An increasing number of companies in the UK are now conducting new starter, random and with cause tests to screen their employees for drugs and alcohol. This is particularly popular in safety-critical industries where being under the influence of drugs or alcohol poses a risk to the individual or to others and forms part of the health & safety policy and safety management system.

Introducing random workplace drug and alcohol screening often has the benefit of reducing casual drug usage even without the need for regular or expensive drug screening. A totally random screening program is often all that is required to motivate drug and alcohol avoidance behaviour in all but the most resistant and dependent users.

New starter drug and alcohol screening as part of a general pre-offer health check for all new employees is the ideal time to introduce the principles of drug and alcohol screening as a routine part of the employment package.

Post-incident /accident drug and alcohol screening should also be considered to exclude drug and alcohol effects as causal or contributory. This is often required by HSE investigators and should always be considered in any event likely to be referred for HSE investigation.

All random drug screening programs must be operated fairly, be proportionate to the risk of the employment role, and operated as part of a comprehensive workplace drugs and alcohol policy, written into the terms of service or employment contract.

Screening for drugs and alcohol with on-site test kits often makes good business sense. This is often referred to as Point of Care Testing (POCT) It is a lot cheaper than laboratory testing every one of your staff. Negative, all clear results are available in under 10 minutes and personnel are back at work quickly.

There are no official guidelines in the UK for using POCT drug tests in business. You are free to select either Saliva or Urine drug tests, whichever best suits your requirements. We actually suggest saliva drug tests for most workplace screening as they tend to focus on what’s going on right there, at the point of testing, rather than what drugs may have been taken a week before.

Kays medical would be pleased to interface with you as regards your specific Drug and Alcohol testing requirements.