Driving or operating other vehicles and machinery while under the influence of drugs and alcohol can have costly and even deadly consequences. Thus, the United States Department of Transportation maintains strict regulations regarding alcohol and drug testing among transportation employees. When an employee’s test is returned positive, there are several steps an employer must follow before the individual can return to work.

Substance Abuse Professional Evaluation

DOT employees who test positive for drugs or alcohol during a workplace testing procedure must be evaluated by a substance abuse professional, or SAP; a list of acceptable SAPs should be provided by the employer. During this evaluation, the substance abuse professional will determine the best solution for the positive drug test, which may include employee education and substance abuse treatment.

Follow-Up Evaluation

After the SAP evaluation, the employee must follow any prescribed plan for drug abuse treatment or counseling regarding his health and his substance abuse problem. Once all courses and treatments have been completed, the employee will undergo a follow-up evaluation by the same substance abuse provider to examine their compliance with all recommended treatments and measure their progress.

Additional Drug Testing

If the SAP is satisfied with the employee’s completion of the required course of treatment, the employee will be asked to provide a breath and/or urine sample, which must test negative for drugs and alcohol. If this test is negative, the employee may then return to work. However, the employee will remain eligible for unannounced follow-up drug testing at least six times within his first year of returning to work. Employees may remain eligible for further follow-up tests for up to 60 months after returning to work, depending on the recommendation of the SAP.

At Oschmann Employee Screening Services, we have extensive experience with DOT requirements, including drug and alcohol regulations and hours-of-service rules. We can help you maintain DOT compliance in Arizona to prevent violations and fines. Please visit us online for more information, or call us locally at (520) 745-1029 or toll-free at (800) 224-8532.

Employee testing is a vital component of an employer-sponsored drug and alcohol program. However, off site testing can take time out of your employees’ schedules that may impact productivity and workflow. Rather than allowing drug and alcohol testing to become a hindrance, on site drug testing options allow for faster, more efficient, and more convenient employee drug and alcohol tests.

Faster and More Convenient

Off Site drug testing can impact your employees’ performance in many ways. Asking employees to take the time to travel to an offsite facility can interrupt workflow and affect meeting schedules, ultimately impacting short-term productivity. Because employees must physically travel to the testing site, they may also tie up the use of company vehicles or incur added costs for fuel. Onsite drug and alcohol testing eliminates these factors by streamlining the employee testing process. Mobile drug testing brings the test site to your location, making it much faster and less disruptive for employees to undergo screening.

Low Risk for Tampering

Although it is difficult to tamper with or change the outcome of professional drug and alcohol testing, off site drug testing always carries some risk of tampering. When employees must schedule a trip for drug testing into their schedule, they may be able to take steps to alter the outcome of their test beforehand or even while in route to the testing site. Onsite drug testing eliminates travel time and makes it much more difficult for employees to tamper with their results, delivering not only faster test outcomes, but more accurate results as well.

Oschmann Employee Screening Services is pleased to offer 24-hour on-call mobile drug testing service throughout southern Arizona. You can find out more about this service or book drug and alcohol testing on our website; if you have further questions or would like to learn more about how we can help you manage your drug and alcohol policy, please call (520) 745-1029 or toll-free at (800) 224-8532.

Maintaining a strong drug and alcohol policy is an important step toward creating a safer, healthier, and more productive workplace. However, the policy itself is only one component of your overall plan for a drug-free work environment. As an employer, it’s important to know the signs of drug and alcohol use so that you can take proactive steps if you feel an employee is experiencing difficulty with addiction.

Accidents and Injuries

Accidents and injuries may be a sign that an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. While a single accident may be an isolated incident, repeated incidents or sloppy behavior is cause for concern. Because drugs and alcohol can lead to serious injuries that may affect other employees or even clients and bystanders, it’s important to take action if you believe an employee may be putting others at risk.

Inconsistent Attendance or Performance

Drug and alcohol abuse often leads to changes in employee attendance and performance. Employees that continually arrive late, leave early, or fail to appear for work without explanation could be suffering from the effects of addiction or abuse. Similarly, sudden drops in performance or productivity without explanation may also be linked to an ongoing drug or alcohol problem.

Abnormal Behavior

Concerning behavioral changes should also raise red flags regarding possible drug and alcohol abuse. Employees may appear stressed, angry, confrontational, or depressed when they are trying to deal with addiction to drugs or alcohol. If you personally notice changes in behavior or receive consistent reports of changes in the way an employee acts, it may be time to confront the employee with your concerns.

