Fri, Jan 21, 2011
Company Allegedly Violated DOT's Drug And Alcohol Testing
Program
The FAA is proposing a civil penalty of $1,025,000 against San
Antonio Aerospace LP for violating the Department of
Transportation's Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing programs. The
company was renamed ST Aerospace San Antonio in November 2009 and
is a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Aerospace, Ltd.; however,
the alleged violations occurred before the company changed its
name.
The FAA alleges San Antonio Aerospace failed to conduct required
pre-employment drug tests and receive verified negative drug test
results before hiring 90 people to perform safety-sensitive
functions, a violation of federal safety regulations. Twenty-five
of the employees performed safety-sensitive work before the results
of their drug tests were known. The violations occurred between
March 24, 2007 and May 8, 2008. "Required pre-employment drug
testing is an important part of the government's effort to ensure
safety at all levels of transportation," said U.S. Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood. "We take these violations very
seriously."
The FAA alleges San Antonio Aerospace did not administer
pre-employment drug tests to 62 workers and did not receive
verified negative results prior to the date those workers were
hired. Twenty-three of the workers performed safety-sensitive work
before the tests were administered and before the company received
verified negative results. Another 22 workers received the required
pre-employment drug test, but the company did not receive verified
negative results until after those workers were hired. Two of those
workers performed safety-sensitive tasks before the company
received verified negative results. Another six workers took their
pre-employment drug tests on the day they were hired.
"Safety is compromised when our regulations are skirted or
ignored," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "The traveling
public has to be confident that the people who perform work on
their planes are complying with those regulations."
San Antonio Aerospace has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA's
enforcement letter to respond to the agency.
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