If an employee fails to provide a sufficient amount of urine during an observed collection, can an employer remove the employee from performing safety-sensitive functions pending receipt of the verified result from the Medical Review Officer (MRO)?

• The Department believes an employee’s failing to provide a sufficient amount of
urine during a directly observed collection is very similar to a laboratory’s
reporting a positive, adulterated, or substituted test result to MRO.

• While we do not believe it is appropriate for an employer to remove the
employee from safety-sensitive duties until receiving the MRO’s verified result,
we think stand-down waiver provisions could be relevant.

• Therefore, employers can apply for a stand-down waiver that would permit the
employee to be removed from safety-sensitive duties when he or she does not
provide an adequate amount of urine during an observed collection.

 • The waiver request would need to meet all criteria outlined at 40.21 and should
reference the fact that it is for standing an employee down who fails to provide an
adequate amount of urine during an observed collection.

• The 40.21 waiver request for laboratory positive, adulterated, and substituted
results will continue to be evaluated separately.

7/2006