The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is expanding its drug and alcohol testing regulations to include Maintenance of Way (MOW) employees. Effective June 12th, 2017, railroad employees and contractors who perform maintenance of way (MOW) functions for a railroad will be subject to testing under the FRA guidelines. WorkforceQA recently hosted a webinar […]
Maintenance of Way (MOW) Employees Effective June 12, 2017 In response to Congress’ mandate in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is expanding the scope of its drug and alcohol regulation to cover Maintenance of Way (MOW) employees. 1. To whom does this […]
WorkforceQA recently submitted comments to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC) regarding proposed changes in procedures for transportation workplace drug and alcohol testing programs. In the comments WorkforceQA supported the addition of expanded opiates (hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone) in the […]
There are several employer factors to consider when developing a policy for workplace Point of Collection Testing (POCT) or instant drug screening. Previously, WorkforceQA looked at several of these factors including: POCT quality standards, various methods for reading POCT results, regulatory considerations and laboratory confirmation testing. To learn more […]
Point of Collection Testing (POCT) refers to both non-instrument devices, such as immunoassay strips, cassettes, and cups and also to instrument-facilitated urine screening performed at the location where an employee/applicant provides a urine specimen. The key distinguishing feature of POCT devices is that they provide an “immediate” negative test […]
SALT LAKE CITY, UT, February 7, 2017 — WorkforceQA announced today that Dennis Bennett, Chief Development Officer, will be stepping away from the company on March 3, 2017 for personal reasons. Dennis’ value to the Company has extended far beyond business development. He has also played a pivotal role in […]
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces that it has received an application from six large motor carriers to allow hair tests in lieu of urine tests for pre-employment drug testing of Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders. The six motor carriers currently conduct pre-employment urine testing that satisfies the […]
Summary of Notice by WorkforceQA January 20, 2017 On Monday January 23, 2017, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Transportation (DOT) will publish documents to expand federal urine drug testing programs’ panel to include Schedule II Opioid drugs, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone, sometimes collectively referred […]
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced that the annual random drug testing percentage for controlled substances will remain at 25 percent for the 2017 calendar year. In 2016, the FMCSA reduced the random drug testing percentage from 50 percent to 25 percent. FMCSA took […]
Employers across the U.S. are often challenged with how to address over-the-counter and prescription medication use by employees while ensuring a safe working environment. This concern has been evidenced by the dramatic increase in the number of prescriptions written in recent years. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and […]