there are no such things as little mistakes in drug testing programs…
Many organisations struggle with drug and alcohol policy development, corporate communications, stakeholder consultation, articulating the program to staff, dealing with questions surrounding privacy & medications and the mechanics of getting a program kicked off.
Many Potential Pitfalls:
There are a myriad of pitfalls from the outset which can be easily avoided. The most common error starts in adopting incorrect terminology and technical aspects in drug and alcohol testing policies and procedures. Often these are sourced from incorrect technical information received or inherited from other programs, so the errors can become somewhat viral.
Further complications can emerge from inadequate stakeholder engagement or endeavours to implement a testing program that is either too rigid or inadequate. Some programs simply lack clear goals & objectives and aren’t adequately monitored from the outset.
Getting Started:
This is where it is certainly well worthwhile engaging the assistance of experts in drug testing services, technical processes and systems. There are very few scenarios we haven’t encountered before and we pride ourselves on innovation and solutions to address sometimes complex problems.
We work with you on each step of the implementation process with as much or as little support as you need to get your program in place and operating as seamlessly as you could wish for.
A good starting point would be to contact our professional staff for a confidential discussion. From there we can help you to formulate an effective and compliant implementation and monitoring strategy.
If you’re just about to explore addressing drug & alcohol use in the workplace or already some way down the path and finding yourself in a pickle; reach out to us as we are very likely to be able to help.
What are the implementation steps?
Consult with Stakeholders
The first and key step is to consult widely with stakeholders including industry bodies, senior management, employee groups, unions, safety committees and anyone else necessary to ensure that your program is going to be implemented smoothly and efficiently.
Develop an Implementation Strategy
Next is to develop an implementation strategy that is responsive to your organisation’s needs. Do your staff need to demonstrate long term abstinence from drugs? If so, you might need to consider Urine Testing. Are you concerned to ensure testing is non-invasive and relatively easy to implement? You might instead choose to implement Oral Fluid Testing. Are your staff transient or more long term? Sanctions for drug use might change with different employee styles. There are many strategic questions that you need to answer when developing your strategy.
Develop a Drug and Alcohol Policy
Having settled on a drug and alcohol program strategy, policy needs to be developed that meets your organisation’s strategy. Procedures will need to reflect your strategy as well. These procedures will address issues such as the style of testing you want to engage in and will also reflect issues such as sanctions for staff who test positive.
Communicate the Policy
Having developed drug testing policy and procedures that respond to your strategy and your previous consultation, you need to communicate them broadly within your organisation and get feedback.
Once your policy and procedures and initial communications have been finalised, it is very good practice to establish an initial education and awareness program involving all staff and addressing general education and awareness about drugs and alcohol as well as explaining in detail the policy and drug testing service procedures. This should be followed up regularly with toolbox talks and other mediums of education.
Commence the Program
At this point the drug testing service becomes very simple to implement and maintain. All staff should have a good understanding of the mechanics of the program and any sticking points should have been ironed out.
Measure and Monitor
Unfortunately, this is where many organisations leave their programs. They are satisfied that testing is occurring, generally on a semi regular basis. The problem is that over time, the initial reasons for testing are often forgotten and often people move on and other people join the organisation and assume responsibility for a program that many times they do not truly understand. Also for multisite organisations, it is hard to keep a handle on what is happening in the business in relation to drugs and alcohol. This is where regular reporting, benchmarking against industry trends and much other information assists with tracking the performance of the program as well as gaining a good picture of drugs and alcohol in your organisation.
We provide a range of statistical data and reporting that ensures that the program can be effectively monitored. Our expert advice assists you to refine and develop your program over time to respond to the needs of a modern health and safety environment.
To start the discussion about getting your program right for your workplace, contact us for an obligation free discussion.