Every day in this country, employees show up at their place of work suffering from an impairment of some kind because of drug or alcohol abuse. For that reason, employer drug testing in Texarkana AR has become such an important tool for businesses. Not only are many employers in the U.S. using drug testing for their employees and potential employees, they’re also implementing clear written policies that outline the kinds of behavior they expect from their employees and how they’ll go about making sure that their employees aren’t abusing drugs or alcohol.
Drug testing in Texarkana AR is important for many reasons including:
➤ It deters employees from abusing drugs or alcohol.
➤ It keeps employers from hiring new employees who are substance abusers
➤ It allows employers to provide a safe workplace for their employees and protects the general public.
➤ It lets employers identify employees who have substance abuse problems so that they can be referred for help.
Although private companies and employers don’t have to follow the same guidelines and procedures as the federal government does in its employee drug testing, a conscientious employer will usually do so anyway so that they can be on safe legal ground should there be any repercussions from their drug-testing procedures. The most important parts of the process are:
➤ Proper handling and documented chain-of-custody of employee samples
➤ The performance of a second, more-accurate test in case the first test registers a false positive
➤ The signing of a medical information release form by the employee that allows his employer to see his test results
The circumstances under which drug testing in Texarkana AR can be performed are pre-employment, reasonable suspicion that the employee is abusing alcohol or drugs, post-accident (regardless of the circumstances of the accident), random, periodic, return to duty after an employee has previously tested positive and has been suspended from work or for a variety of other reasons. The two most-common methods of taking samples are urine and breath although blood, hair, oral fluids and sweat can also be used.
Employer testing that follows government guidelines tests for five illegal drugs and, in some cases, alcohol. The five drugs are amphetamines (meth, speed, crank, ecstasy), THC (marijuana, hash, cannabinoids), cocaine (coke, crack), opiates (heroin, opium, codeine, morphine) and phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust). However, private employers aren’t limited to these drugs. There is a wide range of other substances they can test for like barbiturates, hydrocodone, hallucinogens and inhalants.
If you are an employer in Arkansas, consider making drug testing in Texarkana AR a part of your comprehensive drug policy that also includes written guidelines and help for employees who have drug or alcohol problems. If you need help, call us at DATCS at (318) 678-5568. Not only can we perform accurate and professional drug testing for you, we can also help you to formulate a clear and effective drug policy for your business. Visit us online at www.datet.com to learn more.