Alcohol and Drug Policy

Flow Measurement Services
Alcohol and Drug
United States Workplace Policy
January 2023
Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free
Workplace Act (DFWA)

 

Purpose

In compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, Flow Measurement Services Inc has a longstanding commitment to provide a safe, quality-oriented and productive work environment consistent with the standards of the community in which the company operates. Alcohol and drug abuse poses a threat to the health and safety of Flow Measurement Services Inc employees and to the security of the company’s equipment and facilities. For these reasons, Flow Measurement Services Inc is committed to the elimination of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the workplace.

 

Scope

This policy outlines the practice and procedure designed to correct instances of identified alcohol and drug use in the workplace. This policy applies to all employees and all applicants for employment of Flow Measurement Services Inc. The human resource (HR) department is responsible for policy administration.

 

Substance Abuse Awareness

Illegal drug use and alcohol misuse have many serious adverse health and safety consequences. Information about those consequences and sources of help for drug or alcohol problems is available from the HR department, which has been trained to make referrals and to assist employees with drug or alcohol problems.

 

Employee Assistance

Flow Measurement Services Inc will assist and support employees who voluntarily seek help for such problems before becoming subject to discipline or termination under this or other Flow Measurement Services Inc policies. Such employees will be allowed to use accrued paid time off, placed on leaves of absence, referred to treatment providers and otherwise accommodated as required by law. Such employees may be required to document that they are successfully following prescribed treatment and to take and pass follow-up tests if they hold jobs that are safety-sensitive or require driving, or if they have violated this policy previously. Once a drug test has been scheduled, unless otherwise required by the Family and Medical Leave Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act, the employee will have forfeited the opportunity to be Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act (DFWA) granted a leave of absence for treatment, and possible discipline, up to and including discharge, will be unavoidable. Employees should report to work fit for duty and free of any adverse effects of illegal drugs or alcohol. This policy does not prohibit employees from the lawful use and possession of prescribed medications. Employees must, however, consult with their doctors about the medications’ effect on their fitness for duty and ability to work safely, and they must promptly disclose any work restrictions to their supervisor. Employees should not, however, disclose to Flow Measurement Services Inc underlying medical conditions unless directed to do so.

 

Work Rules

1.Whenever employees are working, are operating any Flow Measurement ServicesInc vehicle, are present on Flow Measurement Services Inc premises or areconducting company-related work offsite, they are prohibited from:a.Using, possessing, buying, selling, manufacturing or dispensing an illegal drug(to include possession of drug paraphernalia).b.Being under the influence of alcohol or an illegal drug as defined in this policy.c.Possessing or consuming alcohol.

2.The presence of any detectable amount of any illegal drug or illegal controlledsubstance in an employee’s body system, while performing company business orwhile in a company facility, is prohibited.

3.Flow Measurement Services Inc will also not allow employees to perform theirduties while taking prescribed drugs that are adversely affecting their ability to safelyand effectively perform their job duties. Employees taking a prescribed medicationmust carry it in the container labeled by a licensed pharmacist or be prepared toproduce it if asked.

4.Any illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia will be turned over to an appropriate lawenforcement agency and may result in criminal prosecution.

 

Required Testing Pre-employment

All applicants must pass a drug test before beginning work or receiving an offer of employment. Refusal to submit to testing will result in disqualification of further employment consideration.
Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free
Workplace Act (DFWA)

 

Reasonable suspicion

Employees are subject to testing based on (but not limited to) observations by the supervision of apparent workplace use, possession or impairment. HR, the plant manager or the director of operations should be consulted before sending an employee for testing. All levels of supervision making this decision must use the Observation Checklist to document specific observations and behaviors that create a reasonable suspicion that the person is under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol. If the results of the Observation Checklist icate further action is justified, the manager or supervisor should confront the employee with the documentation and with a union representative present (for all unionized employees) or with another member of management (for all nonunionized employees). Under no circumstances will the employee be allowed to drive himself or herself to the testing facility. A member of supervision/management and a union rep (if appropriate) must escort the employee; the supervisor/manager will make arrangements for the employee to be transported home.

 

Post-accident

Employees are subject to testing when they cause or contribute to accidents that seriously damage a Flow Measurement Services Inc vehicle, machinery, equipment or property or result in an injury to themselves or another employee requiring offsite medical attention. A circumstance that constitutes probable belief will be presumed to arise in any instance involving a work-related accident or injury in which an employee who was operating a motorized vehicle (including a Flow Measurement Services Inc forklift, pickup truck, overhead cranes and aerial/man-lifts) is found to be responsible for causing the accident. In any of these instances, the investigation and subsequent testing must take place within two hours following the accident, if not sooner. Under no circumstances will the employee be allowed to drive himself or herself to the testing facility.

