Occupational Health Plan Drug/Alcohol Testing Random Selection Process Overview The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires drug and alcohol testing of safety‐sensitive employees in the transportation industries. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) drug and alcohol regulations apply to safety‐sensitive employees who operate commercial motor with a gross vehicle or combination weight of 26,001 lbs. or more, or with the capacity to carry 16 or more passengers, or used to transport hazardous materials which require a vehicle to be placarded. All employers are responsible for implementing and conducting the random drug and alcohol testing programs required by the DOT. Employers can join a third party Consortium, which provides the random drug and alcohol testing selection services that assist employers in complying with the DOT drug and alcohol testing mandates. Occupational Health Plan, Inc. (OHP) offers a third party consortium service to Ohio employers.
Occupational Health Plan, Inc. (OHP) Consortium OHP’s Consortium is made up of groups of companies called Pools, which generally consist of more than one employer with similar testing requirements (i.e. DOT regulations) and/or sharing other attributes (i.e. location). Employers can be classified as Independent, having the random testing selection pulled from their own employees. As mandated by DOT regulations, the maximum number of employees a Pool can contain is 250. Participation in the OHP Consortium is available to any employer or independent contractor who must meet substance abuse random testing requirements set by the DOT. When an employer requests to join the OHP Consortium, OHP will determine pricing and send a contract and an invoice for the Random Selection services. Once the signed contract and payment are received by OHP, the employers’ contact information and employee list is entered into the ‘Randomware’ database and the company is placed in a Pool as appropriate. The new employer will receive a welcome packet which includes: DOT procedures, employer procedures, sample forms, reference information, and documentation of their membership in the Consortium and, if requested, ID cards for the driver(s).
Drug and Alcohol Random Testing Selection Consortium participation is an acceptable method of meeting DOT drug and alcohol random testing requirements as long as it utilizes a process that is “scientifically valid and impartial toward the drivers”1. It is the responsibility of the OHP Consortium to ensure that the randomness of the selections are within the guidelines mandated by the DOT and employer testing policies. OHP utilizes ‘Randomware’ random drug and alcohol selection software to comply with the random selection standards. OHP maintains a network of Occupational Health Centers (In‐Network Providers) throughout the State of Ohio to provide drug testing for random selected drivers.
Non‐DOT Random Selection OHP also facilitates random testing selections for other employers as requested, Non‐DOT, and/or employers who must meet required testing, such as State of Ohio construction project workers or employers participating in the Drug Free Workplace Program (DFWP). Non‐DOT employers must be maintained in separate pools from DOT employers.
Contact Brandy Jordan at
[email protected] or call 614‐717‐4700/614‐602‐8273 for more information or to join one of our Consortium Pools.
1
U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Implementation Guidelines for Alcohol & Drug Regulations in Highway Transportation. (5‐15)