USCG Coast Guard Drug Test Corpus Christi Port

US Coast guard drug test,

Port of Corpus Christi, TX

US Coast Guard Drug Testing Los AngelesSmart Drug testing in Corpus Christi, TX provides U.S Coast Guard Drug Testing at testing centers in the Port of Corpus Christi, TX and the local area which will comply with all requirements of the U.S Coast Guard and Merchant Marine requirements for obtaining or renewing a crew member, Captains License or other covered positions required by USCG and DOT regulations. Our drug testing centers in Corpus Christi, TX are located in most cases within minutes of your home or office.

720 BUFFALO ST
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78401

1802 NUECES BAY BLVD
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78469

3626 LEOPARD ST
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78408

1521 S STAPLES ST
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78404

Smart Drug Testing also provides form CG-719P in conjunction with the U.S Coast Guard drug test.

Coast Guard drug test in Corpus Christi, TX is a 5 panel DOT regulated drug test and requires a DOT Certified drug testing specialist to administer the Coast Guard drug test procedures and insure that a Federal Chain of Custody form is used with the Coast Guard drug test Corpus Christi, TX service.

About the Port of Corpus Christi

Port of Corpus Christi is the fifth-largest port in the United States in total tonnage. Port Corpus Christi is located on Corpus Christi Bay in the western Gulf of Mexico, with a straight 45-foot-deep (14 m) channel. The port is located close to downtown Corpus Christi in Nueces County, Texas, but the port is not part of the city or the county.

Port Corpus Christi operates without receiving any city, county, or state tax dollars. It is governed by an unpaid board of seven citizens, three of whom are appointed by the Nueces County Commissioners Court, one by the San Patricio County Commissioners Court, and three by the Corpus Christi City Council. Port Corpus Christi handles over 6,000 vessels and over 80 million tons of cargo annually. Environmental initiatives are handled through the port’s Environmental Management System (EMS). To fight crime and terrorism, public safety at Port Corpus Christi is handled by the Port Corpus Christi Police Department and its state-of-the-art security center.

Port of Corpus Christi handles break bulk cargo, project cargo, oil and gas, dry bulk, agricultural, refrigerated cargo, and containerized cargo, among other commodities. Cotton was the main cargo in its early days, and is still traded through the port today. Texas is now the top wind energy production state in the United States, producing more wind energy than all but five countries (the U.S., Germany, Spain, China, and India), thus creating an increased demand for wind turbines. These turbines are also a main cargo moving through Port Corpus Christi. In 2009, the US Army Corps of Engineers approved the dredging of La Quinta Channel extension ahead of the construction of the La Quinta multipurpose facility. This facility (in construction phase, 2011) will provide Port Corpus Christi with the ability to handle an estimated 1 million 20-foot equivalent units annually.

USCG Drug and Alcohol Testing in Corpus Christi, TX

The purpose of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Program: These regulations are to provide a means to deter the illegal use of controlled substances by merchant marine personnel and to promote a drug-free and safe work environment for the safe passage of embarked passengers and for carriage of cargo on U.S. waterways. Enforcement of these regulations by the U.S. Coast Guard is necessary to ensure that marine employers have taken the necessary steps to have a safe and drug free working environment by conducting testing when required and in the manner described in the regulation

All of our Coast Guard drug testing Corpus Christi, TX services are analyzed by SAMHSA Certified Laboratory and reviewed by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) in accordance with U.S Coast Guard drug testing regulations.

The staff of Smart Drug Testing is trained and certified in administering a Coast Guard drug test at all Corpus Christi, TX locations and our Coast Guard drug testing Corpus Christi, TX services are provided in a courteous and professional manner.

  • Pre-Employment Testing

Regulatory Requirements – A marine employer must conduct a drug test prior to employing any crew member. The prospective employee must pass the test before employed, not merely take the test.

