Skip to main content
A tug boat on a river through a city

The Purpose of Drug Free Workplace Regulations

Written by csdesign on . Posted in Drug Testing.

Running a business is a tough job. Whether you own a small business or you work in a larger corporation, there are many factors that can contribute to your success or your struggles. In addition to providing your customers with a superior product or service, you need to have a reliable team of employees working for you. Depending on the type of workplace you operate in, you may consider instituting drug testing policies. Drug-free workplace regulations exist for the benefit and safety of employees, customers, and management. Read on to learn more about the various purposes of drug free workplace regulations.

Health and Safety

According to recent studies, the numbers show that roughly 77 percent of illegal drug users hold either full-time or part-time jobs. Alcohol use could make that number rise even higher. If employees are under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the job, it poses a safety risk to those around them as well as the drug user himself. This is especially true in the cases of businesses that require employees to operate machinery or drive vehicles. Just one employee under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work could put everyone else in danger. That’s one of the reasons why drug free workplace regulations are so essential.

Productivity

A sober, alert workforce is a more productive workforce. If drugs and alcohol are added to the mix, it can affect how productive your employees are. When productivity is interfered with, that can in turn lead to smaller profits and a negative reputation among customers as well as vendors. Medical claims expenses could also go up as a consequence of drugs and alcohol at work, which will further affect your bottom line. Many employers find that instituting drug testing helps to keep employees more productive as well as safer and healthier.

AZC Drug Testing Employee Screening Services is a national leader in developing programs to help keep workplaces drug-free. Contact us at (520) 745-1029 to find out how we can help make your business safer through drug-free workplace regulations. We strive to provide each of our clients with smart, streamlined solutions.

 

A Look at DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing

Written by csdesign on . Posted in Drug Testing.

Everyone knows that drugs, alcohol, and driving can be a deadly mixture. That’s why the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991 was passed, requiring various personnel in transportation industries to submit to drug and alcohol testing. If you operate a business that requires your employees to operate motor vehicles, you must have an alcohol and drug testing program in place. It doesn’t matter whether your business is large or small—the regulations are the same. Keep reading for a closer look at DOT drug and alcohol testing.

Understanding the Law

Although there are a few small exceptions, any driver of a commercial motor vehicle must be tested for the presence of drugs and alcohol. If a driver tests positive, he will be prohibited from driving or performing any other safety-sensitive services. Drivers cannot operate vehicles or be on duty while under the influence of illegal drugs, or within four hours of consuming alcohol. As of January 1, 1996, any employer without a drug and alcohol testing policy in place can be held liable and face penalties associated with non-compliance. The law also requires that employers give anyone who fails a drug test the opportunity to receive treatment, though the employer is not required to pay for rehabilitation.

Types of Testing

As an employer, you must have six kinds of drug testing as part of complying with DOT policies: pre-employment, post-accident, random, reasonable suspicion, return to duty, and follow-up testing. All drivers must comply with any of these types of test, and refusal to do so means that an employee cannot perform any safety-sensitive functions. Pre-employment drug testing can take place at any point during the hiring process at the discretion of the employer. Employers are also free to institute their own drug testing policies in addition to the ones set forth by the DOT.

Don’t gamble with the safety of your employees or the future of your business. Call AZC Drug Testing Employee Screening Services at (520) 745-1029 to help you create a drug testing policy that is in compliance with all state and federal regulations. We will make sure your policy is clear for both you and your employees.

Benefits of DNA Testing

Written by csdesign on . Posted in Drug Testing.

Every person is completely unique, and there is no better example of this than your DNA. Unless you’re an identical twin, no one else in the world has the same DNA as you. DNA testing can be used to determine paternity, help adopted children identify their biological families, and ensure relationships in the case of inheritance disputes. Life is complicated, but DNA testing doesn’t have to be. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of DNA testing.

Family Heritage

Even if you know the identity of your mother and father, your family line may get lost a few generations back. DNA testing could potentially unlock many people whom you’re related to with the help of websites that deal in ancestry. By entering in your DNA information, you could be connected to relatives you never even knew existed. Some DNA tests can also tell you your ethnicity, which is handy for people who like to dabble in genealogy and mapping their family tree. Your DNA samples can be compared to others from all over the world and through time, enabling you to trace your roots back to their beginnings.

Family Planning

DNA testing can tell you a lot about the past, and it can even tell you a few things about the future. By sampling the DNA from a mother and father, science can predict whether an unborn baby will have the chromosomal abnormality that causes Down’s syndrome. Researchers are hoping to be able to use similar testing methods to spot developmental issues. DNA testing may also show you if you have certain genetic risk factors for breast or colon cancer.

Weight Loss

There are many factors that contribute to being overweight or obese, and recent studies show that some people may have a genetic predisposition to being able to lose weight easily. The research in this field is still progressing, so in the meantime, stick with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Are you interested in unlocking some of the mysteries of your past—and possibly your future? Contact AZC Drug Testing Employee Screening Services in Tucson at (520) 745-1029 to learn more about DNA testing. Our testing lab is precise, accurate, and reliable.

