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

for employees what is meant by on-duty
(e.g., report time, clock time, etc.).
However, a reasonable suspicion test for
alcohol can only be conducted when the
observations are made during, just
preceding, or just after the performance of
safety-sensitive functions. If a reasonable
suspicion alcohol test is not conducted
within 2 hours following the observations
that led to the determination, the employer
must document the reason for the delay. If
an alcohol test is not administered within 8
hours following the determination, the
employer must cease attempts to administer
the test and document the reasons for the
delay that resulted in the cessation of the
test.
Figures 6-3 and 6-5 at the end of this
chapter, illustrate the reasonable suspicion
testing processes for alcohol and drugs.
Section 3. POST-ACCIDENT
TESTING
The FTA regulations (§655.44) require
testing for prohibited drugs and alcohol in
the case of certain transit accidents or
incidents that meet the FTA definition.
There is a significant difference between
reasonable suspicion testing and postaccident
testing. Reasonable suspicion
requires some indication of probable linkage
between behavior or events and substance
abuse before a test can be requested. Postaccident
testing is mandatory for accidents
where there is loss of life associated with the
operation of a revenue service vehicle. Postaccident
tests are required for other nonfatal
accidents unless employee performance can
be discounted completely as a contributing
factor.
An accident (§655.4) is defined as an
occurrence associated with the operation of
a vehicle in which:
• An individual dies;
• An individual suffers a bodily injury
and immediately receives medical
treatment away from the scene of an
accident;
• The mass transit vehicle involved is
a bus, electric bus, van, or
automobile in which one or more
vehicles incurs disabling damage as
the result of the occurrence and is
transported away from the scene by a
tow truck or other vehicle; or
• The mass transit vehicle involved is
a railcar, trolley car, trolley bus (on a
fixed guideway or overhead wire), or
vessel, and is removed from
operation. This definition does not
include rubber-tire look-alike
historical trolley buses that operate
on surface roads without a fixed
guideway. These vehicles are
considered buses under the previous
definition.
Damage that precludes the departure of
any vehicle from the scene of the occurrence
in its usual manner in daylight hours after
simple repairs is known as “disabling
damage.” Disabling damage includes
damage to vehicles that could have been
operated, but would have caused further
damaged if so operated.
Disabling damage does not include
damage that could be remedied temporarily
at the scene of the occurrence without
special tools or parts, tire disablement
without other damage even if no spare tire is
available, or damage to headlights, taillights,
Chapter 6. Types of Testing 6-7 August 2002