Category: DOT Drug Testing News

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As of October 11th, 2017, Patrice Kelly has been promoted from acting director to Director of the DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Mr. Jim Greer, of Accredited Drug Testing and his employees, would like to congratulate Ms. Patrice Kelly on her new title.

Patrice Kelly has been acting Director of The ODACP since 2013, and Deputy Director since 2008.

Before joining the ODACP in 2007, Ms.Kelly was the senior attorney for the FAA. She was the first FAA attorney to revoke an air carriers license for failing to implement drug and alcohol testing.

ODAPC’s mission is “to enhance public safety within transportation industries across the United States by issuing regulations to prevent alcohol misuse and illegal drug use in transportation systems and ensuring that DOT’s drug and alcohol policies are implemented in a consistent, fair, and efficient manner.”

Patrice Kelly has been comprehensively working on changing the drug and alcohol policies within the DOT, and other areas of The United States Government drug and alcohol regulated departments since 1996.

Jim Greer and Accredited Drug Testing would like to commend Ms.Kelly for her hard work, and dedication to the public safety of American Citizens.

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Accredited Drug Testing is a 24/7 national scheduling company for all DOT and non-DOT screening needs. We provide DOT-regulated drug testing, DOT and non-DOT regulated health screenings, DNA sampling, and vaccinations.

www.accrediteddrugtesting.net
1800-221-4291
info@accrediteddrugtesting.net

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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

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DOT Bans E-Cigarettes from Checked Baggage

May 23 2016

DOT Bans E-Cigarettes from Checked Baggage

Earlier in May, the Department of Transportation announced the permanent banning of electronic cigarettes in checked baggage and the charging of the devices onboard an aircraft.

There have been recent incidents of devices catching fire during transport. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx stated that passengers may continue to carry e-cigarettes for personal use in carry-on baggage or on their person, but may not use them on flights.

“Fire hazards in flight are particularly dangerous,” Foxx said in a statement. “Banning e-cigarettes from checked bags is a prudent and important safety measure.”

An e-cigarette in a passenger’s checked bag in the cargo hold of an aircraft caused a fire forcing an evacuation of the plane at Boston’s Logan Airport. Another checked bag that arrived late and missed its connecting flight was found to be on fire in a baggage area at Los Angeles International Airport. The incident was blamed on an overheated e-cigarette inside the bag.

Due to the growing trend of users modifying and rebuilding their reusable e-cigarettes components, the government believes the danger has worsened. In March, the U.S. Transportation Department separately banned the use of electronic cigarettes on commercial flights.

On January 22, 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a Safety Alert for Operators, which recommended that air carriers require their passengers to carry e-cigarettes and related devices exclusively in the cabin of the aircraft.

Congress banned all smoking on airline flights in 2000, and no U.S. airline allowed electronic cigarette use. The Department of Transportation stated that some charter flights may have allowed the use of electronic devices.

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

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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

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CSX Freight Train Derails

5/2/16

CSX Freight Train Derails

A huge CSX train car plowed into the car in front of it early Sunday, resulting in the cars veering off the tracks and on top of each other.

CSX crews continued to clear rail cars from tracks near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station Monday, a day after a freight train crashed off the tracks and spilled hazardous material.

The derailment near Rhode Island Avenue and 9th Street NE about 6:40 a.m. Sunday spilled three chemicals onto the tracks, forcing the closure of the Metro station and causing disruptions to Amtrak and MARC service.

Sixteen cars slammed off the tracks near a heavily populated neighborhood. No injuries were reported, and the chemicals pose no immediate danger to the public, D.C. Assistant Fire Chief John Donnelly and CSX spokeswoman Kristin Seay said.

“The safety of the community, first responders and CSX employees remains our priority,” Seay said in a statement. About 750 gallons of sodium hydroxide, more commonly known as lye, leaked from one of the derailed tanker cars, CSX said. Another derailed car leaked a non-hazardous calcium chloride solution. A third car seeped ethanol, a fuel additive.

The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear. The 175-car train with 94 loaded cars was en route to Hamlet, North Carolina, from Cumberland, Maryland. CSX said Monday that 16 cars were affected, not the 15 the company previously reported.

Once the rail cars are moved, CSX crews will lay new track and then dig up and haul away soil contaminated by the chemicals. The CSX operation center is expected to remain near the derailment site through at least Thursday. Cleanup work will continue around the clock. The investigation into the cause of the derailment may not be complete until next year, officials said.

 

With drug and alcohol testing centers throughout the entire state of Maryland, 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

 

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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.

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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

 

 

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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

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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.