55 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 120.219 

(iii) No employer shall take any ac-

tion under this subpart against a cov-
ered employee based solely on the em-
ployee’s behavior and appearance in 
the absence of an alcohol test. This 
does not prohibit an employer with au-
thority independent of this subpart 
from taking any action otherwise con-
sistent with law. 

(e) 

Return-to-duty alcohol testing. 

Each employer shall ensure that before 
a covered employee returns to duty re-
quiring the performance of a safety- 
sensitive function after engaging in 
conduct prohibited in §§ 120.19 or 120.37 
the employee shall undergo a return- 
to-duty alcohol test with a result indi-
cating an alcohol concentration of less 
than 0.02. The test cannot occur until 
after the SAP has determined that the 
employee has successfully complied 
with the prescribed education and/or 
treatment. 

(f) 

Follow-up alcohol testing. 

(1) Each 

employer shall ensure that the em-
ployee who engages in conduct prohib-
ited by §§ 120.19 or 120.37, is subject to 
unannounced follow-up alcohol testing 
as directed by a SAP. 

(2) The number and frequency of such 

testing shall be determined by the em-
ployer’s SAP, but must consist of at 
least six tests in the first 12 months 
following the employee’s return to 
duty. 

(3) The employer must direct the em-

ployee to undergo testing for drugs in 
accordance with subpart E of this part, 
in addition to alcohol, if the SAP de-
termines that drug testing is necessary 
for the particular employee. Any such 
drug testing shall be conducted in ac-
cordance with the provisions of 49 CFR 
part 40. 

(4) Follow-up testing shall not exceed 

60 months after the date the individual 
begins to perform, or returns to the 
performance of, a safety-sensitive func-
tion. The SAP may terminate the re-
quirement for follow-up testing at any 
time after the first six tests have been 
conducted, if the SAP determines that 
such testing is no longer necessary. 

(5) A covered employee shall be test-

ed for alcohol under this section only 
while the employee is performing safe-
ty-sensitive functions, just before the 
employee is to perform safety-sensitive 

functions, or just after the employee 
has ceased performing such functions. 

(g) 

Retesting of covered employees with 

an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater 
but less than 0.04. 

Each employer shall 

retest a covered employee to ensure 
compliance with the provisions of 
§ 120.221(f) if the employer chooses to 
permit the employee to perform a safe-
ty-sensitive function within 8 hours 
following the administration of an al-
cohol test indicating an alcohol con-
centration of 0.02 or greater but less 
than 0.04. 

§ 120.219

Handling of test results, 

record retention, and confiden-
tiality. 

(a) 

Retention of records. 

(1) 

General re-

quirement. 

In addition to the records re-

quired to be maintained under 49 CFR 
part 40, employers must maintain 
records required by this subpart in a 
secure location with controlled access. 

(2) 

Period of retention. 

(i) 

Five years. 

(A) Copies of any annual reports sub-

mitted to the FAA under this subpart 
for a minimum of 5 years. 

(B) Records of notifications to the 

Federal Air Surgeon of refusals to sub-
mit to testing and violations of the al-
cohol misuse prohibitions in this chap-
ter by covered employees who hold 
medical certificates issued under part 
67 of this chapter. 

(C) Documents presented by a cov-

ered employee to dispute the result of 
an alcohol test administered under this 
subpart. 

(D) Records related to other viola-

tions of §§ 120.19 or 120.37. 

(ii) 

Two years. 

Records related to the 

testing process and training required 
under this subpart. 

(A) Documents related to the random 

selection process. 

(B) Documents generated in connec-

tion with decisions to administer rea-
sonable suspicion alcohol tests. 

(C) Documents generated in connec-

tion with decisions on post-accident 
tests. 

(D) Documents verifying existence of 

a medical explanation of the inability 
of a covered employee to provide ade-
quate breath for testing. 

VerDate Sep<11>2014 

08:20 May 17, 2019

Jkt 247048

PO 00000

Frm 00065

Fmt 8010

Sfmt 8010

Y:\SGML\247048.XXX

247048