Industry News

Drug and Alcohol Testing

August 29, 2019

In 2018, the opioid epidemic was at its peak with prescription pain killers becoming a gateway drug leading to drug abuse of fentanyl and heroin. After three waves of opioid overdose deaths, which saw drug abusers jump from opiates to fentanyl then heroin, we’re now entering the fourth, which is methamphetamine. As legislation enforces new opioid laws, the opioid epidemic is causing an increase in methamphetamine use.

Transportation Compliance

August 20, 2019

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has proposed modifications to the current Hours of Service (HOS) rules that will increase safety standards and allow more flexibility for commercial drivers while they are on duty. The proposal was published on August 15th, with a 45-day comment period following. The changes would not interfere with driving time and continue to prevent Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers from driving more than eight consecutive hours without a 30-minute change in duty status. HOS rules are implemented to make the roads safer by requiring drivers to log their driving hours with accuracy and completion and limits the number of hours a driver can drive each day, which reduces fatigued drivers.

Background Check

August 14, 2019

Background investigations are common among most employers when protecting their company but aren’t always customized to meet industry specifics. Depending on the industry, such as the financial industry, background checks should be customized to include more in-depth searches, such as a financial due diligence search.

Acquisitions

August 06, 2019

DISA Global Solutions continues to expand into new geographies across North America while adding subject matter expertise and building a broader array of services to best serve the growing and diverse needs of our customers. DISA has an enterprise-wide commitment to provide the most comprehensive and compliant employee screening services for highly regulated, safety-sensitive end markets.

Drug and Alcohol Testing

July 31, 2019

To combat drug abuse in the workplace, employers have several ways to secure a safer working environment. A clear, concise, and comprehensive drug testing policy is critical, but employers also need to ensure their management is trained to identify drug and alcohol abuse on the job as soon as it begins.

Drug and Alcohol Testing

July 15, 2019

As of June 25, 2019, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana, implementing the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the Act) which legalizes recreational marijuana use for persons aged 21 and older and implements a tax, sales, and regulatory system. For employers, the Act includes provisions that will likely require an update to their workplace drug testing policies before the bill goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

Drug and Alcohol Testing

July 08, 2019

As of June 15, 2019, Tennessee passed HB 389 and SB 312 which adjusts the Tennessee voluntary prescription law. The updated statute allows employers to adopt drug testing practices that limits the timeframe for a prescription to six months within the date of an applicant or employee’s drug test. The optional provision states that a Medical Review Officer (MRO) who is reviewing a prescription following a confirmed positive drug test result can only consider a prescription that was issued in the previous six months as “valid”.  Typically, Tennessee’s voluntary laws closely align with the Department of Transportation (DOT) 49 CFR Part 40 (Part 40) which does not give a set length of time for MROs to determine a “valid” prescription when overturning a non-negative/positive test result. However, Tennessee strays from that pattern in the new law and the MRO’s standard takes another approach as outlined below.