.net
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc

on

Would Truck Only Lanes Fix Congestion?

May 20 2016

Would Truck Only Lanes Fix Congestion?

“Dedicated truck lanes that are only for trucks should be everywhere. Seriously, that’s the first thing I think of and that should be everywhere, not just even because the ports are going to be congested,” Trish Anderson, 53, a truck driver from Mississippi, said while resting at an Ontario truck stop.

“It would make it easier because you don’t have to deal with all the cars. If it’s all trucks, and everyone’s in the same mindset, you don’t have to dodge traffic.”

With goods movement from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach expected to double in the next decade, logistics industry experts are looking at ways to address an expected tsunami of freight through the region’s already congested freeways and streets.

Twenty-year traffic forecasts, according to an informational post on the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SABBAG) website, indicate that several Southern California freeways, including the 60 and I-15 in San Bernardino County, will experience increases in truck volumes so great, they’ll take up the roadways’ entire capacity.

Dedicated truck toll lanes have been proposed by Southern California transportation officials, but to build them, according to the SANBAG’s online post, the public cost is likely to exceed $5 billion, of which at least $1.2 billion would be for truck lanes within San Bernardino County.

Renee Miri, 60, a truck driver from Michigan, said truckers wouldn’t mind paying tolls for a dedicated truck lane. “Dedicated truck lanes would be great if you had two lanes where you could pass other trucks because trucks always want to pass,” Miri said. “Trucks would probably pay tolls because sometimes it takes us five hours to get out of Los Angeles to Barstow when we pick up in L.A. That’s just nuts.”

“We’re not advocating for specific improvements other than additional capacity to help meet freight demands,” said Will Kempton, executive director of Transportation California and a former director of Caltrans. “Our program is concerned about the conditions of the roadway, and there are suggestions about dedicated truck lanes in terms of toll operations to allow for that.”

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc

on

Court Date Set for Co-Pilot Suspected of Being Intoxicated

April 14, 2016

Co-Pilot Being IntoxicatedBack in March an American Airlines Co-Pilot was arrested on the tarmac as passengers looked on after failing a breathalyzer test. The flight was about to leave the Detroit Metropolitan airport was headed to Philadelphia, was immediately canceled.

A Transportation Security Agent was the first person to witness the pilot acting suspiciously. Minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off, the airport police were contacted. The co-pilot reportedly failed the initial onsite breathalyzer test. The co-pilot also reportedly failed a second test after being arrested.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said that John Maguire will be arraigned and have a pre-trial hearing May 11 in Romulus, where the airport is located. He’s been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol stemming from the March 26 incident. Authorities say he had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit.

FAA rules state that “no person may operate or attempt to operate an aircraft” within eight hours of having consumed alcohol or “with a blood alcohol content of 0.04 percent or greater.” The agency recommends that pilots wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying.

Defense attorney Frank Manley says he’s taking the case “very seriously” and doing “everything necessary to protect the public and Capt. Maguire.” Manley adds his client “has an outstanding record as a professional pilot.”

“This is a serious matter and we are assisting local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration with the investigation,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We will handle this matter appropriately as the safety and care of our customers and employees is our highest priority.”

Related Article

Pilot Arrested After Failing Breathalyzer

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire state of Michigan, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc

on

On November 13th, 2017 The United States Department Of Transportation, DOT, published its final rule regarding DOT drug and alcohol policy.

The DOT compliant drug screening will expand its current 5-panel urine test, to include expanded testing on Opiates, including Hydromorphone, Oxymorphone, and Oxycodone.

Effective January 1st, 2018 a DOT urine drug analysis will test for

  • Amphetamines
  • Cocaine
  • Marijuana
  • MDA
  • PCP
  • Opiates
    • Hydromorphone
    • Oxymorphone
    • Oxycodone

The opiates category of a 5-panel drug screen tests for the illicit drug heroin, and the licit drugs codeine and morphine.

Please be advised, due to the addition of the number of drugs being tested, a small price increase on  DOT drug tests will take effect.

Our labs, Medical Review Officers, and CEO will review this new panel and provide additional information as it becomes available.

Accredited Drug Testing will add an amendment in its policy regarding these changes, effective January 1st, 2018.

