Federal Transit Drug & Alcohol Testing

Policy Requirements Checklist
Designated employer contact (DER)
Identity of person, office, branch, and/or position (Persons that have authority to take appropriate action on test results)
Covered Employees
Operation of a revenue service vehicle, in or out of revenue service Operation of a non-revenue vehicle requiring a CDL Controlling movement or dispatch of a revenue service vehicle (determined by employer) Security personnel who carry firearms Maintenance of a revenue service vehicle Contractor employees that stand in the shoes of Transit System employees also have to comply
Prohibited Substances
Marijuana Cocaine Amphetamines Opiates Phencyclidine Alcohol
Pre-employment
Negative test before 1 SS duty, must make up if cancelled Not SS for 90-days and out of pool need pre-employment test Applicant who failed/refused must show evidence of treatment If alcohol test, must follow Part 40 regulations
Reasonable suspicion
Trained supervisor Physical behavior, performance, contemporaneous observation
Post-accident
Fatality Medical treatment away from scene, unless driver discounted Disabling damage, unless driver discounted Drug test within 32 hours Alcohol within 8 hours No test 2 hours, create note, no test 8 hours, update note Readily available, or refusal to test
Readily available stayed for resolution and medical treatment
Return-to-duty and Follow-up
Conducted in accordance with Part 40, subpart O
Random
Scientifically valid selection method Testing is conducted on all days and hours throughout the year Unannounced and immediate No discretion by management or operations
Prohibited behavior
Alcohol use 4 hours prior, on call, while performing SS duty Alohol use 8 hours after accident or until PA test
Period of Coverage
Drug test - anytime on while on duty Alcohol test - Just before, during, or immediately after safety-sensitive duty
Testing Methods
Drug & alcohol tests - detailed discussion in policy now optional It is only necessary to reference Part 40, but if referenced, copies must be available for employees
Test Requirement
All covered employees are required to submit to drug and alcohol tests as a condition of employment in accordance with Part 655
Test Refusal
Failure to provide breath or urine sample
Insufficient volume without valid medical explanation Tampering, adulterating, or substituting specimen Failing to appear within a reasonable time - defined by employer Leaving the scene of an accident without just cause prior to submitting to a test Leaving collection facility prior to test completion Failing to permit an observed or monitored collection when required Failing to take a second test when required Failing to undergo a medical examination when required
Failing to cooperate with any part of the testing process
Failing to sign Step 2 of alcohol test form
MRO verified adulterated/substituted sample Once test is underway, failing to remain at site and provide a specimen For pre-employment, NOT refusal: Failure to appear For pre-employment, NOT refusal: Failure to remain at site prior to commencement of test For pre-employment, NOT refusal: Aborting the collection before the test commences No claim that refusal to take a company test is a refusal to DOT test
Consequences
Positive drug or alcohol (above 0.04) test result or test refusal BAC (0.02 to 0.039) Dilute negative Dilute negative results 2-5 mg/dl Immediate remove employee from safety-sensitive position Refer for assessment by a Substance Abuse Professional Apply transit system disciplinary policy
SAP Referral Required All employees/applicants must be given valid contact information for a USDOT-qualified SAP if they test positive.
Additional Employer Provisions Allowed
Must be identified The provisions of the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 may be incorporated in the policy statement but must be so identified
Compliance Tips
Effective date of policy-normally found on cover of policy Policy distribution -Employees should be requested to sign a confirmation of receipt form Make sure future revisions of a substantive nature also receive Board approval Make sure all employees have the most current version of the policy Clearly differentiate between FTA and company authority
Bottom line:
Have the correct policy recognizing the mode(s) you are covered under.
Include the required information and clearly define the DOT required data.
Know and understand the policy
Use your policy to determine your actions
Be consistent exceptions always cause problems
Contact us @ www.AmerSafeSchool.com

Florida Traffic Tickets 101

There are very specific and simple steps to follow for satisfying your responsibilities for a Florida Traffic Ticket. Step one is to understand that you MUST pay your fine and indicate which option you are choosing within 30 days.
Driving is a privilege not a right. That means you can lose your driving privilege for a specific time period or forever if you don’t follow the rules. The most common reason drivers in Florida lose their drivers license is not paying their traffic ticket.
Here are the basics of satisfying a Florida Traffic TicketIn almost every case you will satisfy your traffic ticket through the Clerk of Court in the county where you received your citation. You will pay your fine to the clerk of court and send all documents to the clerk of court.
Decide which option you are electing.
A: Pay the full fine
B: Fight your ticket in traffic court
C: Elect the traffic school option
Pay the Full fineTraffic ticket fines in Florida range from about $80 on the low end for a basic speeding ticket or moving violation like running a red light or stop sign to $500 dollars for speeding 30 mph over the limit in a school zone or construction zone.
If you pay the full fine you are pleading guilty and will receive points on your drivers license. Points – in this case – are bad and too many points can result in your drivers license being suspended or revoked.
Fight your Ticket in Court
If you feel that you are not guilty of the traffic infraction then you may choose to fight the ticket in traffic court.
Be aware that you must prove you are not guilty. And note that if you lose your case that in many situations you will pay court costs, additional fines, and may be ordered to complete a defensive driving or traffic school class.
Complete a Traffic School Class
Florida has a very simple and effective traffic school program. For most tickets you can elect to complete a traffic school class and receive no points on your drivers license.If you elect to take Traffic School log on to:www.amersafeschool.com

CPR FIRST AID FACTS

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults. Most arrests occur in persons with underlying heart disease.
* CPR doubles a person's chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest.
* 75% of all cardiac arrests happen in people's homes.
* The typical victim of cardiac arrest is a man in his early 60's and a woman in her late 60's.
* Cardiac arrest occurs twice as frequently in men compared to women.
* CPR was invented in 1960.
* There has never been a case of HIV transmitted by mouth-to-mouth
* In sudden cardiac arrest the heart goes from a normal heartbeat to a quivering rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). This happens in approximately two-thirds of all cardiac arrests. VF is fatal unless an electric shock, called defibrillation, can be given. CPR does not stop VF but CPR extends the window of time in which defibrillation can be effective.
* CPR provides a trickle of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart and keeps these organs alive until defibrillation can shock the heart into a normal rhythm.
* If CPR is started within 4 minutes of collapse and defibrillation provided within 10 minutes, a person has a 40% chance of survival. if you need CPR training log on to www.amersafeschool.com

MerchantCircle: Introducing Social Networking to Business Owners

MerchantCircle: Introducing Social Networking to Business Owners

Official Google Blog: More computing, less power

Official Google Blog: More computing, less power

we use a dell powered server to host our www.amersafeschool.com website. It would be great to get more use out of server while at the same time cut cost