» faq / q&a
For Employers
Why should I drug test?
Where do I start?
Is there a standard for testing?
What about a policy?
Where can I find an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
What do other companies within my industry do?
What kind of testing should I do?
What different types of testing are available?
Can the testing be done by anyone?
How accurate are your kits?
Do I need a chain of custody?
How much notice do I have to give my employees?
Who should I test?
Does a positive result mean that my employee is impaired?
What should I do if one of my employees tests positive on a screen?
How long will it be until my employee can come back to work?
Where can I get more information?
For Employees
I don't do drugs, why should I be drug tested?
What happens if I test positive?
What could I test positive for?
How long will it take for drugs to get out of my system?
Where can I get more information?
Why should I drug test?
Every employer has a duty of care to ensure a safe working environment for their employees. When we begin testing at organisations we quite consistently find that approximately 10% of their work force tests positive to either alcohol, illicit drugs or over the counter medication that can cause impairment in the workplace. Risk minimisation is therefore the most common reason to begin random drug testing. Usually testing occurs in safety sensitive industries such as mining, manufacturing and construction, but testing can also take place in security and financially sensitive positions, for pre-employment testing or for cause/incident testing. Insurance discounts and increased productivity gains are also a good incentive to begin a drug testing program within your workplace.
Where do I start?
The first thing that you need to do is have a good policy. This means that a lot of thought will need to be put in to the types of testing you want to do, who will do the testing, who will be tested, what the repercussions of positive results are and responsibilities within your company, to name a few issues. There are many things to think about, so professional advice is advisable. d:tec can help you with all aspects of designing, implementing and carrying out your workplace drug and alcohol testing program.
Is there a standard for testing?
Yes, the Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard 4308:2001. This can be obtained from Standards Australia - www.standards.com.au
What about a policy?
We highly recommend that you have a complete and comprehensive policy before commencing drug and alcohol testing in your workplace. d:tec can help you with all aspects of policy development. A good policy should outline all procedures for testing, and specify what happens if an employee tests positive for drugs or alcohol. A drug and alcohol policy is usually a part of a fitness for work policy, and often works alongside an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Where can I find an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
What do other companies within my industry do?
We find that even within industries our customers all tend to have an individual approach to their drug and alcohol testing program, from pre-employment testing to random on-site testing and laboratory drug screens. Employee Assistance Programs and employee training also differ depending on the size, location and type of industry the company is involved in. Please contact us and we can give you more information on what type of testing people in your specific industry have done, and how that knowledge can be adapted to your business.
What kind of testing should I do?
Different companies will have different requirements for their testing program. Options include pre-employment, random, for cause, post-incident, annual physical tests, pre-promotion tests and treatment follow up tests. See below for more detail on each kind of test.
What different types of testing are available?
Random Testing - testing either all of your employees on a random day or a select group of employees (eg. 10%) discourages drug and alcohol use and abuse by making testing unpredictable.
Pre-employment Testing - testing all potential employees before offering employment decreases the chances of hiring someone who is currently a drug or alcohol abuser.
For Cause Tests - testing employees who you have reasonable suspicion of being unfit for duties protects the safety of the employee, other workers and the public at large.
Post-Incident Tests - testing employees who have been involved in an accident or near-miss can help determine if drug or alcohol use was a factor and assist in protecting safety in the workplace.
Follow-up Tests - testing employees before they return to work after a positive test or as periodical follow-up to ensure that they have stopped abusing drugs or alcohol.
Pre-promotion Tests - testing employees before promoting them ensures that you are not promoting someone who may have a drug or alcohol problem.
Most of these types of testing can also give employees who are abusing drugs or alcohol the chance to obtain help for their problem.
Can the testing be done by anyone?
Testing can be done by any person that has an understanding of AS 4308, but we highly recommend that it is done by someone who is properly trained. We have fully trained staff for on-site testing, or we can train your employees on testing to the Australian Standard. In our experience some companies prefer to have an outside party to test their staff for ease of working relationships, but others have on-site managers, nurses or risk managers who test the staff as part of a fitness for work program. We can give advice on what is best for you based on staff numbers, frequency of testing, worksite, company organisation and location.
How accurate are your kits?
Our own in-house research has indicated that our kits are 99% accurate for the drug types that they test for.
Do I need a chain of custody?
How much notice do I have to give my employees?
Usually when a company begins in drug and alcohol testing it is after a period of employee training. This gives your employees to ask us or you questions about the drugs that are being tested for, how the testing will work and what can happen if they test positive. A policy should certainly be in place so that your employees know of the ramifications of a positive result. If you are doing random testing then it is not necessary to give your employees any prior notice to the time and date of testing.
Who should I test?
In our experience it is usually safety sensitive employees who get randomly tested most frequently. Most companies however have a blanket fitness for work policy that covers all employees, and therefore test all of their staff members at some stage. It is important to not be discriminative in fitness for work policies. For situations such as pre-employment we recommend that all prospective employees are drug tested, or for post incident testing that all employees who were involved in an incident or near miss are tested.
Does a positive result mean that my employee is impaired?
