For Immediate Release

July 22, 2015
Contact: Allen Kenitzer
Phone: 425-227-2015/Email: allen.kenitzer@faa.gov
SEATTLE, WA – 

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $173,100 civil penalty against Eaton Corporation Aerospace Operations of Irvine, Calif., for allegedly violating drug and alcohol testing regulations.

The FAA alleges that Eaton, which operates aircraft repair stations, failed to include six employees who performed safety-sensitive work in random drug and alcohol testing pools. Five of the six employees allegedly performed air carrier maintenance when they were not in the pools.

Additionally, the FAA alleges Eaton failed to conduct pre-employment drug tests before transferring two employees into safety-sensitive positions, and failed to ask two employees if they had tested positive on a DOT pre?employment drug or alcohol test or refused to take such a test within the past two years.

Furthermore, Eaton failed to retest all employees who received negative drug test results that indicated they had consumed  large amounts of water beforehand, use DOT testing forms for six employees, and ensure its testing laboratory provided required statistical testing summaries, the FAA alleges.

Eaton has requested to meet with the FAA to discuss the case.