[Docket No. PHMSA-2018-0137]
Effective January 1, 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has determined that the minimum random drug testing rate for all covered employees will be 50% during calendar year 2018. Operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and carbon dioxide pipelines and operators of liquefied natural gas facilities must randomly select and test a percentage of all covered employees for prohibited drug use. The minimum annual random drug testing rate was 25% of all covered employees for calendar year 2017. However, the PHMSA regulations require the Administrator to raise the minimum annual random drug testing rate from 25% to 50% of all covered employees when the data obtained from the Management Information System reports (required to be filed by covered entities under PHMSA regulations) indicate the positive test rate is equal to or greater than 1%. In calendar year 2016, the random drug test positive test rate was greater than 1%. Therefore, the PHMSA minimum annual random drug testing rate shall be 50% of all covered employees for calendar year 2018.
Operators are also reminded that drug and alcohol testing information must be submitted for contractors performing or ready to perform covered functions. For calendar year 2017 reporting, PHMSA will not attempt to mail the “user name” and “password” for the Drug and Alcohol Management Information System (DAMIS) to operators, but will make the user name and password available in the PHMSA Portal.
For further information, contact Wayne Lemoi, Drug & Alcohol Program Manager, at 909–937–7232 or by email; or Blaine Keener, Director of Safety Data Systems and Analysis, at 202–366–0970 or by email.
For a copy of PHMSA’s notice from the Federal Register, contact Jessica Foley.