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

corrections, and any new FTA
interpretations. The newsletter is a
continuance of the guidelines, and as such,
each page of the newsletter references the
section of the guidelines to which it relates.
To be added to the mailing list for the
newsletter, please register on FTA’s
homepage (transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov) or
fax your request to FTA’s Office of Safety
and Security at (202) 366-7951. If you
would like additional copies of these
guidelines, you may reproduce as many
copies as you need. You may also
download copies from the FTA’s Office of
Safety and Security homepage. A list of
Web addresses is provided in the Sample
Documentation section of this chapter.
Section 2. HOW TO USE THESE
GUIDELINES
These guidelines are a ready reference
for those in the transit industry who must
develop and implement programs to control
substance abuse. The guidelines are
organized by subject, and each subject is
addressed in the general order it would be
confronted in the actual formulation and
implementation of a drug and alcohol
program.
Each major subject is discussed in a
separate section. Corresponding reference
documents, forms, and checklists are
included in the Sample Documentation
section at the end of each chapter. These
materials were designed to meet the
minimum regulatory requirements contained
in 49 CFR Parts 40 and 655.
Material in the Appendices amplifies
basic information in the guidelines,
identifies additional resources or references,
and provides specific detailed information
on subjects that may be ancillary to the
guidelines or applicable only to certain
situations or transit operations. You should
read Appendix H, “Terms and Definitions,”
first if you are unfamiliar with some of the
language used.
The information in this document
addresses only the regulatory minimum and
does not cover any additional aspects of a
substance abuse management program. The
information presented, however, is essential
in developing and assessing a compliant,
comprehensive, and defensible program.
These guidelines do not take precedence
over or alter any requirement established
under FTA or DOT regulations. Certain key
words are used throughout the text to assist
you in differentiating between required
program elements and optional suggestions
for a better program.
Section numbers from the regulations
are also used to more clearly define
regulatory requirements. For example,
§655.4 means this regulation is specifically
mentioned in 49 CFR Part 655, Section 4.
Similarly, §40.25 references 49 CFR Part 40
Section 25.
To clarify some difficult subjects and
give practical guidance on how to address
many of these issues, explanatory flow
charts, decision trees, checklists, and tables
have been provided in these guidelines.
Chapter 1. Introduction 1-4 August 2002