Pre-employment testing waivers – A prospective employee need not be tested if that person has proof that, within the previous six months, he/she passed any Coast Guard-required drug test, or has, during the previous six months, been subject to Coast Guard required random testing for at least 60 days and has not failed or refused a test. “Being subject to random testing” does not mean the individual has to have actually been tested, but has been eligible to be tested. An employer is not required to exempt prospective employees from pre-employment testing.

  • Random Drug Testing

Regulatory Requirements – A marine employer must establish a program for random drug testing of:

(1) crew members on inspected vessels who:

a. occupy a position, or perform the duties and functions of a position, required by the vessel’s Certificate of Inspection;
b. perform the duties and functions of patrolmen or watchmen required by Coast Guard regulations; or,
c. are specifically assigned the duties of warning, mustering, assembling, assisting, or controlling the movement of passengers during emergencies.

(2) crew members on uninspected vessels who:

a. are required by law or regulation to hold a Coast Guard issued license to perform their duties;
b. perform duties and functions directly related to the safe operation of the vessel,
c. perform the duties and functions of patrolmen or watchmen required by Coast Guard regulations; or,
d. are specifically assigned the duties of warning, mustering, assembling, assisting, or controlling the movement of passengers during emergencies.

  • Definition of Random

Random, for these regulations, means that each of the crew members has a substantially equal chance of being selected. An employer may randomly select vessels, rather than individuals, testing all applicable crew members. A crew member’s substantially equal chance of selection must remain throughout their employment. This means that you cannot allow periods when an employee is “free” from chance of selection, or allow high-risk/low-risk selection periods to exist. The dates of testing must also be random. For example: randomly picking names each payday is not acceptable, because the date is predictable and the employees could “beat” the test.

Testing Rate – The annual rate of testing must not be less than 50%. No other tests, such as post accident, can be counted toward the 50%.

  • Reasonable Cause Drug Testing

Regulatory Requirements – A marine employer shall require any crew member who is reasonably suspected of using a dangerous drug to be chemically tested for dangerous drugs. When the marine employer determines that reasonable cause exists, the individual must be informed of that fact and directed to test as soon as practicable. An entry concerning the basis of reasonable cause, the direction to test given the crew member and any refusal or other response should be documented. A log entry must be made whenever an official ship’s log is required to be carried.

Definition of “reasonable cause” – Reasonable cause means a probability exists, based on some evidence that a crew member is intoxicated by or has used drugs. Generally the following elements must be present to have “reasonable cause” to require drug testing:

(1) Direct observation of the suspected crew member and/or any physical evidence by two persons in supervisory positions. This means the supervisors must personally see the evidence for themselves. (2) There must be some physical, behavioral, or performance indication of use or intoxication. Indicators include but are not limited to an individual’s speech, behavior or appearance. Drugs and drug paraphernalia in clothing and personal property, or concealed in staterooms or elsewhere may also provide reasonable cause since these too are physical indicators. Smoke, breath and body odors may provide evidence. Slurred and incoherent speech, lack of coordination and balance, nodding and dozing off on watch, inability to report for duty, frequent or extended unexplained absences from assigned duties, sudden and wide changes of mood or attitude and many other observable variables are examples of some conditions, which could constitute reasonable cause. Since these circumstances and conditions could be caused by illness, injury, or other factors, as well as drugs, the decision to test for reasonable cause must be made with prudence and common sense.

  • Post-Accident Drug & Alcohol Testing

Regulatory Requirements – Post-accident drug and alcohol testing regulations apply to all U.S. commercial vessels operating anywhere in the world and all foreign vessels operating upon the navigable waters of the U.S. When a marine casualty occurs, the marine employer needs to make a timely, good faith determination as to whether the occurrence is or is likely to become a serious marine incident. See 46 CFR 4.06.) A marine employer shall require all persons (not limited to crew members) on board the vessel(s) whom the employer determines to be directly involved in a serious marine incident to be chemically tested for dangerous drugs and alcohol. Note: This regulation also applies to crew members aboard foreign flag vessels involved in a serious marine incident that occurs in U.S. waters.

For More information on USCG Drug testing Regulations – Click Here
For more Information on Marine employers responsibilities   – Click here