Aviation

Designing a Drug Free Work Policy for Your Business

Written by csdesign on . Posted in Drug Testing.

Running a business is a tough job. In addition to providing your customers with a superior product and outstanding service, you need to manage your employees behind the scenes. Drugs have no business being in the workplace, and it’s up to you to create a drug free work policy that is fair, reasonable, and respectful of everyone’s privacy. Some companies implement drug testing as a standard part of employment, while others use it only when they have a reason to. Read on to learn about designing a drug free work policy for your business.

State Your Goals

The best way to begin a drug free work policy is to state your goals clearly. Your employees should understand that you are implementing this policy for everyone’s benefit and safety, and not simply to police their personal choices. Discuss how a workplace that is free from drugs will protect your employees from potential accidents and injuries, and emphasize that a drug free workplace is a more pleasant place to be for everyone. You may wish to mention your expectations as an employer as a reminder that it would be nearly impossible to meet your goals if drugs were in the picture.

Define the Meaning of Drug Free

A drug free work policy must be clearly defined in order to be effectively enforced. In the next section of your policy, specify exactly what you mean by drug free. You can include the hours in which the policy is in effect, which employees are affected by the policy, and a description of how drug testing will be conducted. Make sure that you adhere to state and federal regulations so that your employees’ rights remain intact.

Discuss Consequences

There must be consequences in place for your employees to take your drug free policy seriously. Outline what will happen if drug use is suspected or confirmed, and include any methods of retesting if applicable for your business.

AZC Drug Testing Employee Screening Services provides reliable, professional, and cost-effective programs to help you keep your business drug free. Call us at (520) 745-1029 to learn about our drug free workplace programs so that you can concentrate on making your business a success.

Understanding How Breathalyzers Work

Written by csdesign on . Posted in Drug Testing.

Drinking alcohol before or during work poses a health hazard to employees, customers, and others. Furthermore, the state of Arizona has imposed a legal limit of 0.08% blood alcohol concentration for general drivers and 0.04% blood alcohol concentration for commercial drivers. A breathalyzer is a simple drug testing device that measures the amount of alcohol present in the breath, then uses this information to extrapolate the amount of alcohol in the body. Keep reading to learn how these devices work and how AZC Drug Testing Employee Screening Services can help you ensure your employees are sober and safe.

How Alcohol Reaches the Lungs

When alcohol is imbibed, it is first digested in the stomach. From there, it is carried through the blood to the organs and tissues of the body—including the lungs, where it is exhaled. Thus, the amount of alcohol in the blood can be determined by measuring the amount of alcohol present in the breath.

How Blood Alcohol Concentration Is Measured

A breathalyzer drug testing device measures the amount of alcohol in the breath when a person exhales. Inside the breathalyzer are two glass vials, each containing the same chemical mixture of sulfuric acid, potassium dichromate, silver nitrate and pure water. Blood alcohol concentration is measured by breathing into the device; the breath is bubbled through one vial, while the other acts as a control. As the exhaled breath moves through the chemical solution, the alcohol in the air is removed by the sulfuric acid. The alcohol then reacts with the potassium dichromate, which causes the chemical mixture to change color. This color change is compared with the control vial and the degree of change is used to determine blood alcohol concentration.

AZC Drug Testing Employee Screening Services is an authorized Lifeloc Technologies distributor. We will show you how to use, calibrate, and maintain your drug testing equipment for the most accurate results. Click through our website or call us at (520) 745-1029 or toll-free at (800) 224-8532 to learn more about our employee drug testing equipment and services in Arizona.

FAA’s Additional Safety Position Subject to Testing Rules

Written by csdesign on . Posted in Drug Testing.

On April 22, 2014 the Federal Register published a final rule amending 14 CFR Parts 91, 120, and 135 affecting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulated companies.  As part of the final rule the FAA has created in additional safety sensitive position, operations controls specialist, that is subject to the drug & alcohol testing rules of 14 CFR Part 120.

This final rule addresses helicopter air ambulance, commercial helicopter, and general aviation helicopter operations. To address an increase in fatal helicopter air ambulance accidents, the FAA is implementing new operational procedures and additional equipment requirements for helicopter air ambulance operations. This final rule also increases safety for commercial helicopter operations by revising requirements for equipment, pilot testing, and alternate airports. It increases weather minimums for all general aviation helicopter operations. Many of these requirements address National Transportation Safety Board safety recommendations, and are already found in FAA guidance. The changes are intended to provide certificate holders and pilots with additional tools and procedures that will aid in preventing accidents.

The final rule requires certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances to establish operations control centers (OCC) (Sec. 135.619) and requires drug and alcohol testing for operations control specialists (Sec. Sec. 120.105 and 120.215). OCC personnel will communicate with pilots, provide weather information, monitor flights and assist with preflight risk assessments providing an additional measure of safety for complex operations. Operations control specialists perform safety sensitive functions, similar to an aircraft dispatcher, and therefore must be subject to the restrictions on drug and alcohol use.