How will a Urine Drug Test help your organisation?

How will a urine drug test or even a saliva drug test help you and your organisation? Of course, the use of drug testing at worksites in Australia is a relatively new phenomenon and one that many people find problematic and contentious.

Some even see it as a very clear invasion of privacy that erodes the rights of workers and destroys worker unity and the kind of mate ship that can form the basis of heavy industry in Australian industries such as transport and mining and roads.

But let’s consider this issue from another angle. Let’s consider the role of the manager and let’s take a snapshot of a perfectly normal day and a perfectly normal work scenario. Except for one very important factor. And that is that a group of his employees are repeatedly using drugs in their lunch hour.

The Ugly Truth

Mr. Wilkinson is the foreman of a medium to large factory site employing 150 men. There are also a few females in administration, but the bulk of the workers are males. Mr. Wilkinson – or Wilko – as we shall call him, arrives in at the site at 7.00 am every day. He is the first to arrive.

Lately, however, over the past few months, he has noticed a group of employees have been arriving together in one car. They park in the car park and make their way over to the locker room and to clock on. And they have changed. He is concerned some of them are partaking in drug abuse.

Recently also, Wilko has had some loose complaints from two of the administrative staff. They claim their bags have been rifled through and although they cannot prove it, they are sure that some of the cash has been removed from the compartment of one of the handbags. Not all of the cash. But some.

Wilko is concerned that someone is stealing.

He is also concerned that a group of previously responsible apprentice workers are arriving late and dishevelled and seem to have red eyes and slightly pinpricked pupils.

Workplace Drug Testing

What can Wilko actually do? Here are a few clear and straightforward suggestions that can help Wilko deal with the possibility of drug use and associated stealing at his work site:

• Contact a reputable drug and alcohol screening supplier
• Consider available options such a onsite screening or a DIY approach
• Speak with a reputable and trained specialist in the area of alcohol testing and drug testing about the best testing devices
• Source and choose testing devices that suit your workplace
• Develop a  drug screening program based on your workplace demographic
• Develop a screening program based on the size of your workforce
• Develop a screening program based on discussion with all your employees
• Develop a screening program in consultation with union representatives and with OH&S representatives
• Clearly define these developed policies and procedure in writing
• Inform and educate all your employees on the dangers of drugs and alcohol at work.
• For afflicted employees, refer them to such organisations as Lifeline or other online counselling assistance
• Inform all your employees about legislation and laws that cover their workplace

There is a great deal you and someone like Wilko can do to safeguard against drug use and alcohol use. And even though in drug testing Australia is a relatively new phenomenon, it is possible to get the best specialist help.

Contact Mediscreen for more information.  Telephone   1300 797040      

 

Drug and Alcohol use in Australia’s Armed Forces

When one mentions the word “Australian Army” what comes to mind? We think of the Australian army as a highly disciplined force – people of high moral and ethical integrity, people of strength and valour armed to the teeth, keeping vigil on the nation’s air, sea and water borders. We do not think of them as a bunch of generally undisciplined louts with Alcohol Drug Testing abuse. How fair is our expectation that the army be clean as driven snow?

Consider this:

• Drug and alcohol use generally begins in the school and colleges
• Our army recruits from the schools and colleges
• The majority of those opting to join the Australian army are kids who do not fancy bright careers elsewhere.
• Love for guns and explosives seem to be the major reason for joining the Australian army.

The extent of the problem

Given the above background, I except most would reconsider their assessment of the Australian army. This is not to say that young recruits cannot improve or be disciplined once they sign-up. Indeed, most young recruits to the Australian army do change but the sizeable minority drug and alcohol users continue to exist and cause serious trouble.

In fact, the extent of the problem is indicated by the Australian Army’s advertisements seeking to sign-up specialists for eradicating drug and alcohol abuse in the army. Some estimates suggest the number of drug and alcohol abusers in the Australian army could be as high as 57,000. 

In a recent interview, Chief of Army, Ken Gillespie claimed that more Australian soldiers died due to incidents stemming from drug and alcohol abuse then soldiers who died while on duty in Afghanistan.

