1. Register your company at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov
   1. If you have a USDOT number, the clearinghouse will pull your company information from other relevant systems. Make sure to double check the accuracy of the information pulled.
   2. Assign others in your company to be assistants to help you manage the information provided through the clearinghouse.
2. Assign Blueline Services as your C/TPA (Consortium/Third Party Administrator).
3. Pre-purchase enough queries to cover your current DOT regulated employees.
   1. Queries never expire and additional can be purchased as needed.
4. Get your drivers to register at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov right away!
   1. A driver must register and give consent for his/her information to be accessible.  If they want to maintain a CDL, they HAVE to register on the clearinghouse site.  
   2. Drivers can monitor their information and dispute reported information directly on the site.

 
All employers with FMCSA regulated employees must register and use the clearinghouse. If drivers do not register, the consent will be sent by regular mail to the address on their CDL. This will delay employment and potential opportunities for drivers, so is in their best interest to register online.  Employers must query all new drivers before hire and all current drivers must be queried annually. The Clearinghouse is not yet integrated with other screening vendors/platforms, which means the queries need to be performed directly on the clearinghouse site. For the first three years (DOT requires a 3 year employment verification), Blueline can still provide the required employment verifications while the database catches up (year by year) to the requirement.  
 
We know change can cause heartburn, but this update is one that will be good for employers and overall industry safety. We encourage you to check out the excellent resources on the FAQ and Learning Center pages of the clearinghouse website https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/ . 
 
Thank you for your continued business, please reach out to us with any questions or implementation issues.  
 
Blueline Drug Testing Department
801-575-8378
mail@blueline-services.com 

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Certain safety-sensitive positions require employers to have a designed SAP, like those that are under Department of Transportation regulation. However, it is considered best practice for all employers to have their own designated Substance Abuse Professional, especially if they desire to maintain a drug-free workplace.

SAPs are responsible for evaluating employees who have violated a drug or alcohol regulation and making recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare. These professionals can help your employees overcome these addictions and keep your work environment safe.

Who can be an SAP?

According to DOT regulations, a qualified SAP should have a basic knowledge of the following areas:

-The diagnosis and treatment of alcohol and controlled substance-related disorders with some clinical experience
-The SAP role and function in relation to employer interests and safety-sensitive duties
-DOT agency regulations and DOT SAP guidelines

An SAP must also have at least one of the following qualifications: a licensed physician, a licensed or certified social worker, a licensed or certified psychologist, a licensed or certified Employee Assistance Professional, a state-licensed or certified marriage and family therapist, or be drug and alcohol certified by the NAADAC, ICRC, or NBCC.

What will our SAP do?

If an accident, report, or cause for reasonable suspicion comes to a supervisor’s attention, that individual should be tested as soon as possible for drugs and/or alcohol. (If you have questions about how to set up reasonable suspicion or post-accident testing, let us know!) If the employee in question has tested positive, the SAP must have two face-to-face evaluations with the individual (according to DOT regulations).

The first initial evaluation is for the SAP to determine the depth of the problem and what assistance or steps will be required to help the employee. The SAP will then send a letter/email to the employer with the employee’s details along with their recommendations for treatment/education.

After the education or treatment has been approved and the employee has completed all of the recommendations made by the SAP, the SAP will conduct a follow-up evaluation. After the follow-up, the SAP can help recommend follow-up testing requirements for the employer to have the employee in question complete. These requirements can often include:

-A minimum of 6 drug or alcohol test in the first 12 months (continuing for up to 5 years)
-No advance notice of testing dates
-Testing to be done under direct observation
-Inability to substitute other tests in lieu of follow-up testing
-Cancelled follow-up tests must be recollected

A qualified and compliant SAP can help keep your workplace environment safe and protect you as an employer, even if you are not a DOT regulated company.

If you need help understanding how to begin drug testing or other services that could potentially benefit your drug testing program, please reach out to our drug testing department. We’re always happy to help!

The post What Exactly Is A Substance Abuse Professional? appeared first on Blueline.

For those DOT members who will be a part of the Clearinghouse, below is a timeline of upcoming events happening for the Clearinghouse that you should be aware of.

The Clearinghouse final rule was made back in December of 2016. This rule created a drug and alcohol clearinghouse for the DOT. It also identified the roles and responsibilities of those who will be required to use the Clearinghouse. You can see that final rule here.

Fall 2019: Registration Begins

This upcoming fall users will be able to create an account for the Clearinghouse that will give you access once the Clearinghouse becomes operational on January 6, 2020.

January 6, 2020: Clearinghouse Implementation Date

Mandatory use of the Clearinghouse to report and query information about driver and alcohol program violations will go into effect on this date. Employers will be required to conduct both electronic queries within the Clearinghouse and manual inquires with previous employers to cover the preceding three years.

January 6, 2023: Clearinghouse Three-Year Mark

Employers must query the Clearinghouse to satisfy the employer requirement to identify prospective drivers who have committed drug and alcohol program violations.

If you have any more questions regarding the DOT Clearinghouse and how it applies to you, check out the FMCSA’s information on the Clearinghouse here.

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MVR checks in Wisconsin require careful attention to detail as they use license number alone to identify which records should be pulled. It is not cross-checked or verified against names or birth dates as most other states require. This leaves little room for error.

MVR checks are also instant, meaning that results are sent straight to you as a client without giving us the ability to verify the results first. Accuracy with these checks should not be a problem, please just be sure to double-check any license numbers before submitting them to ensure you receive information on the correct individual. It is good practice to double-check any information submitted for a background check, but as Wisconsin MVR checks require particular attention to detail we wanted to publish this reminder.

If you have any questions about this, MVR checks, or employee background screening in general, please feel free to reach out to us by phone or email.

The post READ THIS Before Running An MVR Check In Wisconsin appeared first on Blueline.