Why is DOT drug testing and FAA drug testing important

The U.S. Department of Transportation or DOT drug testing is a mandatory program for all those aspiring to be a part of federally-controlled transportation industry as a safety-sensitive employee. This drug and alcohol testing program can be conducted before beginning the job, or randomly, or any other time as the department deems fit. In this regard, the DOT rule 49 CFR Part 40 is adhered to for all kinds of drug and alcohol testing procedures across safety-sensitive job functions including aviation, commercial motor carriers, maritime, pipeline, railroad and transit. The Federal Aviation Administration or FAA drug testing aims to ensure that the aviators and the rest of the team are free from drug usage and a safe and effective air transportation system.

Drug screening services are offered by a number of organizations approved by the authorities. They take care of the entire procedure starting from training the employees on DOT compliance to policy reviews. Consultation services are also offered in a customized manner according to the DOT drug testing requirements of the organizations so that their prevention efforts are aligned to the latest developments. The staff members are experienced and qualified to carry out the drug testing procedures including lab testing, collection of specimens and filing confidential reports. Though the drug tests were mainly designed to prevent drug or alcohol abuse for the transportation employees, today it is used as a standard regulation for the general employees in the corporate and private sector. Drug and alcohol program audit, background checks as well as database management are also offered by the drug test service providers.

Federally controlled organizations such as the FAA must comply with the DOT rule 49 CFR Part 40. Hence the FAA drug testing has stringent rules which require employees to be checked before joining. In addition to this, other tests include random testing, post accident tests, planned tests and treatment tests. This testing can be done only by the FAA-approved doctors who take the hair and blood samples to see if the pilots have ever been subject to drug or alcohol abuse. A physical test and eye test are also part of the procedure. There are several consortiums which can ensure that employees are free from any kind of drug or alcohol usage. DOT drug testing requires FAA employees to comply with regulations. Being a part of these procedures on a regular basis helps in building an organization as a drug free and safe workplace and ensures the customers of safety and reliability.

Risk mitigation has become an important issue considering the increasing usage of drugs. It is for this reason that DOT drug testing is no longer limited to U.S. DOT-controlled services. Any organization can adopt the drug testing procedures to ensure a drug free workplace. FAA drug testing is mandatory for safety-sensitive employees like pilots and other members who are directly related to the service. For other employees who may not qualify as a safety-sensitive member according to the DOT rule the decision is left on the authorities whether or not they are going to conduct a drug test on them.
Professional DOT drug testing services, especially FAA drug testing is important to ensure drug free, safe and reliable services.

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