# Georgia Public Service Commission — Pipeline Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** PI-92-063
- **title:** Georgia Public Service Commission — Pipeline Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 1992-12-09
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** PI-92-063 response to Georgia Public Service Commission concerning 199.7.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-92-063.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-92-063.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-92-063
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Pipeline/1992/PI92063.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

December 9, 1992
Mr. R. Lynnard Tessner
Director, Office of Pipeline Safety
Georgia Public Service Commission
244 Washington Street, S.W.
atlanta, GA 30334-5701
Dear Mr. Tessner:
This is in response to your correspondence dated October 6, 1992,
requesting this office's evaluation of a random selection process
which could be used by a large number of small gas systems in the
State of Georgia.
You outline a procedure which sets forth random testing options for
small gas systems whose employee population ranges from one to
seven employees. The procedure provides for quarterly testing at a
testing rate of 50 percent. For ease of explaining you indicate
that slips of paper with employee names would be placed in a hat.
If there are seven or fewer employees in the random pool, add
enough blank slips with the name slips in the hat to total eight
slips of paper.
Your procedures for testing are outlined below:
1. With seven employees add one slip and pull sample from hat
four times a year. On each sample pull, each employee will
have 1/8 chance of being selected. Since there are seven
employees that makes a 7/8 chance that an employee would be
selected. If four selections are chosen per year on an
average 7/8 x 4 = 3.5 employees will selected and tested which
would equal 50 percent.
2. With six employees add two slips and pull sample from hat four
times a year. On each sample pull, each employee will have a
1/8 chance of being selected. Since there are six employees
that makes a 6/8 chance that an employee would be selected.
If four selections are chosen per year on an average 6/8 x 4 =
3 employees will be selected and tested which would equal 50
percent.
3. With five employees add three slips and pull sample from hat
four times a year. On each sample pull, each employee will
have a 1/8 chance of being selected. Since there are five
employees that makes a 5/8 chance that an employee would be
selected. If four selections are chosen per year on an
average 5/8 x 4 = 2.5 employees will be selected and tested
which would equal 50 percent.
4. With four employees add four slips and pull sample from hat
four times a year. On each sample pull, each employee will

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5. 6. 7. have 1/8 chance of being selected. Since there are four
employees that makes a 4/8 chance that an employee would be
selected. If four selections are chose per year on an average
4/8 x 4 = 2 employees will be selected and tested which would
equal 50 percent.
With three employees add five slips and pull sample from hat
four times a year. On each sample pull, each employee will
have a 1/8 chance of being selected. Since there are three
employees that makes a 3/8 chance that an employee would be
selected. If four selections are chosen per year on an
average 3/8 x 4 = 1.5 employees will be selected and tested
which would equal 50 percent.
With two employees add six slips and pull sample from hat four
times a year. On each sample pull, each employee will have a
1/8 chance of being selected. Since there are two employees
that makes a 2/8 chance that an employee would be selected.
If four selections are chosen per year on an average 2/8 x 4 =
1 employee will be selected and tested which would equal 50
percent.
With one employee add seven slips and pull sample from hat
four times a year. On each sample pull, each employee will
have a 1/8 chance of being selected. Since there is one
employee that makes a 1/8 chance that an employee would be
selected. If four selections are chosen per year on an
average 1/8 x 4= 1/2 or 1 employee will be selected and tested
which would equal 50 percent.
It would appear that the procedure you have presented may be
feasible for small gas systems and would meet the intent of
conducting random testing as outlined in Section 199.11(c).
Thank you for your inquiry. Please let me know if you need any
additional information about our drug testing requirements.
Sincerely,
Richard L. Rippert
Drug Compliance Coordinator
Office of Pipeline Safety
Enforcement
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