Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 43 - NATURAL RESOURCES
Part XIII - Office of Conservation-Pipeline Safety
Subpart 4 - Drug and Alcohol Testing
Chapter 65 - Alcohol Misuse Prevention Program [49 CFR Part 192 Subpart C]
Section XIII-6525 - Alcohol Tests Required [49 CFR 199.225]
Universal Citation: LA Admin Code XIII-6525
Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. Each operator shall conduct the following types of alcohol tests for the presence of alcohol. [ 49 CFR 199.225]
1.
Post-Accident [
49 CFR
199.225(a)]
a. As soon as practicable following an
accident, each operator must test each surviving covered employee for alcohol
if that employee's performance of a covered function either contributed to the
accident or cannot be completely discounted as a contributing factor to the
accident. The decision not to administer a test under this section must be
based on.specific information that the covered employee's performance had no
role in the cause(s) or severity of the accident. [
49 CFR
199.225(a)(1)]
b. If a test required by this Section is not
administered within two hours following the accident, the operator shall
prepare and maintain on file a record stating the reasons the test was not
promptly administered. If a test required by Paragraph A.1 is not administered
within eight hours following the accident, the operator shall cease attempts to
administer an alcohol test and shall state in the record the reasons for not
administering the test. [
49 CFR
199.225(a)(2)(i)]
c. A covered employee who is subject to
post-accident testing who fails to remain readily available for such testing,
including notifying the operator or operator representative of his/her location
if he/she leaves the scene of the accident prior to submission to such test,
may be deemed by the operator to have refused to submit to testing. Nothing in
this Section shall be construed to require the delay of necessary medical
attention for injured people following an accident or to prohibit a covered
employee from leaving the scene of an accident for the period necessary to
obtain assistance in responding to the accident or to obtain necessary
emergency medical care. [
49 CFR
199.225(a)(3)]
2. Reasonable Suspicion Testing [
49 CFR 199 .225(b)]
a. Each operator shall
require a covered employee to submit to an alcohol test when the operator has
reasonable suspicion to believe that the employee has violated the prohibitions
in this Chapter. [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(1)]
b. The operator's determination that
reasonable suspicion exists to require the covered employee to undergo an
alcohol test shall be based on specific, contemporaneous, articulable
observations concerning the appearance, behavior, speech, or body odors of the
employee. The required observations shall be made by a supervisor who is
trained in detecting the symptoms of alcohol misuse. The supervisor who makes
the determination that reasonable suspicion exists shall not conduct the breath
alcohol test on that employee. [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(2)]
c. Alcohol testing is authorized by this
Section only if the observations required by Subparagraph 2.b of this Section
are made during, just preceding, or just after the period of the work day that
the employee is required to be in compliance with this Chapter. A covered
employee may be directed by the operator to undergo reasonable suspicion
testing for alcohol only while the employee is performing covered functions;
just before the employee is to perform covered functions; or just after the
employee has ceased performing covered functions. [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(3)]
d.
i. If a
test required by this Section is not administered within two hours following
the determination under Subparagraph 2.b of this Section, the operator shall
prepare and maintain on file a record stating the reasons the test was not
promptly administered. If a test required by this Section is not administered
within eight hours following the determination under Subparagraph 2.b of this
Section, the operator shall cease attempts to administer an alcohol test and
shall state in the record the reasons for not administering the test. Records
shall be submitted to PHMSA upon request of the administrator. [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(4)(i)]
ii. Reserved.
iii. Notwithstanding the absence of a
reasonable suspicion alcohol test under this Section, an operator shall not
permit a covered employee to report for duty or remain on duty requiring the
performance of covered functions while the employee is under the influence of
or impaired by alcohol, as shown by the behavioral, speech, or performance
indicators of alcohol misuse, nor shall an operator permit the covered employee
to perform or continue to perform covered functions, until: [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(4)(iii)]
(a). an alcohol test is administered and the
employee's alcohol concentration measures less than 0.02; or [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(4)(iii)(A)
]
(b). the start of the employee's
next regularly scheduled duty period, but not less than eight hours following
the determination under Subparagraph 2.b of this Section that there is
reasonable suspicion to believe that the employee has violated the prohibitions
in this Chapter. [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(4)(iii)(B)
]
iv. Except as provided
in Clause 2.d.ii, no operator shall take any action under this Chapter against
a covered employee based solely on the employee's behavior and appearance in
the absence of an alcohol test. This does not prohibit an operator with the
authority independent of this Chapter from taking any action otherwise
consistent with law. [
49 CFR
199.225(b)(4)(iv)
]
3.
Return-to-Duty Testing . Each operator shall ensure that before a covered
employee returns to duty requiring the performance of a covered function after
engaging in conduct prohibited by §§6515-6523, the employee shall undergo a
return-to-duty alcohol test with a result indicating an alcohol concentration
of less than 0.02. [
49 CFR
199.225(c)]
4. Follow-Up Testing [ 49 CFR 199 .225(d)]
a. Following a determination under
§6543 that a covered employee is in
need of assistance in resolving problems associated with alcohol misuse, each
operator shall ensure that the employee is subject to unannounced follow-up
alcohol testing as directed by a substance abuse professional in accordance
with the provisions of
§6543. C.2.b [
49 CFR
199.225(d)(1)]
b. Follow-up testing shall be conducted when
the covered employee is performing covered functions; just before the employee
is to perform covered functions; or just after the employee has ceased
performing such functions. [
49 CFR
199.225(d)(2)]
5. Retesting of Covered Employees
with an Alcohol Concentration of 0.02 or Greater but Less Than 0.04 . Each
operator shall retest a covered employee to ensure compliance with the
provisions of §6537, if an operator chooses to permit the employee to perform a
covered function within eight hours following the administration of an alcohol
test indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater but less than 0.04.
[
49 CFR
199.225(e)]
AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:751-757, redesignated as R.S. 30:701-707 and R.S. 30:501 et seq.
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