 

Follow-up

Employees who have tested positive, or otherwise violated this policy, are subject to discipline, up to and including discharge. Depending on the circumstances and the employee’s work history/record, Flow Measurement Services Inc may offer an employee who violates this policy or tests positive the opportunity to return to work on a last-chance basis pursuant to mutually agreeable terms, which could include follow-up drug testing at times and frequencies determined by Flow Measurement Services Inc Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act (DFWA)
for a minimum of one year but not more than two years as well as a waiver of the right to contest any termination resulting from a subsequent positive test. If the employee either does not complete the rehabilitation program or tests positive after completing the rehabilitation program, the employee will be subject to immediate discharge from employment.

 

Collection and Testing Procedures

Employees subject to alcohol testing should be driven to a Flow Measurement Services Inc -designated facility and directed to provide breath specimens. Breath specimens should be tested by trained technicians using federally approved breath alcohol testing devices capable of producing printed results that identify the employee. The acceptable results are 0.000. If an employee’s breath alcohol concentration is 0.001 or more, a second breath specimen should be tested approximately 20 minutes later. The results of the second test should be determinative. Alcohol tests may, however, be a breath, blood or saliva test, at the company’s discretion. For purposes of this policy, test results generated by law enforcement or medical providers may be considered by the company as work rule violations.

 

Applicants and employees subject to drug testing should be driven to a Flow Measurement Services Inc -designated medical facility and directed to provide urine specimens. Applicants and employees may provide specimens in private unless they appear to be submitting altered, adulterated or substitute specimens. Collected specimens should be sent to a federally certified laboratory and tested for evidence of marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, PCP, benzodiazepines, methadone, methaqualone and propoxyphene use. (Where indicated, specimens may be tested for other illegal drugs.) The laboratory should screen all specimens and confirm all positive screens. There must be a chain of custody from the time specimens are collected through testing and storage.

 

The laboratory should transmit all positive drug test results to a medical review officer (MRO) retained by Flow Measurement Services Inc, who should offer persons with positive results a reasonable opportunity to rebut or explain the results. individuals with positive test results may also ask the MRO to have their split specimen sent to another federally certified laboratory to be tested at the applicant’s or employee’s own expense. Such requests must be made within 72 hours of notice of test results. If the second facility fails to find any evidence of drug use in the split specimen, the employee or applicant will be treated as passing the test. In no event should a positive test result be Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free
Workplace Act (DFWA) communicated to Flow Measurement Services Inc until such time that the MRO has confirmed the test to be positive. All employees working for Flow Measurement Services will be placed into a random drug and alcohol testing pool. This will allow Flow Measurement Services to test employees at random to record and maintain drug and alcohol statistics. Each employee will be informed of testing by plan administrator and will be only be notified for testing when he or she is to report for collection. Flow Measurement Services will set a time for collection and note it on collection paperwork. The employee will have no longer than 1 hour to report to facility once he or she is presented paperwork. Upon arrival to the collection facility the employee must present paperwork from plan administrator and sign into the facility. Once signed in the employee is for no reason allowed to leave premises. Leaving premises will result in automatic failure of test and will be reported immediately to the Flow Measurement Services Administrator.

 

Consequences

Applicants who refuse to cooperate in a drug test or who test positive will not be hired and will not be allowed to reapply/retest in the future. Employees who refuse to cooperate in required tests or who use, possess, buy, sell, manufacture or dispense an illegal drug in violation of this policy will be terminated. If the employee refuses to be tested, yet the company believes he or she is impaired, under no circumstances will the employee be allowed to drive himself or herself home. The first time an employee tests positive for alcohol or illegal drug use under this policy, the result will be discipline up to and including discharge. Employees will be paid for time spent in alcohol or drug testing and then suspended pending the results of the drug or alcohol test. After the results of the test are received, a date and time will be scheduled to discuss the results of the test; this meeting will include a member of management/supervision, a union representative (if requested), and HR. Should the results prove to be negative, the employee will receive back pay for the times/days of suspension.

 

Confidentiality

Information and records relating to positive test results, drug and alcohol dependencies, and legitimate medical explanations provided to the MRO should be kept confidential to the extent required by law and maintained in secure files separate from normal Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act (DFWA)
personnel files. Such records and information may be disclosed among managers and supervisors on a need-to-know basis and may also be disclosed when relevant to a grievance, charge, claim or other legal proceeding initiated by or on behalf of an employee or applicant.

