Anyone who would be categorized as a DOT-designated “safety-sensitive” employee is required to submit to DOT drug and alcohol testing. This includes employees overseen by DOT departments like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
These safety-sensitive employees are required to get drug tests whenever there is reasonable suspicion of intoxication, whenever returning to duty after time off, after accidents that meet certain DOT criteria, as follow-ups after returning to duty or just on a random basis. All of these tests occur under DOT regulations and supervision to ensure the tests meet the federal government’s extremely stringent guidelines.