At Oschmann Employee Screening Services, we can help you enjoy a drug-free workplace with employee screening in Arizona. We offer laboratory-based drug testing, employee training programs, and assistance with the development and maintenance of drug and alcohol policies in all types of work environments. Please take a look through our website or call (800) 224-8532 to reach us for more information about our services.

Not only can drug use in the workplace compromise an employee’s efficiency on the job, but it can create an unsafe work environment for your other employees. Therefore, it is important to act when you suspect that an employee is using drugs. Below you will see the appropriate steps to take so that you cover any liabilities and protect the rights of your employee while resolving the issue safely and discreetly.

Know the Details of Your Policy
If you have not recently had to deal with an employee drug problem, you should check your company policy to understand the limits that may be imposed on your ability to perform a drug test. A good policy will include a clause to permit testing for reasonable suspicion of drug use so that you can act quickly when you do have an employee using on the job.

Document Employee Behaviors
Reasonable suspicion of drug use must be documented through witnesses of the employee’s behavior. Signs to look out for include changes in appearance, mood swings, tardiness, frequent mistakes at work, and slurred speech. You might have other employees or supervisors serve as witnesses of this behavior to create a case for drug testing.

Confront the Employee
You should wait until you have evidence supporting your claim gathered to confront the employee in a meeting. There should be another party present to witness the meeting, which will likely be followed with a drug test.

Perform a Drug Test
Once you have performed a drug test, options will vary depending on the result. If the test is negative, the employee may simply return to work. A positive test may be followed by drug counseling and treatment before returning to work. Generally, immediate termination is not permitted by policies, but there are typically guidelines to terminate an employee right away if he or she is caught under the influence at work at any point in the future.

Whether you are in need of DOT complaint drug and alcohol testing, on-site testing, or implementation of a drug-free workplace program, Oschmann Employee Screening Services can provide the resources you need throughout Arizona. To learn more about our services, call us at (520) 745-1029.

No matter what kind of environment your business takes place in, the safety of your employees and clients should be a top priority. In order to ensure safety in the workplace, you might implement a drug-free program, which should include the following components for success.

Written Policies
A written policy will be the first step in designing a drug-free workplace. This policy should establish your business’s commitment to safety in the workplace and a better quality of life for employees. Upon hiring, employees should be given a copy of the drug-free policy and provide a signature in compliance with the guidelines you set forth.

Drug Testing Practices
In order to maintain a drug-free environment, enforcement measures must be in place. This is where third-party drug and alcohol screenings will be helpful. Screening employees upon hiring and in the event of workplace accidents can ensure that you are hiring quality workers and maintaining a clean, responsible workforce at your place of business. You might also have the benefit of workers’ comp insurance incentives with a drug-free program that includes drug testing in place.

Employee and Supervisor Training
Drug-free workplaces are not maintained solely through drug testing and policy creation. Training employees and supervisors to identify the signs of drug use and understand the risks of drug use in the workplace.

Access to Rehabilitative Assistance
Assistance for employees who are coping with addiction and substance abuse can further improve the quality of your drug-free program. By offering resources for employees, you can showcase your dedication to a healthy workplace and the wellness of your workers.

If you are looking to implement a drug-free workplace program in your Arizona business, call Oschmann Employee Screening Services at (520) 745-1029. We can design and maintain an effective program for your company with the screening services and resources that are right for your industry.

As the owner of a business, you will need to make sure that your employees are held accountable for their actions, both during work and when they are off the clock. In order to create a safe and inviting work environment for all of your workers, it is a great idea to schedule routine drug testing in Arizona. With routine drug testing, you can eliminate employees whose conduct does not follow your company’s drug policy. Let’s take a closer look at how drug testing makes your workplace safer.

Prevent Illegal Activity
Illegal drug activity is a serious concern for any employer. While your company policy may state that you have a completely drug free workplace, drug testing is the only way to be certain that your employees are following the law. Routine drug testing goes a long way towards preventing illegal activities in your workplace.

Prevent Accidents or Errors

When an employee is impaired on the job, he or she may not be able to safely perform his or her tasks. For example, if your business requires heavy equipment operation, an employee who has been using illegal drugs may not be able to safely use the machinery. By performing drug testing, you can help prevent harmful accidents during the work day.

Increased Peace of Mind

By setting up drug testing for all of your employees, you can also help to increase your peace of mind as an employer. When you have all of your workers participate in drug tests, you will have complete knowledge about their drug use. Peace of mind is invaluable when you are a business owner.

In order to set up drug screening services in Tucson, be sure to contact Oschmann Employee Screening. As a leading drug testing service in the state of Arizona, we can help you set up a drug testing program that is a good fit for your business. Call us at (520) 745-8532 to hear more about our great services.