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ASTS Maritime Membership Services include:

A. Testing Services
For the term that begins the date this application is received through December 31, 2024, Alternative Safety & Testing Solutions, Inc. (ASTS),  will act as the employer’s (member company) intermediary (as provided in 40.345) and will provide the Member Company: (1) A specimen collection site within thirty miles of Company’s registered office. (2) Overnight express shipment of specimen to be tested at a SAMHSA approved testing laboratory. (3) Laboratory testing utilizing state of the art testing procedures including EMIT screening, GC/MS confirmations, proficiency testing, quality control blind samples of 1 percent, on-site inspections, adulteration checks, and 24 (after laboratory receives specimen) hour reporting of negative results. (4) Computer generated random drug selection. Notification of Member Company's Designated Employer Representative will be in writing when employee/contractor is selected for a drug test; (5) Serious Marine Incident (SMI) testing; (6) For cause testing; (7) pre-employment testing available as explained in Section E below; (8) periodic testing or providing member's proof of exemption/compliance to the Coast Guard; (9) Medical Review Officer (MRO) services including verification of test results, chain of custody verification, direct interview of employee/contractor in case of positive tests, and second medical confirmation of positive tests; (10) Recordkeeping of all positive test results for five years, and negative results for one year; (11) Management Information Systems (MIS) reporting to the Coast Guard is the responsibility of the employer. ASTS will issue an MIS report to each covered employer as required by the federal regulations (see an example here.) (12) Coast Guard notification of failures to test, membership termination, or positive test results as required by federal regulations are the responsibility of the employer.  ASTS will release in accordance to the regulations any documentation that the Coast Guard deems necessary to verify compliance by the employer.

B. Program Documentation
ASTS will provide Member Company: (1) Identification cards for all enrolled employees/contractors. Such cards will be used as proof of the employee’s enrollment in a random drug testing program. (2) A letter confirming Member Company's compliance for use during Coast Guard review of Company program. (3) Access to our website containing copies of Coast Guard regulations, testing procedures, Employee Assistance Program materials (includes contact information for Substance Abuse Professionals), and employee statement of understanding.

C. USCG Compliance Guarantee
ASTS provides a guarantee that the services provided to the Member Company are in compliance with DOT/Coast Guard drug testing regulations, as contained in 46 CFR parts 4, 5, 16, and 49 CFR Part 40. It is understood that should these DOT/Coast Guard drug-testing regulations be changed or modified, ASTS retains the right to adjust fees to take into account any additional costs required by any new regulation.

D. Company Responsibilities
(1) Per Coast Guard regulations, Member Company is responsible for complying with Coast Guard pre-employment testing regulations, as described in section E below; (2) To appoint a Designated Employer Representative (DER) who will be the contact person for test notices, tests results as well as all company correspondence. Notify ASTS in writing or by Email when/if DER information changes; (3) Company responsibilities include promptly enrolling new employees; and (4) properly following random testing instructions including taking any test immediately. The Member Company shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend ASTS against legal actions arising out of or in connection with Company’s failure to comply with federal law or policy due to any breach of this agreement.

E. Coast Guard Pre-Employment Test Regulations
Any person joining a drug-testing program must be pre-employment tested upon enrollment to verify his/her drug-free status. A person shall be deemed exempt from the pre-employment test if he/she has had a DOT/USCG 5 panel Chemical Drug Test within 6 months prior to enrollment, or has been subject to random testing for 60 consecutive days within the past 6 months, as per 46 CFR part 16. ASTS can only verify full compliance by having a copy of pre-employment documentation on file for each employee.

F. Membership
The ASTS membership includes the monitoring of the drug and alcohol program during the year as well as all the services outlined in part A above.  All tests are required to be collected utilizing the ASTS CCF and performed by a qualified collection site.  As required by 46 CFR part 16, when hiring a new employee or enrolling in a random program for the first time, members must pre-employment test that person prior to enrollment in a random testing program. Once a test is performed, all enrollment benefits apply to the new employee. Due to the nature of the program which provides full compliance from the first day on, refunds cannot be issued to companies/employees terminating membership after 30 days.

Click here for a Membership Application