FAA FINES UNITED FOR FLUNKING DRUG & ALCOHOL TESTING REGULATIONS

The Federal Aviation Administration announced today that it is proposing a $584,375 civil penalty against United Airlines for allegedly violating regulations for drug and alcohol testing of "safety-sensitive" employees.

Paul Turk, a FAA spokesperson, declined to specify at what airports the employees worked or in what capacity. "Safety-sensitive" workers are generally considered people "who have access to planes or work on them," Turk said. This could include pilots, flight attendants, ground crew and dispatchers.

The FAA alleged that United transferred 13 individuals to safety-sensitive positions without performing pre-employment drug tests and receiving verified negative test results. The agency is also asking the airline to correct its method of randomly selecting workers for drug and alcohol testing so that it is "scientifically valid."