Clearly, muscle power, drug and alcohol do not mix with guns and explosives. In fact, during a recent basketball tournament near Albury army barracks, it was reported that the players from the Australian army were found to be inebriated and even enacted crude initiation ceremonies. There has also been a spate of charges of sexual harassment against young cadets. Clearly, much needs to be done by the Australian army before successfully eradicating drug and alcohol abuse completely. 

Possible solutions to eradicate the drug and alcohol abuse problem

Some of the possible solutions and ideas being discussed include a more detailed drug screening of new recruits. Any new recruit that found to have a drug and alcohol problem was to be first ‘cured’ of the problem.

Another idea being discussed is to ensure the members of the army were kept adequately busy doing productive work so that they did not have time to indulge in drug and alcohol abuse or behaviour unbecoming of an army officer.

It is hoped some of these and other ideas being offered would be implemented at the earliest and that the Australian army would once again regain the trust and admiration of the nation. 

Does your industry require help with Drug Testing Equipment? Mediscreen can assist   1300 797040      

Your AOD Management Program

It is important you are fully briefed on the requirements and necessities involving an Alcohol and Other drugs Program. Over the past twenty years, more and more industries and organisations and businesses are either voluntarily opting for, or abiding by legal requirements, and implementing AOD programs that safeguard them and their employees from potential harms associated with alcohol and other Drug Testing Australia on the work site.

The most effective management approach

When devising your program, it is important you develop the most effective management approach possible when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Businesses and organisations will likely need a very individual approach that reflects their type of organisation, its size and many other characteristics specific to its culture and approach.

For maximum effectiveness, these concerns should be addressed and undertaken:

• Should be developed in consultation with  employees, supervisors Workplace Drug Testing for safety representatives and also union delegates
• It should also provide extremely clear guidelines for frontline employees and also for management, regarding the inappropriate use of drugs and alcohol in the work environment.
• It should always provide suitable and appropriate assistance and support for employees with an alcohol or other drug problem. This includes counselling from specialists or social workers or drug and alcohol counsellors.
• It should offer treatment options or possibilities for those with alcohol and drug issues. For example – access to rehabilitation programs, 12 step programs and other treatment programs
• Be suitable and appropriate for all sectors of the workplace and not just one or a few.
• Must also place confidentiality and privacy at the centre and forefront of its charter. 

Optimisation for your workplace

Because each workplace is different and novel, each will require a slightly different policy suited to its individual needs. There are a number of factors that need to be considered to match your policy with your workplace. These include:

• What is the size of your organization
• What is the gender breakdown of your organization (may affect choice of testing procedures and choice or referral to counsellors etc.)
• Does your organization have any specific workplace stress factors that could contribute to excessive AOD use? (E.g. Shift work, isolation etc.)
• Is your organization predominantly blue collar or white collar or a mix of the two?
• Is there discrimination?
• Are work practices particularly stressful?
• What is management style?

These should be addressed as part of the AOD strategy and plan, and should comprise a component of the total approach.

If you are in need of a suitable AOD program, and are considering Drug screening as part of that delivery, you may benefit from Mediscreen’s specialist approach and understanding of the issue. For further information and help with your AOD management program please call Mediscreen on 1300 797040      

How to deal with risk in your business

You may require Risk Management Planning for your business.  And this involves accurate targeting of the inappropriate AOD (alcohol and other drug) usage of employees and workers.

It is vital you address this as a major risk that has the potential to threaten your workplace wellbeing, safety, moral and fiscal growth. Be aware of the signs and symptoms of drug use I the workplace. Understand its risk and threat to your organization and develop strategies that mitigate the threat. Often, this can be achieved best by employing specialists or outsourcing strategies to independent bodies that fully understand the multiplicity of issues that comprise the AOD in the workplace scenario.

