Issue 34, Pg 1 - FTA Drug And Alcohol Regulation Updates

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Transit
Administration
Office of Safety and Security

FTA Drug And Alcohol Regulation Updates

Fall 2007

Issue 34

Introduction....

   The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published its revised rule on prohibited drug use and the prevention of alcohol misuse (49 CFR Part 655) on August 1, 2001. The FTA published the revised Implementation Guidelines for Drug and Alcohol Regulations in Mass Transit to provide a comprehensive overview of the regulations.
   Since the Guidelines were published, there have been numerous amendments, interpretations, and clarifications to the Drug and Alcohol testing procedures and program requirements.
   This publication is being provided to update the Guidelines and inform your transit system of these changes. This Update is the thirty-fourth in a series.

For Your Information	2
Technical Assistance	3
Regulatory Clarifications	4
Rx and OTC Medications	5
Resource Materials	6

Collection Site Security and Integrity Focus of Attention

Given recent public focus on security and integrity issues at collection sites, the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC) is intensifying its focus on collection sites and increasing its scrutiny of problem areas. ODAPC is reminding employers, consortiums/third party administrators (C/TPA), collectors, and collections sites of the importance of the collection security and integrity procedures outlined in 49 CFR Part 40 and the “DOT Urine Specimen Collection Guidelines.”
Specifically, ODAPC is calling on employers and C/TPAs to make sure that each of their collectors and collection sites are following proper procedures, have quality assurance procedures in place, and have had the proper training. ODAPC is calling on all collectors and collection site managers to ensure that they have adequate measures in place to protect the integrity of the collection process and the privacy of employees. They are asking for collection site personnel and management to refresh their knowledge of the proper Part 40 and Collection Guidelines security practices and to take corrective action by modifying standard operating procedures as necessary and retrain accordingly.

ODAPC is asking that special attention be given to the following procedures that collectors “must”
follow during each and every collection. Collectors must:

- Pay careful attention to employees throughout the collection process;
- Ensure that there is no unauthorized access into the collection areas;
- Make sure that employees show proper picture identification;
- Require employees to empty pockets and remove outer garments;
- Do not allow briefcases, purses and bags in the privacy enclosure;
- Maintain personal control of the specimen and CCF at all times during the collection;
- Secure water sources making unavailable to employee (turn off water inlet, tape handles);
- Ensure that bluing agent is in the toilet water;
- Ensure that the toilet tank is secured or that bluing agent is placed in the tank water;
- Ensure that no possible adulterants (e.g., soap, cleansers) are present in the privacy enclosure;
- Inspect site to ensure no foreign or unauthorized substances are present;
- Ensure that undetected access is not possible (e.g., through door outside of view);
- Secure areas and items that could be used to conceal contaminants (e.g., trash cans); and
- Re-inspect privacy enclosure after each collection to ensure the site’s continued integrity.

3rd Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol National Conference Announced

   Mark your calendars. The third annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference will be held on April 30 and May 1, 2008 at the Sheraton Safari Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The conference sessions will cover a variety of topics and will provide ample opportunity to interact with policy makers, auditors, and experts in the field. Several panel discussions will be facilitated to encourage increased interaction and networking.
   Sessions will be held on a number of topics including the role of the Drug and Alcohol Program Manager, reasonable suspicion training for supervisors (certificates will be granted for satisfying 49 CFR Part 655.14 minimum training requirements), post-accident threshold training, collection procedures, how to develop an in-house training program, and prescription and over-the-counter medication programs. The sessions and panel discussions will focus on achieving and maintaining compliance as well as sharing best practices on a variety of subjects.
   In response to feedback obtained from the 2007 conference, all speakers will have scheduled office hours after their sessions to answer your specific questions.
   Information on conference registration and hotel accommodations is posted on FTA’s website at http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/DrugAndAlcohol.