News

As an employer with employees working in a Department of Transportation (DOT) safety sensitive capacity, it’s important to know what to do when an employee tests positive for drugs or alcohol, has a refusal to test or another type of violation. First, you must immediately remove that employee from safety sensitive duty and then provide the employee a local list of Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs) so the employee can start the return-to-duty process.

Notice from the FAA

By: National Safety Council

From opioids to alcohol, prescription medications to recreational drugs, impairment is a serious issue facing today’s workplace. In fact, 75% of adults with a substance use disorder are in the workforce. More than 72,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2017, and more than two thirds of those deaths involved opioids.

By: David Sparkman, EHS Today

Recent reports show that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, drugs and alcohol abuse has skyrocketed and remains a significant occupational safety challenge for employers. Add to that the changing state laws regarding marijuana use, and it’s clear that employers need to act now to update their organizations’ drug policies.

By: John F. Kelly, PhD, Harvard Health Publishing

When unaddressed, alcohol and other drug use disorders in the workplace are costly and dangerous for organizations, as well as individuals. There are many good examples of successful programs and resources available that can help, and with over 22 million Americans currently in recovery from alcohol and other drug use disorders, creating a drug-free workplace is entirely possible.

FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse

The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse contains information on all violations of the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Program incurred by drivers who hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP). These violations include:

By William Current, EHS Today

By ASAP

What is the FMCSA Clearinghouse?

Since the early 1990s, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has used drug and alcohol testing to monitor safety-sensitive transportation employees to ensure our Nation’s safety. To further enhance public safety, congress mandated the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a mode of the DOT, to launch a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse by January 6, 2020.

By Jared Rosenthal, EHS Today

There are many aspects of both our work and personal lives that have changed since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. Many non-essential companies and workers quickly pivoted into remote work, otherwise known as “work from home” (WFH). More than 40 million Americans have lost their jobs. Companies are dealing with many critical changes that they are struggling to adapt to. Ensuring that long-standing employment drug testing policies are adjusted for a dramatically changed work environment is one of those crucial matters.

Congratulations to Sandra Serrano, SAPAA President 2020-2021. Sandra has been an active member of the SAPAA Board of Directors since 2016. As a Board member, she has utilized her experience to help further SAPAA’s mission to promote the highest standards of quality and integrity in the field. As the Membership Committee Chairperson, she lead monthly meetings to discuss  goals, benchmarks, and progress. Sandra also serves on the Conference and Government Relations Committees, as well on a sub-committee on the FMCSA Clearinghouse.

By Graham Rapier, Business Insider

American workers subjected to drug tests at work tested positive at the highest rate in 16 years in 2019, according to one of the largest testing providers, despite growing public support for legalized marijuana.

Quest Diagnostics said Tuesday that workforce drug positivity rates hit 4.5% in 2019, the highest since 2003. The company says the coronavirus pandemic — which shows no signs of stopping soon in the US — likely accelerated some substance use.

By Robert Yagoda, US News

We've seen it before, whether on screen or in our own lives: A friend, co-worker, loved one or even an acquaintance can't grapple with day-to-day life, and reaches for something perilously strong in liquid or powder form in order to help them cope. Fade to black.

By Transport Topics

Truck drivers sometimes bear the image of being “tough” and impervious to emotional stresses, a perception that doesn’t always lend itself to open discussions about mental health. But truckers and their employers are working to change that image and pay greater attention to mental health and how it influences workers’ overall well-being — as well as work performance.

The FMCSA Clearinghouse requires employers to conduct annual queries by January 5, 2021. Per § 382.701, employers of CDL drivers must conduct a query of the Clearinghouse at least once per year for each CDL driver they employ.

The annual query requirement is tracked on a rolling 12-month basis. The one-year time frame resets with each query conducted on a driver. For example, if an employer conducted a query for Driver A on July 6, 2020, the employer is not required to query Driver A again until July 7, 2021, to meet the annual query requirement.

By ASAP

When a Department of Transportation (DOT) regulated employee refuses a drug/alcohol test or tests positive, they are required to complete the Return-to-Duty process before returning to safety-sensitive job duties. The first step in the process is to be evaluated by a DOT qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP). If you find yourself in this position, how do you prepare? Here is a quick guide from American Substance Abuse Professionals, Inc. (ASAP).

By Sandra LaMotte, CNN

You may love smoking weed, but it does not love your heart, according to the American Heart Association's new scientific statement on marijuana.

By Chuck Robinson, Land Line

Marijuana users, a monthly report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has a none-too-subtle warning for you.

By Cristina Commendatore, American Trucker

Although the industry knew the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse was inevitable, less than three months into the new rule, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and created additional confusion.

By: ASAP

By: ASAP

Department of Transportation (DOT)-regulated employees must complete drug and alcohol testing at several points in their employment, including pre-employment, post-accident, and random drug testing, among others. What happens if you fail one of these tests? What are the rules for a positive DOT drug test? Read on to learn more.

By Joe Elia, NEJM Journal Watch

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH

New research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests a potential effect of legalizing recreational cannabis use on traffic-fatality rates.

By: Sean Szymkowski, TuSimple

By Brendan Bures, The French Toast

By: John Gallagher, FreightWaves

Marijuana is by far the drug of choice among drivers testing positive for controlled substances, according to data compiled by the federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.