Substance “abuse can have an important impact upon the productivity of the paid workforce in three ways:

• Increased workforce absenteeism resulting from drug-attributable sickness or injury;
• Reducing the size of the available workforce as a result of drug-attributable deaths and illnesses causing premature retirement;
• Reduced on-the-job productivity as a result of drug-attributable morbidity.”

Prudent management of drug & alcohol testing and monitoring products, offsetting and/or addressing these issues and the economic shortfalls that are a consequence are all important factors for you to consider…not as an afterthought, but as a priority.

A case in point is The Mines Safety and Inspections Act 1994. This act stipulates that employers/employees are required to manage substance and alcohol problems as a central component of the risk management approach, taking reasonable and practical steps to control and/or rid these risks wherever possible.

And, according to Risk Management Magazine there is still discordance between risk management approaches and the need for compliance with OHS and safety in organisations. When the two are linked seamless interconnection of all facets of safety and risk reduction becomes a reality. You can benefit by “understanding when risk is really unacceptable to the business” and mitigating it.

Mediscreen offers sound and secure Onsite Drug And Alcohol Screening using a state of the art portal system and individual assistance from a designated coordinator. This structure and approach translates to cost savings, safety and reliability for your business. This is of utmost relevance, given Collins and Lapsley’s estimation that the cost to Australian Industry may be as high as $3.2 billion per year.

For assistance on developing a quality workplace testing solutions that optimise your Risk Management procedures, contact for Workplace Drug Testing Laws at Mediscreen on 1300 797040

Drug alcohol testing? Your choice

All workplaces can benefit from drug and alcohol screening programs.

In many industries overseas and in Australia, drug and alcohol screening is now required or inferred in various legislations. But not all industries and work sectors are required to have a drug and alcohol screening program, and in those areas where it is optional, management may simply view the implementation and maintenance of a screening program as non-essential and too costly. But is this really the case, and perhaps in the long term it is far more sensible to actually implement a cost effective and affordable Onsite Drug And Alcohol Screening program that can help to give some leverage against the possibility of accidents, OHS compromises, litigation and low work morale.

The fact is drugs and alcohol are part of our Australian culture and they are seen as acceptable even in the workplace. Many older generation Australians will remember the “extended liquid lunch” comprising a few beers at the pub before taking off home without returning to the workplace to sign out! While those days may be gone, the cultural acceptability of alcohol and some drugs such as cannabis remains and need addressing. It is a fact that in “2001 alone, almost 6 million (37.7%) of Australians aged 14 and over had used an illicit drug in their lifetime.

According to Drug Arm, the “harmful use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace is a reflection of general community use, adding costs to injuries, absenteeism, lost production, workers compensation and rehabilitation.”  This view is also shared by Work Cover Corporation of South Australia.

The various consequences of alcohol and drug use in the workplace may be summed up as follows:

• Lateness/general absenteeism
• Cost and problem of accidents
• Wasted training (dismissal due to AOD issues)
• Wasted apprenticeship (dismissal due to AOD issues)
• Litigation risk
• Risk of litigation or union action if employment is terminated due to AOD
• Reduced competitiveness and profits
• Reduced work performance
• Reduced workplace morale which erodes profits
• Negative workplace culture and increased conflicts

Many of these problems can be offset, monitored and even completely prevented by the introduction of a workplace drug screening program. Mediscreen offers professional drug and alcohol screening systems for organisations that have been tested in the field and also independently. Mediscreen’s screening programmes focus most particularly on recent use, which means the test device is looking for active components of a drug circulating in your system. This means the window of focus is narrowed and more specific to what an employee has done in the recent past as opposed to possible drug use days or weeks ago.  If you require a quality screening program managed by Mediscreen professionals, please call on 1300 797040.

Protecting Your Business

Your business needs an adequate and reliable Fitness for Duty Policy, and drug screening forms a component part of this.  Drugs and alcohol are undoubtedly workplace safety concerns, and industry and commercial concerns often need an approach that is objective, separate from the social/work culture onsite, and also somewhat separate from management and office staff.

