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

In addition to stipulating the
consequences of a positive alcohol test
result, employers should clearly specify in
their company plan other employee actions
that are prohibited by the FTA regulation.
Prohibited employee conduct includes the
following:
• Using alcohol while performing
safety-sensitive functions;
• Using alcohol within 4 hours prior to
performing safety-sensitive
functions;
• Performing a safety-sensitive
function with an alcohol
concentration of 0.04 or greater;
• Consuming alcohol while on-call;
and
• Using alcohol within 8 hours
following a covered accident unless
the employee has already taken a
post-accident alcohol test.
Employers must not permit a safetysensitive
employee to perform a safetysensitive
function if that employee has
violated any of these provisions. Employers
should also establish consequences for each
of the prohibited behaviors.
The summary on the following page
provides a quick reference of test results and
subsequent employer actions. For more
explanation, the regulatory text should be
consulted.
If a test is cancelled when a negative test
is required (i.e., return-to-duty, follow-up),
the employer must send the employee back
for another test. The employer cannot add
any consequences to a cancelled test. The
employer is not allowed to alter an alcohol
test result once confirmed by the BAT.
Chapter 8. Alcohol Testing Procedures 8-12 August 2002