Drug and Alcohol Testing Procedures

Employers who implement random drug testing as a way to guard themselves and their workers against substance abuse face many challenges. Having substances like alcohol and drugs on the work place can be very dangerous for both workers and employers. Studies show that frequent substance use costs employers more than $ 1981 million a year, and causes a number of other critical issues. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for employers to find effective ways to ensure that no one on their staff abuses substances of any kind. See website for more.

One of the most common forms of random testing is the Breathalyzer test, which is designed to detect alcohol and drugs. A small handheld device is used in the workplace to determine a person’s BAC, or Blood Alcohol Level. However, the efficiency of this process has been disputed by many scientists, as it relies on the user’s physiology rather than his memory. The test is also inaccurate, as it can not measure true alcohol levels. Also, recent court decisions have thrown out Breathalyzer tests, due to their inaccuracy and unfair procedures. Many employers are now choosing random drug and alcohol testing over Breathalyzers, as they are much more accurate.

Other less commonly used methods of drug and alcohol testing include nasal spray, the TAT (Thyroid Arterial Test), and the oral Test of Blood, urine, or saliva. While these less-used techniques all share a common concept of checking for certain amounts of drug and alcohol in the subject’s blood, or urine, they each require different follow-up processes. A blood test can check for alcohol immediately after the consumption of a substance, while a urine test may need to be performed several days later. An oral drug test requires immediate post-accident testing after the consumption of a controlled substance; therefore, all drug and alcohol testing must be accompanied by a post-accident evaluation, where the toxicologist will determine whether the subject’s blood, urine, or saliva toxicologists have detected. A qualified toxicologist should be consulted and arrangements made in case of blood, urine or saliva testing results that are unsatisfactory.

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