PACIF has developed Safety Briefs to help municipal highway supervisors maintain a high level of safety and hazard awareness among employees. We recommend using these short “tailgate trainings” on a regular basis – but no less once a month. If you need a particular safety topic, please contact us at losscontrol@vlct.org.
Information for Supervisors
All individuals operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) must either have a valid CDL license, or have a CDL permit and be accompanied by a person with a valid CDL license. For these individuals, participation in a drug and alcohol testing program is required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Anyone who has a CDL should be familiar with the various requirements, including testing. This safety brief provides you with some things to review with your employees to ensure that they are in tune with current standards and avoid common pitfalls.
Talking Points for Training
The current Alcohol and Drug Testing program is provided as a service to PACIF members. It fulfills the FMCSA requirements for a testing pool. Always follow your Drug & Alcohol Policy (which is required). Tips for employees include:
- All drug and/or alcohol tests are randomly selected. Drug and/or alcohol tests can occur at any time and without warning. If you are frequently selected for testing, it is truly a random occurrence (unless that testing is “follow-up testing” that was mandated by a substance abuse professional (SAP) in response to a prior positive test.
- Remember that taking over-the-counter medications can affect your ability to operate a commercial motor vehicle safely. In addition, be aware that some do contain alcohol, as do certain “energy drinks”. In general, avoid these products when there is an expectation of operating a commercial motor vehicle (or any motor vehicle for that matter).
- Don’t take prescription pain-killers or medications that are not prescribed for you. These may show up in a urine test and could result in a positive test result if the medication is a prohibited substance and was not prescribed to you.
- When taking narcotics that are prescribed to you, please check with your physician to ensure that it is safe for you to operate a commercial motor vehicle while taking these drugs. In some cases, you may need to defer the use of these products to avoid being under the influence while you are operating a CMV.
- During the winter months, it is particularly important to avoid drinking alcohol whenever there is the possibility of a storm that would result in the highway crew being called in to work. It is not ok to have a few beers and then come to work on a call in. You must not consume alcohol within 4 hours of reporting to duty. If you did consume alcohol and are called in, do not come for at least 4 hours. Make sure you can meet with legal limits (which for CDL operators is low).
- Remember that a blood alcohol concentration .04% is a positive test, while a level of .02% is prohibited and would result in removal from safety sensitive duties. Reasonable suspicion testing may be done in cases where there is objective evidence that suggests an individual may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.