Things to remember

1. Blind specimen testing is no longer required.
Blind specimen testing is a specimen submitted to a laboratory for quality control testing purposes, with a fictitious identifier, so that the laboratory cannot distinguish it from an employee specimen.

2.CCF forms
You should not order new CCF forms– the current CCF forms are valid until June 30th, 2018. If you have not yet done so, now would be a good time to look into eCCF forms ( Electronic CCF). Doing this will save you time and save you the hassle of shipping and storing paperwork.

For any other questions regarding DOT Compliance – please email info@accrediteddrugtesting.net, or reach us directly at (800)221-4291.

accredited drug testing

on

Could the DOT Start Testing for Sleep Apnea?

April 8, 2016

DOT Sleep Apnea TestingThe Department of Transportation is seeking public comment whether it should mandate sleep tests that had not been recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board. The DOT looks to understand the impacts of screening, evaluating and treating rail workers and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that DOT take action to address OSA screening and treatment for transportation workers.

FRA and FMCSA will host three public listening sessions to gather input on OSA in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles. “It is imperative for everyone’s safety that commercial motor vehicle drivers and train operators be fully focused and immediately responsive at all times,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “DOT strongly encourages comment from the public on how to best respond to this national health and transportation safety issue.”

While government agencies have increasingly raised alarms about sleep apnea, tests for it aren’t mandated for highway drivers or rail workers. The disorder is triggered by a halt in breathing during the night, which causes people to repeatedly wake up and disrupts normal sleep patterns, leading to difficulty staying awake during the day and other health hazards.

Undiagnosed or inadequately treated moderate to severe OSA can cause unintended sleep episodes and deficits in attention, concentration, situational awareness, memory, and the capacity to safely respond to hazards when performing safety sensitive service.

“The collection and analysis of sound data on the impact of OSA must be our immediate first step,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling.  “We call upon the public to help us better understand the prevalence of OSA among commercial truck and bus drivers, as well as the safety and economic impacts on the truck and bus industries.”

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs.

For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://accrediteddrugtesting.net/
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc

 

on

 

The United States Coast Guard has announced today that the minimum random drug testing rate for all “Covered” employees will remain at 25% effective January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.  It is also important to note that call employers must submit their 2017 Management Information Systems (MIS) reports on or before March 15, 2018.  Click here for the entire USCG announcement.

The USCG stated that annual MIS reports may be submitted electronically to the following email address:  DAPI@uscg.mil

Are your DOT Policies Up To Date?

With the announcement of random drug testing rate, employers should take this time to review their current DOT Policy to ensure compliance with with the new rule effective January 1, 2018.

The DOT rule changed addressed the changes to the DOT Agencies & United States Coast Guard (USCG) in regard to DOT-regulated employers what updates their DOT policies will need to contain as it relates to the changes to 49 CFR Part 40.

What Is The “New” DOT 5 Panel?

The DOT has amended its current rule to include the following substances in the 5 panel DOT Drug Test.  As specified in DOT regulations 49 CFR part 40 with the Cut Off levels listed in DOT regulations 49 CFR part 40; the following substances will be tested for:

  1. Marijuana metabolites
  2. Cocaine metabolites
  3. Phencyclidine
  4. Opioids** – codeine, heroin, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone & hydromorphone
  5. Amphetamines -amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA & MDA

**Some common names for the new semi-synthetic opioids include OxyContin®, Percodan®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Lortab®, Norco®, Dilaudid®, and Exalgo®.

For more information on policy Development, Addendum to your current policy or to enroll in a Random DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Pool (Consortium), please call Accredited Drug Testing, Inc. at 800-221-4291 or click here to enroll online

 

 

on

drug testing cut off levels

What is an MRO?

A Medical Review Officer (MRO) is an individual who is a licensed physician and has received additional qualification training and certification  in order to receive and review laboratory results generated by an employer’s drug testing program. A Medical Review Officer (MRO) plays an intricate part of any robust drug testing program for both DOT/NON DOT drug testing regulated employers or individuals.

What are the Medical Review Officer’s responsibilities in the DOT drug testing program?

Listed below are the basic responsibilities/ requirements of a Medical Review Officer as it relates to the DOT Drug Testing Program.