Duty of Care legislation in Australia places the responsibility of safety onto both employees and employers, with each having specific undertakings to ensure the safety of all. “For the employer, the responsibility is to provide and maintain safe and healthy workplace and system of work. For the employee, the responsibility is to undertake lifestyle management that ensures fitness for duty (preparation and recuperation.)”

Alcohol and drug use is a target for fitness for duty policies because such substances are well known to affect an employee’s capacity to undertake work safely. And truly effective and proactive approaches should incorporate:

·         Education and training components for employers and employees

·         Include Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s.)

·         Detail positive plans of actions for follow up in the case of positive tests.

Objectivity

But what are also important in some circumstances are a consideration of Workplace Drug Testing methods, and the development of screening approaches that follow a clear objectivity model – thus distancing testing methods from the whole staff culture, including management.

Testing is a feature of mining and other heavy industries. Traditionally in Australia, there has been some resistance to drug and alcohol screening, although in 2011 it is a legislated and accepted practice that accords with the need for the safe work conditions and security of all staff on-site. According to Baker, Ferguson and Dawson, “employees affected by alcohol or other drugs may cause injury to themselves or others. Co-workers may be placed in difficult situations, expected to cover for unsafe work or faced with the decision as to whether to report a fellow employee.

Certainly, union criticism both in Australia and The United States focuses on the privacy rights of employees and also the idea of a management imposition of testing on employees. The ACTU position in Australia is that any testing regime must be jointly developed by unions, employees and employers and needs to:

• Apply to safety at work specifically
• Have full participation in and joint control by workers and their representatives
• Be applicable to both workers and management
• Address the workplace causes of alcohol and other drug misuse
• Be consultative, educative, rehabilitative, not punitive
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.

Screening: Applicable to both workers and management

One of the most effective ways to satisfy both management and also union representatives and employees in relation to this issue, is to develop procedures and policies that actually utilize the services of an on-site drug screening program that is independent and applicable to all employees, including management.  This may help to alleviate union objection and also free up management from the task of overseeing the on-site testing. It also offers greater legal defence for industries and business in the event of litigation.

Mediscreen – Onsite Drug And Alcohol Screening – operates nationally and can be contacted on 1300 797040.

 

Onsite Drug and Alcohol Testing: For Healthy Workforce

Employee Drug Test

A common business strategy heard in boardrooms across Australia centers on engineering  ”leaner” more efficient business operations. On first look, this seems to be a rather prudent if not blatantly obvious piece of business advice: running wasteful inefficient operations just doesn’t make “good business sense”. However, there is a caveat to this advice when it relates to OHS.

Essentially, when dealing with workplace occupational health and safety issues, “efficiency” should never lead to “cutting corners”. Instead, while not a direct profit center, OHS should be viewed as a vital feature of good and economical risk management policy (which  ultimately leads to business cost savings and increased profits through minimising workplace injuries and averting potential environmental and other disasters).

To help reduce costly workplace accidents in your business or organisation, the following list outlines simple, cost-effective OHS measures you can start implementing today, including:

Compiling and implementing comprehensive safety policies

Providing adequate medical first-aid and worker’s compensation systems

Ensuring there is an OHS specialist area within your human resources department or a strong OHS committee

Provision of OHS training, safety awareness, prevention and/ or an OHS education program for all staff levels

Implementing fire drills and regular professional workplace safety audits

Issuing protective clothing and equipment commensurate to occupational risks

Instituting safety incentives and prevention systems

Installing effective protocols for accident investigation (and the ongoing analysis of accident and injury statistics)

Outsourcing specialist OHS functions such as onsite drug and alcohol testing.

Overall, workplace safety is one important business area that needs proper resourcing and expertise to ensure it not only enhances business’ overriding strategic direction, but also capably implements its legal “duty of care” imperative. In this sense, not only does good OHS management improve business performance, but it averts costly legal penalties incurred for non-compliance. That in itself should justify why OHS should remain a key focus and investment area of your business.

