When a safety sensitive employee fails a dot regulated drug or alcohol test, the following steps must be complete in order to resume operation in your safety sensitive position.
What is the DOT Return to Duty Process (RTD)
Step 1: As a safety sensitive employee, you must be removed from safety sensitive duties immediately and be provided from your employer a list of DOT qualified substance abuse professionals.
Step 2: research, meet and select with your DOT qualified SAP for your initial evaluation and assessment. Under Subpart O - Substance Abuse Professionals and the Return-to-Duty Process section § 40.293 a SAP, must accomplish the following:
- Provide a comprehensive assessment and clinical evaluation meeting the requirements of §40.291(a)(1).
- Recommend a course of education and/or treatment with which the employee must demonstrate successful compliance prior to returning to DOT safety-sensitive duty.
- You must make such a recommendation for every individual who has violated a DOT drug and alcohol regulation. You must make a recommendation for education and/or treatment that will, to the greatest extent possible, protect public safety in the event that the employee returns to the performance of safety-sensitive functions.
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Step 3: Begin treatment with Substance Abuse Professional and once you have successfully completed the program, your SAP will determine you are eligible for Return to Duty Testing.
Step 4: Once you are eligible for a Return to Duty (RTD) drug or alcohol test, this test then must be authorized by a DOT regulated employer, in the case of an owner operator, a c/TPA may authorize the RTD test.
Step 5: Once the safety sensitive employee obtains a negative RTD drug/alcohol test, they will no longer be prohibited from performing safety sensitive functions. Please note, for FMCSA regulated employees, your negative return to duty drug test must be uploaded into the FMCSA Clearinghouse. The RTD test should be uploaded by your employer or a c/TPA who has been authorized by an FMCSA regulated employer.
Step 6: Your SAP will send your follow up testing plan to your current employer who must administer the program based on your SAP’s specifications or in the case of a single owner operator a c/TPA may administer your follow up testing plan.