Medical Review Officers/MRO’s…

(a) Are an independent/impartial “gatekeeper” of the drug testing process who also advocates for the accuracy and integrity of the drug testing process.

(b) Provide an overall quality assurance review of the drug testing process (CCF form) for the specimens under their review.

(c) MRO’s must determine whether there is a legitimate medical explanation for a confirmed positive, adulterated, substituted, or invalid drug test result issued from the laboratory.

(d) MRO’s provide medical review of employees’ test results, however it does not imply that there has been established a doctor-patient relationship with the employees whose tests MRO’s review.

(e) Medical Review Officers must act to investigate and correct problems wherever possible and must notify appropriate parties (e.g., HHS, DOT, employers, service agents) where assistance is needed.

(f) MRO’s ensure the timely flow of test results and other information to employers.

(g) MRO’s must protect the confidentiality of the drug testing information.

(h) MRO’s must perform all functions in compliance with part 40 and other DOT agency regulations.

For more information on the full detailed responsibilities of an MRO in the DOT Drug Testing Program, we recommend downloading and reviewing CFR 49 Part 40. (Click Here).

ADT offers a comprehensive drug testing program including analysis at a SAMHSA Certified Laboratory and our in-house Medical Review Officers review all test results whether they are DOT or Non DOT regulated employers or individuals.

For more information regarding the role a Medical Review Officer plays in the drug testing process or to open an employer account today. Call our customer service team at 800-221-4291.

on

 

DOT Drug Testing
DOT Testing & Compliance

Schedule Drug, Alcohol, DNA Tests

On October 17, 2018, the Federal Transit Administration issued a “Dear Colleague” letter announcing that effective January 1, 2019, the minimum rate of random drug testing will increase from 25 percent to 50 percent of covered employees for employers subject to FTA’s drug and alcohol regulation. This change is due to an increase in the industry’s “positive rate” as reflected in random drug test data for calendar year 2017.  The alcohol testing rate is unchanged for 2019 and will remain at 10 percent.

The FTA will formally announce this increase in a forthcoming Federal Register notice, but has issued the “Dear Colleague” letter in advance to inform transit providers and partner associations of the 2019 drug testing increase and to facilitate early planning.

Click here to read the FTA Full letter in its entirety.

For more information or to enroll in our DOT Consortium call us today at (800)-221-4291

 

on

New FRA Regulations Expand Drug and Alcohol Testing

June 2 2016

New FRA Regulations Expand Drug and Alcohol Testing

The U.S Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that it has two final rules to better protect railroad employees working on and off the tracks.

The first rule amends the already existing roadway worker protection regulation. The second revises the FRA’s existing alcohol and drug testing regulations, to now cover maintenance of way employees.

“Clear communication, multiple layers of safety and a rigorous alcohol and drug testing policy are critical to keep workers along and near tracks—and ultimately passengers and train crews—out of harm’s way,” said U.S. Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx. “These are common sense rules that will help make our railroads safer.”

The roadway worker protection final rule amendments will: (1) resolve different interpretations that have emerged since the rule went into effect nearly 20 years ago; (2) implement FRA’s railroad safety advisory committee’s  consensus recommendations; (3) codify certain FRA technical bulletins; (4) codify a fast act mandate by adopting new requirements governing redundant signal protections; (5) address the safe movement of roadway maintenance machinery over signalized non-controlled track (not under a dispatcher’s control); and (6) amend certain qualification requirements for roadway workers.

“These new rules add another layer of protection for workers who work along and near railroad tracks and will help us reduce preventable worker injuries and fatalities,” said FRA administrator Sarah E. Feinberg.

“Whether you are an engineer, conductor or someone working alongside the tracks, safety requires alertness. any reduction in awareness caused by drugs or alcohol use can often be the difference between life and death,” Feinberg added.

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire United States, Accredited Drug Testing Inc. is available to answer all of your drug and alcohol testing questions and needs. For more information contact:

Andrew Gormally
Marketing/Industry Relations Assistant
Andrew@accredtiteddrugtesting.com
http://healthscreeningsusa.com
(800) 221-4291
Accredited Drug Testing Inc
Health Screening USA Inc