A Guide On Drug And Alcohol Testing In The Workplace
Drug and alcohol testing has become a common practice within the corporate realm. The underlying principle of these tests is that they promote a healthy workplace. Employees can give their best while employers get value for their money. Below are some of the reasons for drug & alcohol testing and the methods used to conduct these tests.
Reasons For Drug And Alcohol Testing
As an employer, the motivators to conduct drug and alcohol tests among your employees include but not limited to the following.
Increase Productivity
The importance of a drug-free working environment cannot be emphasized enough. As an employer, you don't want your projects to be stalled due to your employee's inability to submit timely responses as a result of intoxication.
Besides, you don't want to overwork some employees as they spend time covering for their absent counterparts due to drug and alcohol abuse. To ensure maximum productivity, you need to carry out drug and alcohol testing among your workforce constantly.
Reduce Turnover Rates
You don't want to lose your best talent to drug and alcohol abuse. Besides, you don't want to spend extra resources on repetitively hiring and training new workers. Regular drug and alcohol testing are necessary to minimize employee turnover rates.
Improve Employee Safety
Carrying out routine drug and alcohol testing is vital in promoting worksite safety. Operating heavy machinery under the influence of drug substances is hazardous. As such, you need to ensure that your employees are clean to prevent accidents and personal injuries that can turn out to be costly. Remember, workers' compensation claims can drain your company's resources.
Methods For Drug And Alcohol Testing
Depending on the type of specimen required, there are a variety of drug and alcohol testing methods. Some of these include:
- Breath Tests: A breath-alcohol test is the simplest method of testing the amount of alcohol in a suspect's blood. The person blows into the device, and then it shows the blood alcohol concentration.
- Urinalysis: The urine test results show the absence or presence of drug metabolites (drug residuals) in a person's urine.
- Blood Tests: A blood test indicates the actual amount of drugs or alcohol within the person's body at the test time.
Conducting drug and alcohol tests promotes productivity, decreases turnover rates, and enhances employee safety. Blood, urine, and breath tests are some ways to detect the amount of alcohol and drugs in a person's body. As an employer, these tests will enable you to get the most out of your workforce. .