Onsite Drug And Alcohol Testing : Better Outsourcing Options Ever

Drug Testing Methods

“It is no longer sufficient merely to have an [occupational health and safety] policy in place. Rather, the policy must be rigorous, constantly reinforced, evaluated and updated to suit the changing needs of the workplace, society and evolving case law.” A Peart, (2000).  HR Monthly, October, pp.44-5.

The cost of industrial injuries and disease to Australian industry has been estimated to be around $57.5 billion. For example:

1. The Federal Government estimated the cost of work-related injury and disease to workers, their employer, the community and the Australian economy amounted to $57.5 billion during 2005-2006 (equivalent to 5.9 per cent gross domestic product).

2. Approximately $6.3 billion was paid to workers compensation schemes during 2007-08.

With these statistics in mind, it’s understandable why OHS is a growing area of concern for businesses. With the high costs of occupational injuries, disease and accidents to the employee, employers and the community, businesses have become more receptive to OHS rationale, systems, processes and innovations.

To help guide OHS and HR managers in steering their workplace OHS policies, many professions have contributed to redefining and improving OHS approaches, including: occupational epidemiologists, industrial hygienists, ergonomists, industrial psychologists, medical professionals, occupational sociologists, management, unions and the legal profession. As the OHS manager or HR manager, the chief task is to coordinate these different professional interest groups so that the OHS strategy is implemented into a seamless and cost-effective operation. However, due to ever changing OHS legislature and ongoing developments in new specialty fields and methodologies, this can often prove to be a difficult task to administer consistently alongside usual HR/ OHS “housekeeping” operations. It is primarily for this reason that the outsourcing of certain HR/ OHS services has become a preferred option for many businesses.

One area of OHS which has become more pronounced in the modern workplace relates to occupational drug & alcohol testing.  A potentially complex area of OHS,  many OHS and HR professionals from Australia’s leading companies have utilised the onsite drug screening services of organisations such as Mediscreen™. What makes services as those delivered by Mediscreen™ particularly attractive to Australian businesses is their clear aim to deliver a professionally managed workplace solution to deter/ minimise the misuse of drug and alcohol at the workplace.

Essentially, outsourced drug and alcohol screening services provide their clients with drug and alcohol testing services that are:

A. Up-to-date

B. Aligned to best practice models

C. Legally compliant

D. Consistently managed

E. Accurately recorded

F. Delivered with screening expertise

G. A long term cost-effective solution

H. Able to provide third party objectivity and an independent witness (in the case of positive test results).

I. A confidential service.

All in all, Mediscreen’s™ services are professionally aligned to current OHS legislative approaches (i.e. more self-regulatory, educative and cautionary), which helps to foster attitudes that are conducive to safer workplaces through an emphasis on occupational “wellness” and legal compliance.

Ways to address workplace drug & alcohol misuse

Being a ‘good’ manager can mean wearing many different “professional “hats”. Being a counselor is one such skill’s “hat” not ordinarily ascribed to most managers. However, there is a fine line that demarcates the workplace and the private life of an employee which sometimes makes it necessary for management to be a “type” of counselor. Yet, without the proper professional training, managers can sometimes do more harm than good.

Counselling services should ideally be provided by qualified professionals with malpractice insurance. It is primarily for this reason that many companies in the US and other regions (i.e.  the majority of  Fortune 500 companies) have adopted the Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). For example, companies and organisations that have formal EAPs include:

• DuPont
• 3M
• Emergency services
• Hospitals
• Qantas

In Australia, the statistics are similar. In 2000, 3000 EAPs were adopted by Australian workplaces. Furthermore, 80% of Australia’s top companies had an EAP while 90% of government departments had set up these programs.*

However, while EAPs are implemented in some organisations they are not a universal standard to addressing workplace drug and alcohol issues. For instance, in other businesses, the HR and/ or OHS management teams are usually called to the forefront when there is a serious workplace concern which doesn’t fall neatly within the jurisdiction of an employee’s position description. So, while personal issues are not normally the domain of concern for HR and OHS management, it can escalate into a workplace concern if it detrimentally affects the employee at work (with regard to workplace safety and workplace performance for both the employee and their fellow staff members). OHS legislation further reinforces this ‘duty of care’ imperative. By stipulating management’s legal responsibility to ensure the physical and mental health of their staff, Australian OHS legislation obliges managers to address new employee drug test and alcohol misuse.

