TTC may implement random drug and alcohol testing
Posted October 17, 2011 2:06 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The TTC will consider implementing random alcohol and drug testing, according to a staff report released Monday.
The report, which will be considered at a meeting on Wednesday, suggests amendments to the transit commission’s existing fitness for duty policy to include random testing.
“We cannot have employees…who are impaired who are operating vehicles, big heavy vehicles, on the streets,” said TTC Corporate Communications Dir., Brad Ross.
TTC bus driver, William Ainsworth, was recently charged with criminal negligence and possession of cannabis after a fatal crash in August.
The 51-year-old was not deemed to be impaired while driving and was not drug tested.
The TTC said it has been considering changes to its policies long before the bad press related to Ainsworth’s charges.
“While there have been public incidents recently that are cause for significant concern, in September 2008 the Commission approved a staff recommendation to implement a fitness for duty policy to reduce the risk of employees being impaired while at work,” the TTC said in a release Monday.
“The Commission, however, did not approve the staff recommendation to include random alcohol and drug testing. TTC staff indicated they would revisit the policy at a later date…”
The TTC’s current policy allows for alcohol and drug testing of those in safety-sensitive positions, specified management positions and designated executive positions.
Testing is also permitted under the following circumstances:
- pre-employment/certification
- reasonable cause
- post-incident
- post-violation
- post-treatment.
The TTC said that implementing random testing will act “as a necessary deterrent for those who choose to risk their own safety, as well as the safety of others.”
The testing would only be used to detect impairment at the time of the test, and not to indicate recreational use away from the job.
The tests would also only be used to determine a pass or fail. Any trace substances that didn’t prompt a fail would not be reported to the TTC by the laboratory.
“We are only interested in finding out if you are impaired when you show up for work,” Ross stressed.
