• Regularly educate and train covered employees and their supervisors regarding the employer’s program and alcohol testing requirements
• Identify circumstances under which alcohol testing may be required, such as in instances of post-accident, reasonable suspicion or random selection
• Identify expected and prohibited behavior by covered employees
• Identify employee consequences of testing positive or refusing to test
• Ensure sufficient documentation to support employment and disciplinary decisions made
• Offer an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) where professional and confidential counseling can be accessed by employees batling alcohol abuse (many employer-sponsored health plans do provide for EAP support)
Alcohol Testing Breath sampling is mostly used for identifying alcohol impairment through instruments typically referred to as “breathalyzers.” Oral fluid sampling can also be used through a testing “kit.” For federally mandated testing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) maintains a “Conforming Products List”10,11
of testing devices
(instruments and kits) that are approved for preliminary alcohol screening, as well as for confirmation testing (EBT— Evidential Breath Testing). In all instances, use of a NHTSA
device is strongly recommended, and certainly for federally mandated testing. Pursuant to employer policy, preliminary screening of less than 0.02 typically deems the employee’s breath or oral fluid sample free from a prohibitive concentration of alcohol. If preliminary screening results 0.02 or higher, EBT testing must then be performed to confirm the presence of a prohibitive alcohol concentration prior to an employment decision from the employer. Workplace alcohol testing is
predominantly performed by Screening 44 datia focus
Test Technicians and Breath Alcohol Testing Technicians at occupational health and urgent care clinics. Breath Alcohol Testing Technicians are also separately qualified to conduct alcohol confirmation testing. As alcohol testing is almost always completed in its entirety during the employee’s clinic visit, the employer can be quickly informed of the test result.
Supervision Te role of supervisors with respect to ensuring successful execution of an employer’s testing program is oſtentimes overlooked and/or underestimated. In fact, supervisors have an extremely critical role in identifying and managing alcohol use by employees. Job performance of covered employees must be regularly monitored and, when circumstances arise, corrective and disciplinary actions may become necessary. Tis may also include referring an employee for EAP counseling. Consequently, employers must ensure
supervisors are well aware of all necessary program procedures to best promote safety, to support troubled employees, and, to actively contribute to program enhancements.
Employee Assistance Tankfully, alcohol abuse can be successfully treated and managed, allowing troubled employees to return to a much healthier and more productive life, both personally and professionally. To this end, EAPs support troubled employees through confidential short-term counseling. Following assessment of the employee,
the EAP counselor will generally refer the employee for rehabilitation, which may include education and/or other prescribed treatment. With permission of the employee, the EAP counselor can also keep the employer informed of progress with rehabilitation, which may require a period of leave from active employment. Following successful rehabilitation, the EAP counselor will typically inform the employer regarding the employee’s return to work status.
With a successful return to work, the
EAP counselor may also prescribe aſtercare for the rehabilitated employee that may include additional counseling, support group meetings, follow-up testing, etc. Aſtercare is meant to further supplement and support the long-term success of the rehabilitated employee, and will generally cause only minimal disruption to the employee’s workday, if any.
References 1
http://www.louisianaweekly.com/member-of-family-killed- by-drunk-driver-continues-fight-for-justice/
2
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/ NSDUHresultsPDFWHTML2013/Web/NSDUHresults2013. htm/
3
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/ report_1959/ShortReport-1959.pdf
4 5
http://www.cdc.gov/features/alcoholconsumption/
http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/ impaired-drv_factsheet.html
6
http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/ implementation/topics/
substance-abuse.html
7
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview- alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/
8 9 10
https://ncadd.org/learn-about-drugs/faqsfacts http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs349/en/
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-06-14/pdf/2012- 14581.pdf
11
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-06-14/pdf/2012- 14582.pdf
John Mallios, C-SAPA, is the Senior Director of Occupational Health Services for SterlingBackcheck, a leading global provider of employment background
and occupational health services for more than 20,000 employers. Prior to joining Sterling in 2007, John worked with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York for more than two decades, which included implementation of the new DOT testing regulations in the early 1990s, and administration of regulated and non-regulated substance abuse testing programs. John has supported drug-free workplace testing for countless employers, and can be reached at
john.mallios@
sterlingbackcheck.com.
Fall 2015
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