The simplest and most efficient method to address such occupational safety and health breaches before they flare-up is through implementing consistent OHS polices, protocols and strategies. Another more robust and long term measure is to institute an EAP. (This latter method is especially useful in addressing ongoing employee drug and alcohol misuse cases. However, it must be noted that such a strategy can only be utilised if a personal problem is affecting job performance. Essentially, a supervisor may refer the staff member to an EAP on the proviso that the staff member can voluntarily accept or reject this referral).

It is, therefore, important that your workplace “gets it right” when implementing their workplace drug and alcohol testing and policy. At Mediscreen™, we can help you navigate through these modern workplace issues by offering a diverse range of services from onsite testing, policy development and referral to training specialists. Overall, our service is designed to provide effective, early and minimum intervention so that you and your staff can concentrate on your core business and in maintaining a healthy work/ life balance.

The aims of a good workplace drug & alcohol policy

When developing your workplace drug and alcohol policy, it’s prudent to enlist the services of a professional consultant if you’re not familiar with Australian workplace legislation. However, a general guideline for developing a good occupational drug and alcohol policy is detailed as follows:

• Firstly, provide a clear documented guide outlining your workplace’s stance on drug and alcohol issues. This should include references to the responsibility and obligations of employees, supervisors and management in dealing with drug screening and alcohol related work issues.

• Reinforce that the policy is designed to ensure a safe working environment.

• Provide clauses that make reference to its key objective in maintaining and/or restoring the good health, well being and welfare of employees.

• Promote workplace practices that foster low level/ low risk drug and alcohol use (specifically in relation to the workplace).

• Institute formal workplace initiatives and systems that help reduce levels of drug and alcohol consumption.

• Cite that the policy is designed also to address related costs that are incurred by drug and alcohol misuse including low productivity, absenteeism and accidents.

• Provide support networks and referral information to counseling, treatment and rehabilitation services for drug and alcohol testing.

For more information on how best to develop your workplace drug and alcohol policy, please contact Work safe Australia on (+612) 9387 1248 or Mediscreen™ on 1300 79 70 40.

Drug Testing: Choose the Safer Side

In today’s modern workplace, competent management requires more than mere “good intentions” and “common sense”. Instead, it is vitally important that management implements proper risk management protocols to ensure their workplace policies and procedures meet its legal compliance obligations. Essentially, good risk management helps to enhance OHS, performance management and strategic business goals. One area that deserves particular attention when developing effective risk management measures in today’s modern workplace is the workplace drug and alcohol testing.

The key objective for developing a good drug and alcohol policy in the workplace is to prevent and reduce the potentially harmful impact of drug or alcohol consumption at work. Through developing and adopting strategies such as; increasing education, enforcement for breaches of policy, treatment strategies and awareness of on site consumption rules, the risks associated with drug and alcohol intake are minimized.

In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1983, your workplace’s drug testing and alcohol policy should be included with its occupational health, safety and welfare policies. Moreover, it clearly states that employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees. This duty of care is obligatory for all employers. It also reinforces the legal requirement that employees must ensure the safety of fellow employees. Consequently, any breaches of the Act for both employers and employees can incur heavy penalties.

In this way, by including a comprehensive drug and alcohol policy as part of your workplace occupational health and safety risk management planning, your workplace can proactively address any misuse or abuse of alcohol and other drugs in accordance with the regulations set out in Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1983.

However, the workplace drug and alcohol testing should also be designed to boost and promote employee health and general well being. Safer workplaces and a healthier workforce not only improve business operations and costs (i.e. better workplace performance, less absenteeism and lower workplace costs), but more importantly, they are a key way to foster a workplace that positively supports and values its staff members by encouraging greater workplace safety, better stress management, more successful coping strategies and greater wellness.

So, any way you look at it, implementing better risk management systems is just plain “smart“.