ADVICE | TESTS, DRUGS AND THE PAYROLL
TESTS, DRUGS AND THE PAYROLL
UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBLIGATIONS
AS AN EMPLOYER
With the introduction in recent years of roadside drug testing, and the surge in
drug-related accidents at work, employers are coming under increasing pressure
to ensure their staff are fit to work, and that health and safety aren’t compromised
as a result of an individual being impaired. By SUZANNAH ROBIN
If carried out with the proper guidance
For example, a urine test will often not
and training, a drug testing policy will not reveal if an individual has consumed drugs
only make your workplace safer, it will also in the last two hours. So, in the event that
help to reduce absenteeism and increase an incident occurred in the workplace, a
worker productivity. But how do you know urine test obtained immediately afterwards
what makes a good drug testing policy? will not determine if the employee was
impaired by drugs at the time the incident
DRUG TESTS – KNOW THE PROS AND
CONS
SUZANNAH ROBIN
DRUG & ALCOHOL SAFETY EXPERT
actually took place.
Blood testing is the most accurate
With numerous options available, it isn’t method of establishing what drugs are in a
always immediately apparent which drug- person’s system – but the medical training
testing method will be the most suitable and laboratory analysis required can mean
for meeting your company’s requirements. it is beyond the reach for company testing.
The first step before making any Hair testing can give you historic data of
commitments to using a certain testing what drugs a person has consumed – but
method is to fully understand the pros and not from the most recent few weeks.
cons for each type of drug test available.
For this reason, oral fluid collection has
So whilst you may already have an idea been established as the go-to method of
ccording to a survey carried out in about what drug testing method you will drug-testing. With a far simpler collection
2015 on employees from a range use, understanding the various benefits process, which can be observed at all
of sectors, nearly a third admitted and restrictions of each version will truly times and is therefore less susceptible to
using drugs at work, with a significant help you to establish which one will be the tampering, the window of detection for
number claiming to be ‘under the influence’ most suitable for your requirements. the drugs in saliva mimics that of blood
A
every working day. In fact, many of those
One of the most popular choices for
testing making it the method of choice for
admitting to taking drugs were using drug testing – but not always the most UK Police roadside testing, and companies
cannabis or other illegal narcotics. effective – is testing urine samples. For implementing drug screening policies.
Although there is still no legal
many years these have been used as a
requirement for an employer to adopt a reliable and cost-effective form of drug TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST?
drug or alcohol testing policy, they do have testing providing instant results that can One of the things that concerns
an obligation to maintain a safe working be undertaken in-house. However, whilst companies from the outset is how their
environment as part of the Health & Safety urine tests are ideal for implementing employees are going to react to a new
at Work Act – and, as these statistics prove, random testing policies, and can help testing policy being introduced. Of course,
drugs could certainly be an issue in any to prevent incidents from happening in there may be some reluctance from staff
workplace if practices for detecting misuse the first place, this form of testing is not so employers should always communicate
aren’t implemented. without its limitations. clearly with them before introducing new
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www.hotelowner.co.uk
October 2017