subject: 5 Practical Issues to Think About in Random Drug Testing [print this page] 5 Practical Issues to Think About in Random Drug Testing
1. Frequency of testing
Depending on the nature of the workplace, alcohol and drug testing may need to be conducted on a more or less frequent basis. Workplaces in remote areas like mining operations, for example, include regular "down time" offsite where employees may be exposed to a range of situations involving alcohol and drugs. Testing would therefore have a natural frequency requirement.
2. Realistic assessment of needs
The needs of an integrated alcohol and drug policy involve operating on a holistic basis, incorporating staff welfare and counseling, as well as testing. Each workplace effectively "customizes" its policy to meet its requirements, varying provisions over time.
Management should allocate resources on the basis of an identified schematic of needs, with an additional contingency plan to ensure maintaining the alcohol and drug policy's integrity and efficiency. This may involve budget allocations and delegation of functions to appropriate staff.
3. Functional issues in conducting regular tests: There are basic operational and organizational issues in the effective implementation of adrug and alcohol testing for employees program:
Provision of facilities on site
Down time of staff during testing
Scheduling
Travel
Employee attendance issues and related problems
Documentation and records of actions taken
Test results management systems
Notifications before and after testing
Each of these issues must be dealt with as a routine function of the organization. This may involve:
Delegation of management responsibilities
Accounts and audit provisions
Reporting functions
Records management
Human Resources monitoring of related privacy issues and confidentiality.
In practice the alcohol and drug policy operates like a basic organizational plan operation, complete with its equivalent of an audit trail. The actual adjustments required for existing organizational functions are minimal, and are easy to manage.
4. Required documentation of testing
Access to test data must be restricted. Please be aware that these screening records are considered to be "quasi" medical records and as such confidentiality of these records is absolutely essential, without exception. The records should only be available to individual donors and the duly delegated supervisors in charge of the Onsite Testing programme.
In addition, the reporting function of incidents relates to both privacy employment laws. These reports and related information are also required to be kept strictly confidential. Failure to do so may expose the employer to legal liabilities.
5. Parameters of regular test procedures
The formal processes of notification and provision of information of staff is an important administrative issue, and directly impacts the effect of the alcohol and drug policy. Every member of staff and all employees will need to receive a complete copy of the Alcohol and Drug Policy.
It's also necessary to ensure that all employees can actually understand the policy. Levels of literacy vary, and some people may need explanations of the policy. Opportunity should be offered to all to respond with any questions and inquiry relative to the implementation and operation.
