§ 219.101 - Alcohol and drug use prohibited.

§ 219.101 Alcohol and drug use prohibited.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 81 FR 37928, June 10, 2016.

(a) Prohibitions. Except as provided in § 219.103 - —

(1) No regulated employee may use or possess alcohol or any controlled substance while assigned by a railroad to perform covered servicewhen the employee is on duty and subject to performing regulated service for a railroad.

(2) No regulated employee may report for covered regulated service, or go or remain on duty in covered regulated service while - , while—

(i) Under the influence of or impaired by alcohol;

(ii) Having 0.04 or more alcohol concentration in the breath or blood; or

(iii) Under the influence of or impaired by any controlled substance.

(3) No regulated employee may use alcohol for whichever is the lesser of the following periods:

(i) Within four hours of reporting for covered regulated service; or

(ii) After receiving notice to report for covered regulated service.

(4)

(i) No regulated employee tested under the provisions of this part whose Federal test result indicates an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater but less than 0.04 may perform or continue to perform

covered

regulated service

functions

for a railroad, nor may a railroad permit the regulated employee to perform or continue to perform

covered

regulated service, until the start of the regulated employee's next regularly scheduled duty period, but not less than eight hours following administration of the test.

(ii) Nothing in this section prohibits a railroad from taking further action under its own independent company authority when a regulated employee tested under the provisions of this part has a Federal test result indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater, but less than 0.04. However, while a Federal test result of 0.02 or greater but less than 0.04 is a positive test and may be a violation of a railroad's operating rules, it is not a violation of this section and cannot be used to decertify an engineer under part 240 of this chapter or a conductor under part 242 of this chapter.

(5) If an employee tested under the provisions of this part has a test result indicating an alcohol concentration below 0.02, the test must be considered is negative and is not evidence of alcohol misuse. A railroad may not use a federal Federal test result below 0.02 either as evidence in a company proceeding or as a basis for subsequent testing under company authority. A railroad may take further action to compel cooperation in other breath or body fluid testing only if it has an independent basis for doing so. An independent basis for subsequent company authority testing will exist only when, after having a negative Federal reasonable suspicion alcohol test result, the employee exhibits additional or continuing signs and symptoms of alcohol use. If a company authority test then indicates a violation of the railroad's operating rules, this result is independent of the Federal test result and must stand on its own merits.

(b) Controlled substance. “Controlled substance” is defined by § 219.5. Controlled substances are grouped as follows: marijuana, narcotics (such as heroin and codeine), stimulants (such as cocaine and amphetamines), depressants (such as barbiturates and minor tranquilizers), and hallucinogens (such as the drugs known as PCP and LSD). Controlled substances include illicit drugs (Schedule I), drugs that are required to be distributed only by a medical practitioner's prescription or other authorization (Schedules II through IV, and some drugs on Schedule V), and certain preparations for which distribution is through documented over the counter sales (Schedule V only).

(c) Railroad rules. Nothing in this section restricts a railroad from imposing an absolute prohibition on the presence of alcohol or any drug in the body fluids of persons in its employ, whether in furtherance of the purpose of this part or for other purposes.

(d) Construction. This section may not be construed to prohibit the presence of an unopened container of an alcoholic beverage in a private motor vehicle that is not subject to use in the business of the railroad; nor may it be construed to restrict a railroad from prohibiting such presence under its own rules.

[66 FR 41973, Aug. 9, 2001, as amended at 81 FR 37928, June 10, 2016]