Tag: #drug

More workers testing positive for marijuana, annual index shows

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Secaucus, NJ — The percentage of workers testing positive for marijuana after an on-the-job incident or injury hit a 25-year high in 2022, according to an analysis conducted by Quest Diagnostics.

Researchers from the lab services provider examined the results of more than 10.6 million samples taken last year from the combined U.S. workforce – both the general workforce and employees in safety-sensitive jobs who undergo federally mandated drug testing (including pilots, truck drivers and train conductors) – for the annual Quest Diagnotics’ Drug Testing Index. Overall, 7.3% of the samples tested positive – up from 6.7% in 2021, for a 9% increase.

Over the past decade, post-incident marijuana positivity has soared by 204.2%. Although marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, its medical use has been legalized in 38 states and the District of Columbia, and 21 states and the District of Columbia allow recreational use.

Marijuana positivity was highest in accommodation and food services (7%) and retail trade (7.7%) – rising 42.9% and 42.6%, respectively, from 2018.

Among the federally mandated, safety-sensitive workforce, marijuana positivity jumped 14%.

Katie Mueller, a National Safety Council senior program manager focused on cannabis safety, suggests that employers create and maintain a cannabis-use policy, build a safety-focused workplace culture, and educate workers to keep everyone safe on the job.

“Intoxicating cannabis products, including marijuana, can have a major impact on safety at work and have been proven to slow reaction time, impact memory and impair skills essential to driving,” Mueller said. “The data provides compelling evidence that increased use of cannabis products by employees can contribute to greater risk for injuries in the workplace.”

NSC is hosting a series of webinars on cannabis safety.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

OSHA considers revoking Arizona’s State Plan status

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication
Photo: OSHA

The Department of Labor’s regulatory agenda for Fall 2021, released Dec. 10, includes a proposed rule that – should OSHA decide to move forward on it – would revoke Arizona’s State Plan status.

The agenda – issued by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs twice a year – provides the status of and projected dates for all potential regulations listed in three stages: pre-rule, proposed rule and final rule. Listings marked “long term” aren’t expected to be worked on for at least six months.

Arizona is the lone state that hasn’t issued an emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 for health care workers. OSHA published its ETS in June, and State Plan states had 30 days to adopt their own standard.

Arizona, South Carolina and Utah didn’t meet that deadline. The latter two states, however, have since issued an ETS after federal OSHA reportedly sent “courtesy letters” to notify them of the agency’s intent to begin the revocation process.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 permits OSHA to grant approval to states that want to manage their own workplace safety and health program. One stipulation for approval, however, is that the states’ safety standards are “at least as effective” as federal standards. State standards can be stricter than federal OSHA’s standards but not weaker.

Should Arizona’s State Plan status be revoked, the state would go back to an “initial approval” status, and federal OSHA would share enforcement duties with the state, or “concurrent enforcement.”

Former OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab noted on his website, Confined Space, that Arizona’s public employees would lose OSHA coverage if federal OSHA takes over the State Plan.

This may not come to fruition, however, because the Industrial Commission of Arizona has moved forward with an ETS for health care workers, an ICA official told Safety+Health. The state has filed a “rulemaking packet” with its attorney general’s office. That’s one of the final steps in the state’s emergency rulemaking, according to the Arizona Rulemaking Manual. Read More»

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Spring 2021 regulatory agenda: FMCSA seeks to ‘streamline and improve’ database of drivers who fail drug, alcohol tests

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication.
DOT.jpg

Photo: Jane Terry

 

Washington — A proposal to “streamline and improve error-correction procedures, queries, and consent requirements” within the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is among the anticipated agency actions listed on the Department of Transportation’s regulatory agenda for Spring 2021.

Released June 11, the agenda – issued by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs twice a year – provides the status of and projected dates for all potential regulations listed in three stages: pre-rule, proposed rule and final rule. Listings marked “long term” aren’t expected to be worked on for at least six months.

The potential measure to amend clearinghouse protocol is among seven regulations listed in the proposed rule stage, with a notice for proposed rulemaking expected in February.

FMCSA fully implemented the clearinghouse in January 2020, unveiling a national online database intended to enhance road safety by providing – in real time – the names of commercial motor vehicle drivers who have failed drug and alcohol tests.

Federal regulations mandate motor carriers conduct preemployment drug testing in addition to random testing. Employees who test positive are prohibited from performing safety-sensitive functions, which includes operating a CMV.

As of May 1, marijuana was the most common substance found in positive tests for substance misuse among CMV drivers, having been detected in 40,053 of the 75,522 positive tests reported to the clearinghouse since Jan. 6, 2020. Cocaine (10,626) and methamphetamine (6,969) were the next most common substances identified. Multiple substances can appear in positive tests, FMCSA notes.

Among the 12 regulations FMCSA lists in the final rule stage is an item concerning the addition of rear impact guards to the list of components to be examined during mandatory annual inspections of CMVs.

Designed to prevent “underrides,” which occur when a passenger vehicle strikes the rear of a CMV and slides underneath, rear impact guards have been required on CMVs for nearly 70 years, states a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Dec. 29 Federal Register. However, the guards are excluded from the list of components in Appendix G for required inspections, meaning a CMV can pass an annual inspection with a missing or damaged rear impact guard, according to FMCSA.

The agency also is proposing to amend labeling requirements for the guards “and to exclude road construction controlled (RCC) horizontal discharge trailers from the rear impact guard requirements,” the NPRM states.

“Including rear impact guards and rear end protection in the periodic inspection requirements in Appendix G will call additional attention to this critical safety component and help ensure that each vehicle is checked at least once a year, improving compliance and helping to prevent fatalities and injuries when rear-end collisions occur,” the NPRM states. “Furthermore, including rear impact guards and rear end protection in the periodic annual inspection standards will harmonize U.S. regulations with those in Canada and Mexico, which include rear impact guards and rear end protection as part of their annual inspection programs.”

A final rule is expected to be published in November.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, DOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.