GAO Investigation
Finds Numerous Problems with DOT Drug Screening
[Posted 11/06/07]
In
testimony before the Congressional Subcommittee on
Highways and Transit on November 1, 2007, the United
States Government Accountability Office (GAO)
reported that “DOT’s drug testing program is
vulnerable to manipulation by drug users.”
GAO’s
undercover operation investigated 24 drug test
collection sites in four large metropolitan areas
across the country to determine if sites collecting
urine samples were adhering to DOT collection
protocols and whether commercially available
products could be used to defeat drug tests. To
conduct the investigation, GAO created two
fictitious trucking companies with investigators
posing as drivers.
Twenty-four publicly-advertised urine collection
sites were investigated. Sixteen DOT protocols
deemed to be the most critical for foiling an
employee attempt to defeat a drug test were examined
at each location. The GAO investigation revealed an
alarming number of vulnerabilities.
Investigators successfully used bogus driver’s
licenses to gain access to all 24 sites—demonstrating
that a drug user could send someone else to take a
drug test in his/her place using fake
identification.
Most collection sites failed to comply with all DOT
protocols. Twenty-two of the 24 collection
sites inadequately followed DOT protocols.
Deficiencies included:
-
failing
to restrict access to materials (water, soap,
bleach, air fresheners, etc.) that could be used to
adulterate or dilute samples (75%);
-
failing
to secure sources of water in the restroom (67%);
-
failing
to have test subjects empty pockets to ensure there
were no materials that could adulterate the specimen
(42%);
-
failing
to check the temperature of the specimen (19%);
-
failing
to secure the toilet with tape or bluing agent
(17%).
Commercially-available products can defeat drug
tests. Synthetic urine and other adulterants
readily available online can be used to tamper with
samples. Companies that sell drug-masking products
can access regulatory details on testing and
validating urine specimens and use the information
to ensure their products are not detected by
laboratories.
Adulterants and synthetic urine were used at eight
of the 24 collection sites. Investigators
found it was easy to take drug-masking or
substitution products into a collection room at each
of the eight collection sites tested with such
products. They were successful at every attempt to
adulterate or substitute a urine sample.
Adulterants and substitutes were not detected by
drug testing laboratories. Every
drug-masking product tested went undetected by the
drug screening labs—suggesting a drug user could
receive a passing result on his/her test.
GAO
investigators concluded that “a drug user could
easily pass a DOT drug test and continue to work in
his or her safety-sensitive commercial
transportation job—driving children to school or
transporting hazardous materials, for example.” They
went on to say “improvements will need to be made in
both the design of the entire process and the
ability of collection site employees to adhere to
current protocols.”
GAO
will investigate options for improving DOT drug
testing and report to the Subcommittee on Highways
and Transit in May 2008.
Rep.
Jim Oberstar, D-Minnesota, chairman of the House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said
the report was “frankly astonishing and shocking and
dismaying. You can manipulate the tests, you can
mask substance abuse and go undetected on the
roadways.” He noted that the drug-testing system was
broken and was placing other drivers in danger.
Related Links:
GAO Testimony
MSNBC News
DATIA Website
eTrucker News
Return to News
Summary Page:
Occupational Health News Summaries