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Where to Find? .....
DHHS Labs
The current list of DHHS certified labs
is published the first week of each month and is printed in the Federal
Register under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration heading (SAMHSA). Only those labs certified can be used for
FTA drug testing. The list should be checked monthly as new labs are being
added and others are being removed. Website location: http:/www.health.org/workplace
To verify the certification status of laboratory, DHHS has established
a telephone HELPLINE (800) 843-4971.
The
information presented on this page should be used to update Chapter 1 of the Implementation
Guidelines. |
FTA Announces Seminar Schedule
FTA will provide a series of briefing
sessions on Part 655 throughout the coming year. The sessions will update
participants on regulatory changes and provide them with the technical
knowledge necessary to modify their drug and alcohol testing programs to
ensure compliance with the new rule. The sessions will update participants
on the status of validity testing, MIS reporting requirements, and current
regulatory interpretations. The sessions will also include a discussion of
the hazards associated with the use of prescription and over-the-counter
medications by safety-sensitive employees and provide suggestions for
employer/employee response. The briefings will be free with attendees
responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Representatives from
the FTA Office of Safety and Security will serve as the presenters. The
schedule of dates and locations of the briefings is presented
below.
| City and State |
Date |
City and State |
Date |
| St. Paul, MN |
October 8, 2002 |
Orlando, FL |
February 13, 2003 |
| Denver, CO |
November 13, 2002 |
Hickory, NC |
March 11, 2003 |
| Oakland, CA |
December 10, 2002 |
Philadelphia, PA |
April 24, 2003 |
| Los Angeles, CA |
December 12, 2002 |
Beloit, WI |
May 6, 2003 |
| Worcester, MA |
January 14, 2003 |
Fort Worth, TX |
May 13, 2003 |
| Jacksonville, FL |
February 11, 2003 |
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To register for a session
contact Ms. Jennifer Whalley of the Volpe National Transportation Systems
Center at (617)494-2686, or e-mail her at Whalley@volpe.dot.gov.
The Transportation Safety
Institute (TSI) has also published its list of course offerings for the
next fiscal year. Dates for the two-day substance abuse management course
are still available. The course assists participants conduct an evaluation
and self-assessment of their respective agency’s substance abuse program
and compliance with FTA regulations. The course involves lecture and group
discussion. Classes are available for a materials fee of $15 per
participant. For dates and location of classes, contact TSI at
(405)954-3682.
FTA Produces Rx/OTC Toolkit--Available in Fall
The FTA and National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have a growing concern about the use of
prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications that can affect
the performance of safety-sensitive duties. Investigations of several
recent accidents have identified legally obtained and used medications as
contributing factors to the cause or severity of the accidents. On May 22,
2000, FTA emphasizing its commitment to safety issued a “Dear Colleague”
letter to all its grantees encouraging each to review current policies
with regard to operators’ use of Rx/OTC medications which could result in
public safety being jeopardized and immediately institute educational
programs that address the potential dangers of taking certain types of
medications.
To assist grantees in their
effort, FTA is creating a toolkit of sample policies, procedures and
training materials that will be available in early fall and distributed to
each grantee. Over two hundred transit agencies were surveyed to identify
current practices in the industry. The best examples were drawn from those
submittals and will be included in the toolkit with narrative discussion
regarding their merits and applicability to others. In addition, examples
of materials used by other modes including the Federal Aviation
Administration and Federal Railroad Administration will be incorporated as
appropriate. |