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70 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 120.223 

of this rule from taking any action 
otherwise consistent with law. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2008–0937, 74 FR 22653, May 14, 
2009, as amended by Amdt. 120–1, 78 FR 42004, 
July 15, 2013; Docket DOT–OST–2021–0093, 88 
FR 27636, May 2, 2023] 

§ 120.223 Alcohol misuse information, 

training, and substance abuse pro-

fessionals. 

(a) 

Employer obligation to promulgate a 

policy on the misuse of alcohol. 

(1) 

Gen-

eral requirements. 

Each employer shall 

provide educational materials that ex-
plain these alcohol testing require-
ments and the employer’s policies and 
procedures with respect to meeting 
those requirements. 

(i) The employer shall ensure that a 

copy of these materials is distributed 
to each covered employee prior to the 
start of alcohol testing under the em-
ployer’s FAA-mandated alcohol testing 
program and to each individual subse-
quently hired for or transferred to a 
covered position. 

(ii) Each employer shall provide writ-

ten notice to representatives of em-
ployee organizations of the availability 
of this information. 

(2) 

Required content. 

The materials to 

be made available to employees shall 
include detailed discussion of at least 
the following: 

(i) The identity of the individual des-

ignated by the employer to answer em-
ployee questions about the materials. 

(ii) The categories of employees who 

are subject to the provisions of these 
alcohol testing requirements. 

(iii) Sufficient information about the 

safety-sensitive functions performed by 
those employees to make clear what 
period of the work day the covered em-
ployee is required to be in compliance 
with these alcohol testing require-
ments. 

(iv) Specific information concerning 

employee conduct that is prohibited by 
this chapter. 

(v) The circumstances under which a 

covered employee will be tested for al-
cohol under this subpart. 

(vi) The procedures that will be used 

to test for the presence of alcohol, pro-
tect the employee and the integrity of 
the breath testing process, safeguard 
the validity of the test results, and en-

sure that those results are attributed 
to the correct employee. 

(vii) The requirement that a covered 

employee submit to alcohol tests ad-
ministered in accordance with this sub-
part. 

(viii) An explanation of what con-

stitutes a refusal to submit to an alco-
hol test and the attendant con-
sequences. 

(ix) The consequences for covered 

employees found to have violated the 
prohibitions in this chapter, including 
the requirement that the employee be 
removed immediately from performing 
safety-sensitive functions, and the 
process in 49 CFR part 40, subpart O. 

(x) The consequences for covered em-

ployees found to have an alcohol con-
centration of 0.02 or greater but less 
than 0.04. 

(xi) Information concerning the ef-

fects of alcohol misuse on an individ-
ual’s health, work, and personal life; 
signs and symptoms of an alcohol prob-
lem; available methods of evaluating 
and resolving problems associated with 
the misuse of alcohol; and intervening 
when an alcohol problem is suspected, 
including confrontation, referral to 
any available employee assistance pro-
gram, and/or referral to management. 

(xii) Optional provisions. The mate-

rials supplied to covered employees 
may also include information on addi-
tional employer policies with respect 
to the use or possession of alcohol, in-
cluding any consequences for an em-
ployee found to have a specified alco-
hol level, that are based on the employ-
er’s authority independent of this sub-
part. Any such additional policies or 
consequences must be clearly and obvi-
ously described as being based on inde-
pendent authority. 

(b) 

Training for supervisors. 

Each em-

ployer shall ensure that persons des-
ignated to determine whether reason-
able suspicion exists to require a cov-
ered employee to undergo alcohol test-
ing under § 120.217(d) of this subpart re-
ceive at least 60 minutes of training on 
the physical, behavioral, speech, and 
performance indicators of probable al-
cohol misuse. 

(c) 

Substance abuse professional (SAP) 

duties. 

The SAP must perform the func-

tions set forth in 49 CFR part 40, sub-
part O, and this subpart.