There is a newer version
of
this Section
2017 Tennessee Code
Title 50 - Employer and Employee
Chapter 9 - Drug-Free Workplace Programs
§ 50-9-103. Chapter definitions.
Universal Citation: TN Code § 50-9-103 (2017)
- As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
- (1) "Alcohol" has the same meaning in this chapter when used in the federal regulations describing the procedures used for testing of alcohol by programs operating pursuant to the authority of the United States department of transportation, currently compiled at 49 CFR part 40. It is intended that the definition shall change as the department of transportation's regulations are revised;
- (2) "Alcohol test" means an analysis of breath, or blood, or any other analysis that determines the presence and level or absence of alcohol as authorized by the United States department of transportation in its rules and guidelines concerning alcohol testing and drug testing;
- (3) "Chain of custody" refers to the methodology of tracking specified materials or substances for the purpose of maintaining control and accountability from initial collection to final disposition for all such materials or substances, and providing for accountability at each stage in handling, testing and storing specimens and reporting test results;
- (4) "Confirmation test," "confirmed test" or "confirmed drug or alcohol test" means a second analytical procedure used to identify the presence of a specific drug or alcohol or metabolite in a specimen, which test must be different in scientific principle from that of the initial test procedure and must be capable of providing requisite specificity, sensitivity and quantitative accuracy;
- (5) "Covered employer" means a person or entity that employs a person, is covered by the Workers' Compensation Law, compiled in chapter 6 of this title, maintains a drug-free workplace pursuant to this chapter and includes on the posting required by § 50-9-105 a specific statement that the policy is being implemented pursuant to this chapter. This chapter shall have no effect on employers who do not meet this definition;
- (6) "Drug" means any controlled substance subject to testing pursuant to drug testing regulations adopted by the United States department of transportation. A covered employer shall test an individual for all such drugs in accordance with this chapter. The commissioner of labor and workforce development may add additional drugs by rule in accordance with § 50-9-111;
- (7) "Drug or alcohol rehabilitation program" means a service provider that provides confidential, timely and expert identification, assessment and resolution of employee drug or alcohol abuse;
- (8) "Drug test" or "test" means any chemical, biological or physical instrumental analysis administered by a laboratory authorized to do so pursuant to this chapter, for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a drug or its metabolites pursuant to regulations governing drug testing adopted by the United States department of transportation or other recognized authority approved by rule by the commissioner of labor and workforce development;
- (9) "Employee" means any person who works for salary, wages or other remuneration for a covered employer;
- (10) "Employee assistance program" means an established program capable of providing expert assessment of employee personal concerns; confidential and timely identification services with regard to employee drug or alcohol abuse; referrals of employees for appropriate diagnosis, treatment and assistance; and follow-up services for employees who participate in the program or require monitoring after returning to work. If, in addition to those activities, an employee assistance program provides diagnostic and treatment services, these services shall in all cases be provided by the program;
- (11) "Employer" means a person or entity that employs a person and that is covered by the Workers' Compensation Law, compiled in chapter 6 of this title;
- (12) "Initial drug or alcohol test" means a procedure that qualifies as a "screening test" or "initial test" pursuant to regulations governing drug or alcohol testing adopted by the United States department of transportation or other recognized authority approved by rule by the administrator of the bureau of workers' compensation;
- (13) "Job applicant" means a person who has applied for a position with a covered employer and who has been offered employment conditioned upon successfully passing a drug or alcohol test, and may have begun work pending the results of the drug or alcohol test;
- (14) "Medical review officer" or "MRO" means a licensed physician, employed with or contracted with a covered employer, who has knowledge of substance abuse disorders, laboratory testing procedures and chain of custody collection procedures; who verifies positive, confirmed test results; and who has the necessary medical training to interpret and evaluate an employee's positive test result in relation to the employee's medical history or any other relevant biomedical information;
- (15) "Reasonable-suspicion drug testing" means drug or alcohol testing based on a belief that an employee is using or has used drugs or alcohol in violation of the covered employer's policy drawn from specific objective and articulable facts and reasonable inferences drawn from those facts in light of experience. Among other things, the facts and inferences may be based upon:
- (A) Observable phenomena while at work, such as direct observation of drug or alcohol use or of the physical symptoms or manifestations of being under the influence of a drug or alcohol;
- (B) Abnormal conduct or erratic behavior while at work or a significant deterioration in work performance;
- (C) A report of drug or alcohol use, provided by a reliable and credible source;
- (D) Evidence that an individual has tampered with a drug or alcohol test during employment with the current covered employer;
- (E) Information that an employee has caused, contributed to or been involved in an accident while at work; or
- (F) Evidence that an employee has used, possessed, sold, solicited or transferred drugs or used alcohol while working or while on the covered employer's premises or while operating the covered employer's vehicle, machinery or equipment;
- (16)
- (A) "Safety-sensitive position" means a position involving a safety-sensitive function pursuant to regulations governing drug or alcohol testing adopted by the United States department of transportation. For drug-free workplaces, the commissioner is authorized, with the approval of the advisory council on workers' compensation, to promulgate rules expanding the scope of safety-sensitive position to cases where impairment may present a clear and present risk to co-workers or other persons;
- (B) "Safety-sensitive position" means, with respect to any employer, a position in which a drug or alcohol impairment constitutes an immediate and direct threat to public health or safety, such as a position that requires the employee to carry a firearm, perform life-threatening procedures, work with confidential information or documents pertaining to criminal investigations or work with controlled substances; or a position in which a momentary lapse in attention could result in injury or death to another person; and
- (17) "Specimen" means tissue, fluid or a product of the human body capable of revealing the presence of alcohol or drugs or their metabolites.
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. Tennessee may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
