Implementation Guidelines - Federal Transit Administration - U.S. ...

has a confirmed alcohol concentration of
0.02 or greater, but less than 0.04. This
includes the mandatory requirement that
the individual be removed from safetysensitive
duties until the next regularly
scheduled duty period, but not less than 8
hours following the test, unless a retest
measures less than 0.02.
Any further action (e.g., suspension,
termination) taken against the employee is
left up to the discretion of the employer,
consistent with law. Whatever the
employer authorized consequences may
be, these actions must be clearly described
in detail in the policy. For every
prohibited behavior covered in the policy,
there should be a corresponding
consequence. The policy should state that
these additional actions are imposed under
employer authority, and are not mandated
by FTA.
Section 2. ADDITIONAL
EMPLOYER PROVISIONS
The policy statement may provide
additional detail or include additional
requirements not mandated by FTA, as
long as those provisions are identified as
being included under the employer’s own
authority. The additional provisions must
not contradict, discourage, or in any way
confuse the minimum FTA requirements.
Section 2.2 of the Best Practices manual
addresses some of these additional
provisions and provides examples of
policies.
There are several major policy
initiatives, however, that FTA and/or the
DOT have identified for consideration
when employers formulate their policy
statements. These policy initiatives are
discussed in the following section.
Inclusion of Policy on Prescription and
Over-the-Counter Medications
Although not addressed in the FTA drug
and alcohol testing rules, the FTA
encouraged all grant recipients in a “Dear
Colleague” letter to educate transit operators
about the risks of using prescription and
over-the-counter medications. Grantees
were encouraged to include policy
provisions regarding an employee’s use of
over-the counter and prescription
medications that could jeopardize public
safety.
Specifically, the policy should address
medications that cause drowsiness, impair
cognitive or mental abilities. FTA
recommends that safety-sensitive employees
enter into a dialogue with their physician or
pharmacist regarding the side effects of
medications and inquire about potential
alternative treatments that will not
jeopardize the individual’s ability to perform
job functions safely. The list is not
definitive or all-inclusive, but it is provided
for general awareness. The best source of
additional information on these or other
prescriptions and over-the-counter
medications is your MRO.
Chapter 4. Policy Development and Communication 4-5 August 2002