COVER STORY THE TRUE COST OF WAITING
Testing after an incident may help establish what happened. It cannot prevent the incident. A drug or alcohol-related event can mean injury or death, damaged vehicles or equipment, lost working time, missed deadlines and serious disruption. It can bring investigation costs, regulatory action, higher insurance premiums and difficult conversations with customers.
There is a human cost too. Colleagues may lose confidence in the company’s safety arrangements. Managers and witnesses can be left dealing with the consequences long after the physical damage has been repaired.
A serious incident can destroy years of hard-won trust. Against that risk, a proportionate testing programme is not an unnecessary expense. It is basic prevention.
RANDOM TESTING IS NOT ABOUT CATCHING PEOPLE OUT
Random testing is sometimes seen as a way of catching employees. Properly introduced, its main purpose is deterrence.
If employees know they may be selected without warning, they are more likely to consider the consequences before reporting for work impaired. The real success of a programme may be measured by the unsafe decisions it prevents – not the number of non- negative results it produces.
Random selection can also be fairer than relying on individual suspicion. It removes some of the pressure from managers and reduces the risk of somebody being singled out because of their appearance, personality or relationship with a supervisor.
Employers do not have to test everybody constantly. The programme should be proportionate to the organisation’s risks, with a particular focus on safety-critical roles.
START WITH THE POLICY
Introducing testing does not need to be complicated, but the policy must come first. Employees should know why testing takes place, who may be tested, how selection works and what happens next. Depending on the risks, the policy may cover pre-employment, random, with- cause and post-incident testing.
It should also address prescribed and over-the-counter medication, confidentiality, refusal to test, confirmation procedures, disciplinary processes and the support available to employees.
A non-negative screening result is not the end of the process. It must be handled through an appropriate confirmation procedure before conclusions are reached. Employers must investigate fairly, follow their own rules and allow the employee to respond.
Communication matters. People are more likely to accept testing when they understand that it is there to protect them, their colleagues and the public – not to police their private lives.
TESTING IS ONLY PART OF THE ANSWER
D.tec International has supported SMEs and major employers with workplace drug and alcohol screening for more than 25 years. It also supplies drug-screening equipment to police forces across the UK, giving the company extensive experience in safety-critical and police legislative testing.
Its support covers policy development, manager and employee training, screening equipment, educational materials, accredited confirmation testing and ongoing advice.
Developed specifically for workplace screening, the new DrugWipe Dual Plus gives a clear result in three minutes. It allows safety-critical workers to be tested with less disruption while providing the sensitivity, accuracy and reliability required in safety-critical settings.
However, a testing kit alone is not a complete solution. Employers need a fit-for-purpose system supported by an appropriate policy, reliable equipment, trained staff, proper record keeping and a clear process for confirming any non-negative result. A result is only as robust as the process behind it. If the equipment or procedures are unsuitable, inconsistent or poorly documented, the result may be challenged and may not stand up to scrutiny in court, at an employment tribunal or during a regulatory investigation.
Education, prevention and support must also sit alongside testing. Toolbox talks, awareness sessions and manager training can challenge misconceptions, explain the risks and encourage employees to seek help before a personal problem becomes a workplace emergency. ‘With cause’ testing still has an important role. It just should not be the whole safety net.
For help reviewing your Drug and Alcohol Policy or introducing a proportionate workplace testing programme, talk with the experts. Call D.tec International on 0800 371898, email
enquiries@dtecinternational.com or visit the website below.
https://dtecinternational.com
enquiries@dtecinternational.com
15
WWW.TOMORROWSHS.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