A positive result does not necessarily mean that your employee is impaired at the time, the test only shows recent exposure. There is no device that can verifiably measure an employee's impairment due to alcohol or drugs, but an employee who is abusing drugs is obviously a potential threat to the safety of your workplace, and is statistically more likely to be involved in accidents in the workplace and lost productivity. Continuous testing is advised so as to monitor your worker to ensure that they have quit a habit that could harm themselves and others.
What should I do if one of my employees tests positive on a screen?
If you are testing to the Australian Standard 4308 you will need to have the sample sent to a laboratory and confirmed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). This testing will allow detection of exactly how much drug is present in the sample and exactly what type of drug it is. A report is then sent saying that the sample is either negative (if there is no drug present or the levels are lower than the cut-offs specified in the AS 4308) or positive with an indication of exactly which drug was found.
How long will it be until my employee can come back to work?
This is an extremely variable question. Usually, if the test was initially positive for amphetamines, opiates, benzodiazepines or cocaine it should only take about 1-3 days for the drug to come out of the employees system as long as they have ceased using it. Marijuana however can be a different story. The longest we have ever witnessed for marijuana to be cleared from an individuals system is about 6 weeks, this person had been smoking heavily every day for about 20 years. Clearance from the system can vary highly depending on an individual's metabolism, body size and frequency of smoking. Potency of the marijuana that they have been smoking can also affect how long it will take to be cleared from the system. Usually we find that it will take around 2 weeks for an employee who has genuinely stopped taking marijuana to clear the drug out of their system and return to work.
Where can I get more information?
Please phone d:tec on 1800 331 139 or contact us.
I don't do drugs, why should I be drug tested?
Your employer is required to provide a safe working environment for all of their employees. A part of this is making sure that all of their employees are fit for work. Drug testing in the workplace does not mean that your boss thinks that you are on drugs. It means that they are trying to identify people who could have a drug problem and/or be risking their own and your safety at work. The drug test is relatively simple, fast and since our nurses do these all of the time there is no need to be embarrassed! No one will watch you passing your sample, and the test should be done in a confidential manner, in a private room. The purpose of drug and alcohol testing is to improve safety in your workplace, for you!
What happens if I test positive?
You will need to talk to someone from your company, such as your manager, about what happens if you test positive, as it will depend on what is written in the company policy. d:tec are involved in the testing, but we do not take part in any of the follow up consequences of a positive result. If you have any questions regarding the test, results or drugs that you don't want to ask your employer please feel free to call us for a confidential chat on 1800 331 139.
What could I test positive for?
The drugs that we test for are in the following groups:
| GROUP | DRUG | FOUND IN:# |
|---|---|---|
| Opiates | Morphine | Heroin, Morphine, severe pain killers such as MS-Contin, Oxycontin, Proladone, Endone and Kapanol |
| Codeine | Strong pain killers such as Panadeine, Panadeine Forte, Nurofen Plus, Mersyndol, Mersyndol Forte, Fiorinal and some cold and flu tablets. | |
| Cocaine | Cocaine | Cocaine |
| Methamphetamines | Methamphetamine | Speed |
| MDMA | Ecstasy | |
| Pseudoephedrine | Cold and flu tablets | |
| THC | 11-nor-(9-Tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid | Marijuana |
| Benzodiazepines | Diazepam | Muscle relaxants such as Antenex and Valium |
| Nitrazepam | Relaxants such as Alodorm and Mogadon | |
| Oxazepam | Sleeping tablets such as Alepam and Serepax | |
| Temazepam | Sleeping tablets such as Euhypnos and Normison |
This list of drugs that are tested for was decided on by an independent group of scientists and other industry experts when the Australian Standard (AS 4308) for drug testing was written. Neither d:tec nor your employer had any input in to which drugs are tested.
Some drugs can cross react with the SiteScreen On-site Screening Kit, such as the anti-smoking drug Zyban and Reflux (indigestion) drugs that contain Ranitidine. Please tell the person who is testing you if you are taking any of these drugs.
The SiteScreen On-site Screening Kit does not test for drugs or conditions such as:
- Antibiotics
- Anti inflammatories
- Heart medication
- Blood pressure medication
- Viagra
- Most antidepressants (except for ones that include Benzodiazepines which is not common, ask your doctor)
- Diabetes medication
- Hayfever medication
- Cholesterol medication
- Over the counter pain killers such as Panadol
- Pregnancy
- These results are specific to the d:tec brand of on-site testing devices.
# Not all medication is listed here, please consult with your physician before taking medication.
How long will it take for drugs to get out of my system?
This can be highly variable. Drugs such as Opiates, Cocaine, Methamphetamines and Benzodiazepines will typically take 1-3 days to be cleared out of the system, as long as you have ceased using it. Marijuana however can be a different story. The longest we have ever witnessed for marijuana to be cleared from an individuals system is about 6 weeks, this person had been smoking heavily every day for about 20 years. Clearance from the system can vary highly depending on your metabolism, body size and frequency of smoking. Potency of the marijuana that you have been smoking can also affect how long it will take to be cleared from the system. Usually we find that it will take around 2 weeks for someone who has genuinely stopped taking marijuana to clear the drug out of their system.
Where can I get more information?
Please phone d:tec on 1800 331 139 or contact us.