Drug & Alcohol Testing Helps Keep Your Workplace Safe

Drug testing is common in the workplace. It's especially important if you hire drivers or medical personnel. You might give random or scheduled tests. Here's a look at how you can use drug and alcohol testing in the workplace.

When To Require Testing

You can make taking and passing a drug and alcohol test a requirement for being hired. After that, you might require a test along with an annual physical depending on the type of work your employees do. You can also require testing for suspicious behavior.

If an employee seems to be impaired at work, you might have them undergo testing. They might also need to have a test done after an accident to verify they weren't impaired at the time. The key is to make sure all employees are made aware of your drug testing procedures and policies and that they agree to them at the time of hire.

How Testing Is Done

You can send your employees to a state-certified lab for testing. These tests are easy to undergo, and they don't usually require a blood test. Your employee might need to provide a hair, saliva, or urine sample to be tested. Urine tests are common, and they show if drugs have been used over the short term. Hair samples are more expensive, but they can show whether drugs and alcohol have been used over the long term.

Drug and alcohol tests can be done on a wide range of drugs, but generally, only common recreational drugs are included in a workplace drug test. These might include methamphetamines, cocaine, THC, and opiates.

What To Do About Positive Results

In addition to understanding that drug testing is required as a condition of employment, your employees should also understand the consequences of a positive test result. If the test is for a new hire, they may be passed over for the job. If the test is for a current employee, you might have options to consider.

A repeat test might be given to verify the accuracy of the first test. If the second test is positive too, you might suspend the employee since it could be unsafe for them to be on the job. You might also consider sending the employee to treatment and then following up with testing to make sure they don't have more positive tests.

You should create your company's drug testing and results policies with the help of a lawyer to make sure you comply with state laws and don't violate any rights of your employees.

Contact a provider to learn more about drug & alcohol testing.