§ 199.231 - Access to facilities and records.

§ 199.231 Access to facilities and records.

(a) Except as required by law or expressly authorized or required in this subpart, no employer shall release covered employee information that is contained in records required to be maintained in § 199.227.

(b) A covered employee is entitled, upon written request, to obtain copies of any records pertaining to the employee's use of alcohol, including any records pertaining to his or her alcohol tests. The operator shall promptly provide the records requested by the employee. Access to an employee's records shall not be contingent upon payment for records other than those specifically requested.

(c) Each operator shall permit access to all facilities utilized in complying with the requirements of this subpart to the Secretary of Transportation, any DOT agency, or a representative of a state agency with regulatory authority over the operator.

(d) Each operator shall make available copies of all results for employer alcohol testing conducted under this subpart and any other information pertaining to the operator's alcohol misuse prevention program, when requested by the Secretary of Transportation, any DOT agency with regulatory authority over the operator, or a representative of a state agency with regulatory authority over the operator. The information shall include name-specific alcohol test results, records, and reports.

(e) When requested by the National Transportation Safety Board as part of an accident investigation, an operator shall disclose information related to the operator's administration of any post- accident alcohol tests administered following the accident under investigation.

(f) An operator shall make records available to a subsequent employer upon receipt of the written request from the covered employee. Disclosure by the subsequent employer is permitted only as expressly authorized by the terms of the employee's written request.

(g) An operator may disclose information without employee consent as provided by DOT Procedures concerning certain legal proceedings.

(h) An operator shall release information regarding a covered employee's records as directed by the specific, written consent of the employee authorizing release of the information to an identified person. Release of such information by the person receiving the information is permitted only in accordance with the terms of the employee's consent.

[Amdt. 199-9, 59 FR 7430, Feb. 15, 1994, as amended by Amdt. 199-19, 66 FR 47119, Sept. 11, 2001]