Preventing drug and alcohol

USCG recommendations

Earlier this month, the Coast Guard presented at theDrug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association, or DATIA, Conference.

The presentation focused on the Coast Guard’s role in preventing drug and alcohol misuse within the maritime transportation industry and focused on two issues of concern affecting chemical testing service providers.

The Coast Guard is facing a number of challenges on this front; there are several state and local initiatives to legalize certain drugs, access to unregulated synthetic drugs is growing and abusers are willing to use adulterants to circumvent the chemical testing process.

Chemical testing challenges

One of the areas for Coast Guard concern centers on post-casualty chemical testing, improper chemical testing and testing occurring after the required time period.

Chemical testing service providers should clearly communicate, to their marine employer clients, the logistical challenges preventing the timely testing of crewmembers.

The Coast Guard suggested retaining multiple testing kits on-board a vessel to ensure that alcohol testing is completed within the two-hours following a casualty.

Consortium challenges

Consortiums provide management and oversight of chemical testing programs for independent owner and operators in the same way as marine employers would.

When consortiums identify incidences of refusal to test or failed chemical tests, they have a responsibility to ensure these events are reported directly to the Coast Guard immediately and not left to the mariner to self-report.

Visit the Coast Guard’s website for the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program for further information.

Source: USCG Blog