The information provided below is based off of the current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announcement as of April 2019 and is subject to change as the program further develops. As new information becomes available, DISA will add to this page. Last Update 4/16/2019
The legalization of medical marijuana varies greatly by state, which can often be confusing for employers with drug testing policies. All companies must abide by state laws when implementing drug testing policies or risk potential lawsuits. A recent lawsuit example involving a major retail chain in Arizona has proved just how important it is to know your state laws to protect your company.
Creating a drug testing program is just the first step in maintaining a safer working environment. Proper program management and regularly occurring audits are vital to maintain compliance and best practices. An audit can sound scary and you might feel some anxiety after experiencing or hearing about other companies that went through difficult audits which resulted in fines or lost work.
DISA continues to pursue new opportunities to expand its reach, add industry-leading subject matter experts, and expand our scope of services for our customers. We’re pleased to announce that after acquiring ten companies in 2018, DISA Global Solutions has started off 2019 with two more acquisitions: The Transportation Advisor and EGS Financial Investigative Services (FIS).
Effective April 1, 2019, the Government of Canada will be enforcing a fuel charge for the provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. This new fuel charge was introduced as part of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (the Act) which will be administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to put a price on carbon pollution which plays an important role for Canada’s climate action plan. In addition, effective July 1, 2019, the territories of Nunavut and Yukon will enforce the fuel charge as well. These territories are considered “listed provinces” and the fuel charge will not apply on fuel used outside of these jurisdictions.
When hiring new employees, it’s vital that employers create and follow a standard protocol to protect their company and ensure a safe and smart hire every time. Employment screening doesn’t have to be a burden, with an employee screening checklist you can ensure that you’re following your procedures with every individual who represents your company. This will not only enforce safety standards in your office but will continue to protect it by preventing employees who aren’t fit for the role from slipping through the cracks. The following checklist contains procedures that you should consider when creating your hiring process.
Drug and alcohol testing is an essential program that increases safety at your workplace and reduces the risk of employees being impaired at your facility. As an industry-leading third-party administrator (TPA) of drug testing, we've seen an increase in medical prescriptions for drugs like marijuana and opioids (Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, etc.). It's important for employers to understand how these prescriptions affect safety-sensitive employees in the drug testing process, what the process is when an employee has a prescription, and why you may need to implement new procedures to ensure your facility stays as safe as possible.