 

Inspections

Flow Measurement Services Inc reserves the right to inspect all portions of its premises for drugs, alcohol or other contraband; affected employees may have union representation involved in this process. All employees, contract employees and visitors may be asked to cooperate in inspections of their persons, work areas and property that might conceal a drug, alcohol or other contraband. Employees who possess such contraband or refuse to cooperate in such inspections are subject to appropriate discipline, up to and including discharge.

 

Crimes Involving Drugs

Flow Measurement Services Inc prohibits all employees, including employees performing work under government contracts, from manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing or using an illegal drug in or on company premises or while conducting company business. Flow Measurement Services Inc employees are also prohibited from misusing legally prescribed or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Law enforcement personnel should be notified, as appropriate, when criminal activity is suspected. Flow Measurement Services Inc does not desire to intrude into the private lives of its employees but recognizes that employees’ off-the-job involvement with drugs and alcohol may have an impact on the workplace. Therefore, Flow Measurement Services Inc reserves the right to take appropriate disciplinary action for drug use, sale or distribution while off company premises. All employees who are convicted of, plead guilty to or are sentenced for a crime involving an illegal drug are required to report the conviction, plea or sentence to HR within five days. Failure to comply will result in automatic discharge. Cooperation in complying may result in suspension without pay to allow management to review the nature of the charges and the employee’s past record with Flow Measurement Services Inc.

 

Definitions
Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act (DFWA)
“Company premises” includes all buildings, offices, facilities, grounds, parking lots, lockers, places and vehicles owned, leased or managed by Flow Measurement Services Inc or on any site on which the company is conducting business. “Illegal drug” means a substance whose use or possession is controlled by federal law but that is not being used or possessed under the supervision of a licensed health care professional. (Controlled substances are listed in Schedules I-V of 21 C.F.R. Part 1308.) “Refuse to cooperate” means to obstruct the collection or testing process; to submit an altered, adulterated or substitute sample; to fail to show up for a scheduled test; to refuse to complete the requested drug testing forms; or to fail to promptly provide specimen(s) for testing when directed to do so, without a valid medical basis for the failure. Employees who leave the scene of an accident without justifiable explanation prior to submission to drug and alcohol testing will also be considered to have refused to cooperate and will automatically be subject to discharge. “Under the influence of alcohol” means an alcohol concentration equal to or greater than .04, or actions, appearance, speech or bodily odors that reasonably cause a supervisor to conclude that an employee is impaired because of alcohol use. “Under the influence of drugs” means a confirmed positive test result for illegal drug use per this policy. In addition, it means the misuse of legal drugs (prescription and possibly OTC) when there is not a valid prescription from a physician for the lawful use of a drug in the course of medical treatment (containers must include the patient’s name, the name of the substance, quantity/amount to be taken and the period of authorization).

 

Reasonable Suspicion and Post-Accident Testing Protocol

1.The employee will be advised that Flow Measurement Services Inc believes thatthere is reasonable suspicion to believe that he or she is affected by illegal drugs oralcohol (or due to the nature of the accident the policy mandates this) and that thistest is being offered to confirm or deny this suspicion.

2.The employee will be transported to any one of the company’s contracted testing facilities (e.g., health services, prompt care or the emergency department). Onemember of management or a designated attendant will accompany the employeealong with a union representative, if requested by the employee. Under no circumstances will the employee be allowed to drive himself or herself to the testing facility. Compiled by Flow Measurement Services Safety and Security in accordance with the Drug-Free
Workplace Act (DFWA)
3.Prior to leaving for the testing facility, supervision/management will contact thetesting facility to inform it that a staff member from Flow Measurement Services Incwill be arriving and will need a drug or alcohol test completed.

4.The employee should be provided water to drink prior to leaving the companypremises.

5.The employee should be given reasonable time—not to exceed 15 minutes—tosecure photo ID in the company of a Flow Measurement Services Increpresentative.

6.The employee to be tested must present a photo ID (i.e., a driver’s license or stateID card) to the testing facility staff before the specimen can be obtained. Ensure thatthe employee brings the photo ID with him or her when leaving Flow MeasurementServices Inc premises.

7.The employee to be tested must sign a consent form provided by the testing facility.Refusal to sign is addressed under the “Consequences” section of this document.

8.A Flow Measurement Services Inc representative must sign as a witness to thecollection procedure, along with the tested employee.

9.After returning to the company or when leaving the testing facility, thesupervisor/manager must make arrangements to transport the person home (unlesstesting results are immediate). Under no circumstances will the tested employee beallowed to drive himself or herself home.

 

Enforcement

The HR department is responsible for policy interpretation, administration and enforcement.

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