Choosing the Right Method

The Importance of Workplace Drug Testing & Choosing the Right Method

In today’s fast-paced work environment, ensuring the safety and productivity of employees is paramount. One effective way to achieve this is through workplace drug testing. However, it’s crucial to understand that not all drug tests are created equal. The choice of testing method should align with the specific goals and needs of your workplace.

Why Drug Testing Matters? Workplace drug testing serves multiple purposes. It helps maintain a safe work environment, enhances productivity, and reduces the risk of accidents and injuries. Substance use can lead to increased absenteeism, lower productivity, and higher healthcare costs. By implementing a robust drug testing program, employers can mitigate these risks and promote a healthier, more efficient workplace.

Determining the Purpose of Testing
The first step in establishing an effective drug testing program is to determine what you are testing for. Are you looking to ensure that employees are fit to work today, or are you interested in gaining insights into their lifestyle and potential long-term substance use?

• Oral Fluid Testing: This method is ideal for detecting recent drug use. Oral fluid tests have a short detection window, typically showing drug use within the past 36 hours (can vary). This makes Oral fluid ideal for assessing whether an employee is currently under the influence and fit to perform their duties safely. Oral fluid testing is non-invasive, easy to administer, and difficult to adulterate.

• Urine Testing: If the goal is to understand an individual’s substance use over a longer period, urine testing is more appropriate. Urine tests can detect drug use from the past 30 days, providing a broader picture of an employee’s lifestyle. This method is commonly used for pre-employment screenings to ensure that potential candidate does not have a history of substance use that could impact their job performance.

Best Practices for Workplace Drug Testing? To maximise the effectiveness of your drug testing program, it’s essential to follow best practices and ensure procedures are correctly implemented. As well as manufacturing drug and alcohol testing solutions, we also provide on-site testing where we have first-hand experience to see the challenges employers face and current drug trends. These experiences highlight the importance of adhering to proper protocols to mitigate errors.

For example, an oral fluid test initially returned an unconfirmed result for cocaine. In line with company policy, we performed a confirmation test; however, the client chose to also perform a urine test instead (while waiting for the confirmation result), which led to conflicting information. The confirmation oral fluid test confirmed cocaine was used (the employee admitted to trying it for the first time the previous night). The urine test showed negative as it wasn’t within the urine detection window (i.e., it hadn’t yet been expelled).

This underscores the need for clear policies, trained personnel to enforce them, and the importance of not changing the method from initial screening to confirmation, which you can read more about in our Aligned Detection whitepaper.

Tailoring Your Drug Testing Program
Every workplace is unique, and the best drug testing method for one organisation may not be suitable for another. We are more than happy to discuss the specific needs of your workplace and help you determine the most appropriate testing method to achieve your desired outcomes. Whether you need to ensure daily fitness for duty or assess long-term substance use, we can provide the guidance and support you need. Workplace drug testing is a vital tool for maintaining a safe and productive work environment. By choosing the right testing method and following best practices, employers can effectively manage substance use issues and promote a healthier workplace.

For more detailed information on the importance of following correct procedures in drug testing, reach out to our team here.