Maritime Random Drug Testing Rate Stays at 50 Percent
Next year's random drug testing rate for safety-sensitive employees in the maritime industry is 50 percent, set by the U.S. Coast Guard. The random testing rate is set for Jan. 1, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2009; marine employers must submit their 2008 Management Information System (MIS) reports by March 15, 2009, to Commandant (CG-545), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second St. SW, Room 2404, Washington, DC 20593-0001 or to http://homeport.uscg.mil/Drugtestreports.
46 CFR 16.230 is the regulation that requires maritime employers to establish random drug testing programs for covered crewmembers. The Coast Guard may lower the rate if, for two consecutive years, the industry's drug test positive rate is less than 1.0 percent. But because 2007 MIS data indicated the industry-wide positive rate was 1.33 percent, the minimum random drug testing rate will continue at 50 percent in 2009.
Capt. Francis J. Sturm, deputy director of Prevention Policy, signed the Federal Register notice announcing the 2009 rate.