Perhaps the most important reason to establish a drug and alcohol screening program is the employer’s commitment to maintaining a safe and productive workplace. Substance abuse screening is a key component to ensuring workplace safety and should be considered as a top priority for your company.
Employee drug and alcohol testing programs have been proven to have a number of benefits such as: decreased absenteeism, fewer accidents, improved productivity, reduced turnover, and added protection for the company. In order to keep safety at the forefront and maintain compliance with current OSHA standards, your drug screening program should include the following:
Pre-employment or new-hire drug testing
Pre-employment/new-hire drug testing is used to determine if a potential employee uses illicit substances or abuses prescription medication. Typically, a formal job offer is contingent upon the employee's drug screening results. In addition, new-hire drug testing can also be performed as an unannounced test that occurs during an employee's designated probationary period.
Reasonable suspicion
Reasonable suspicion testing is required when there is evidence that an employee is using drugs or alcohol in violation of the company's Drug Free Safety Program policy. Reasonable suspicion testing may be an alcohol test, drug test or both. Based on experience and training, evidence should be drawn from specific, objective facts and reasonable inferences. Details of specific incident(s) and intervention should be thoroughly documented.
Post-accident
Employee drug testing should be conducted after an accident/injury occurs to determine if alcohol or drug use may have played a role in the incident. It is recommended to require testing of all individuals that may have contributed to the specific accident/incident not just the employees that reported the incident or injuries.
Return-to-duty
A drug test will be required for employees that have failed a drug test and are requesting to return to work after completing the drug/alcohol protocol established by company policy. A Substance Abuse Professional will conduct required assessments in order to establish a return to work compliance plan for the employee.
Follow-up
Follow-up alcohol and/or drug testing will be required for employees who are allowed to retain employment following a positive test and who return to duty after meeting company requirements. Unannounced follow-up tests may also be administered to the employee at later dates to ensure that alcohol or drug use does not continue in the work place.
Random Testing
Random testing is a critical part of a Drug Free Safety Program because it allows an employer to test for drugs or alcohol at any time. Workers in safety-sensitive positions should be tested on at least a quarterly basis. All employees in the testing pool must have an equal chance of being selected which will require companies to utilize a formulated system for testing.
Other Notes
Although RANDOM testing is not a requirement of the BASIC Level or the COMPARABLE Program, the company has the right to implement random testing for the entire workforce. Use of a certified laboratory, collection site, and a certified Medical Review Officer (MRO) are required. At the Safety Pro Group, our goal is to provide your company with an efficient drug testing program that will coordinate testing locations, provide timely communication of test results, and follow-up with employees as needed.
The Safety Pro Group