Professional Documents
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Reference: Distribution:
BOS Minutes: 07/23/1998 Elected Officials, Dept. Heads, County
Initially Adopted: 07/23/1998 Employee Handbook, Intranet
Policy
The Linn County Board of Supervisors established alcohol and drug testing policies and
procedures to comply with the Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements.
Scope
All employees (and applicants for employment) that perform duties covered by DOT
regulations are covered by these policies and procedures IN ADDITION TO any and all
other County policies and procedures related to alcohol and drug use. Employees
performing safety sensitive functions which requires having a valid Commercial Driver’s
License (CDL) are covered by these regulations.
Employees are covered by these policies and procedures at any time when there is a
possibility that they may be required to perform any duties for Linn County which are
covered by DOT regulations. This means all provisions of this policy apply, including
those requiring no use of alcohol in any form within 4 hours of performing any such
duties, depending upon the applicable DOT prohibition based upon the employee’s
duties.
Exceptions
None
Purpose
Linn County will test employees for alcohol and drug use using DOT Procedures in the
situations and circumstances described below in THE INFORMATION ON ALCOHOL
AND DRUG MISUSE or as otherwise described in this policy. Under the DOT Rules, an
applicant or employee is required to submit to the following Drug and Alcohol Testing
situations:
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• Pre-employment (Post Job Offer)
• Post accident
• Reasonable suspicion
• Random
• Return-to-duty and follow-up
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The service provider will contact a representative to report test results. Certain positive
drug test results or other violations of this policy will result in the consequences required
by DOT, but also may result in disciplinary action, up to and including discharge, under
the County authority as described in other County policies and procedures.
• refusal to comply with any testing procedures - including, but not limited to,
Refusal also consists of attempts to falsify or interfere with the testing process,
including failure to comply with instructions or attempting to substitute or otherwise
change specimens to be tested.
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f. perform safety-sensitive duties if aware of any medical condition or alcohol or drug
use that may adversely affect the individual’s ability to perform such duties.
Employees MUST
a. inform the County of alcohol or drug use that may affect safety of employees or the
public.
b. submit to and pass a DOT alcohol and drug test prior to performing safety-
sensitive job duties and after a violation of any DOT alcohol or drug rule.
d. contact the Linn County alcohol and drug testing program administrator, or other
authorized County representative, immediately following any on the job vehicle
accident (DOT accident) to make sure that required alcohol and drug testing
procedures are followed. Whether or not the employee is able to contact a County
representative, the employee must make sure that he/she is tested with a DOT or
law enforcement post-accident alcohol or drug test as soon as possible. The
alcohol test must always occur within 8 hours of the accident and drug test within
32 hours of the accident. The test is required after an accident in which 1) a
fatality occurs or 2) when the driver receives a citation for a moving violation
involving the accident and either a person is transported from the accident scene
to receive immediate medical treatment; or at least one vehicle requires towing
from the scene of the accident; or in which the employee’s possible contribution to
the accident cannot be ruled out and in which a DOT regulation requires testing.
All applicants for employment to positions that require a commercial driver’s license
(CDL), or current employees of the County that apply for such jobs must sign the
CONSENT AND RELEASE OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE AND TESTING
INFORMATION form for each and every employer that the person has worked for in the
previous three years. The County is required to investigate the driver’s records by
contacting all of their employers within the three previous years.
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Employees are reminded of the possible consequences of alcohol and drug use. Both
alcohol and drugs have proven to affect performance adversely, even in low
concentrations. When performing job duties or participating in any other activity in
which the performance of the person may affect the safety or health of that person or
others, NO AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE IS “SAFE”.
If an employee has a problem with alcohol or drug use, counselors and other
professionals are available in the community to assist the employee with resolving such
problems. Employees should contact their personal physicians or community public
health agencies for assistance or may seek assistance as covered by the Linn County
health insurance plans. Employees may, prior to or while performing any safety-
sensitive job duties (which are job duties in which the performance of the employee may
affect the safety or health of others), decline to perform or continue to perform safety-
sensitive functions without penalty when the employee believes he or she may be in
violation of these rules or believes for any reason that performance of such duties may
constitute a risk to the employee or others. In such cases of self-identification, the
employee will be required to be seen by his or her personal physician (Linn County
does not pay for such evaluation) to determine if further action is indicated and may not
return to safety-sensitive duties until clearance has been obtained for such return from a
qualified physician. Linn County reserves the right to require the employee to submit to
a clinical examination by a physician of the County’s choosing, including such testing
deemed appropriate by the examining physician, prior to return to safety-sensitive
duties. SUCH SELF-IDENTIFICATION CANNOT BE USED BY AN EMPLOYEE
AFTER THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE EMPLOYEE’S SELECTION
FOR ALCOHOL OR DRUG TESTING REQUIRED BY THIS POLICY OR OF OTHER
POLICY VIOLATION.
The Risk Manager and the Employment Relations Director are the County’s DOT
ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTING PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS responsible for the
County’s DOT ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTING POLICY AND PROGRAM and are
authorized to answer questions with respect to the program.
Linn County is responsible for giving DOT required training to the supervisors before the
DOT Alcohol and Drug Testing Program goes into effect on January 1, 1995. The
training for supervisors will consist of at least 60 minutes on alcohol misuse and 60
minutes on controlled substance use. The training will cover the physical, behavioral,
speech and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse and use of controlled
substances.
Linn County will instruct the employees with CDL’s on all information as required by the
Department of Transportation as set forth in the Federal Register Vol. 59, No. 31
Subpart F, 382.601. Written material will be given to each employee who will sign off
that they have received and understand the information.
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