Texas CPR Training, LLC
Serving Dallas Texas and surrounding areas
 

• Corporate Pre-Employment Drug Testing
• Corporate Random Drug Testing
• Worker & Supervisor Education

Drug Screening Services

DOT Drug Test

Employee Drug Testing

Non-DOT Drug Testing

Advantages of Substance Abuse Testing

In 1997, the federal goverment reported that approximately 14 million adults were "current" illegal drug users ("current" meaning within the past 30 days). In addition to this, 24 million people admitted to illicit drug use at least once in the past year and 74 million admitted to the use of illicit drugs at some point in their lives.

What does this mean to you? Well, 75 percent of these drug users are employed -- that is more than 10 million employees that are coming to work under the influence of an illegal substance and we haven't even factored in the use of alcohol!

The fact is that substance abuse affects every company. Employees that are involved with drug use or alcohol use cost your company money. These employees are more likely to be tardy, have a higher absenteeism rate, file more insurance claims, file more workers comp claims, and are usually less productive in their job.

At NTA, Inc., our goal is to help your company develop a policy and testing program that will encourage a drug free work environment, which in turn will produce a higher quality workforce and an overall cost savings.

Almost every state in America has some Drug Free Workplace laws in place that require insurance companies to give discounts on Workers Compensation insurance for client companies that perform regular drug testing. These discounts can be as high as 15-20% in some states. Laws Relating to Drug Testing The federal government maintains strict laws that require the transportation industry to perform drug testing. But what about companies that are NOT in the transportation industry? Suprisingly, there are very few federal laws concerning drug testing by companies with non-safety-sensitive employees. However, there are some stipulations with the Labor Law that do address the issue of drug testing. These laws state that the employer must have a written policy available to every employee that outlines the following: Who is subject to drug testing? When drug testing will be performed (pre-employment, random, post accident, etc.). What are the consequences of a positive drug screen are. The other consideration is consistency. If your company policy states that an employee is terminated for a positive drug screen, then every employee that tests positive must be terminated. Please see our page on "Drug Free Workplace Policy" for more details. Types of Testing Available Pre-employment Pre-employment drug screening is your first line of defense when screening your prospective employees. Serious employment prospects should be sent for a drug screen and only hired upon a negative result. Pre-employment drug testing is performed on approximately 1/3 of America's job seekers. Random Random testing is a popular choice among employers due to its high deterrent effect. NTA, Inc., clients may choose a random selection frequency of monthly or quarterly. Our randoms are electronically generated by a computer program written to ensure that each time a selection is made, every employee has an equal chance of being chosen. Post Accident Post accident drug testing is usually performed following an accident where any of the following occurrences have taken place: the accident involved a fatality any of the participants in the accident received bodily injury required immediate medical treatment away from the scene a workers compensation claim may be filed Reasonable Suspicion Some companies do require employees to submit to reasonable suspicion testing when a *trained supervisor or company official has reason to believe that the employee may be under the influence of drugs. *Supervisor Training Information. Return to Duty Return To Duty testing is usually performed when company policy allows an employee to return to work following a positive drug screen. Follow-Up If an employee passes his/her Return To Duty test and is allowed by company policy to return to work, Follow-Up testing is used to encourage the employee to "stay clean". Follow-Up testing usually involves 3 - 6 unannounced drug screens administered within the next 12 months of employment. Follow-Up testing should be used in conjunction with other types of drug screening (such as random). Drugs Included in Testing The general recommendation of NTA, Inc. is that employers follow a standard 5-panel drug screen. The following five drugs are proven to be the most commonly used: Type of Drug Most Positive Results Marijuana 60% Cocaine 16% Opiates 9.4% (Codeine, Morphine, Heroin) Amphetamines 4.9% ("Speed") Phencyclidine .34% (PCP) Basic Controlled SubstanceTesting Procedures Notification An employee shall report to a collection facility as soon as possible following notification that a drug screen must be taken.   Laboratory Screening When the specimen arrives at the laboratory, the primary specimen is opened and used for testing. The split specimen is stored at the laboratory for possible later use. The screening process requires tight security and utilization of the internal chain of custody forms at all times by laboratory personnel from the time the specimen is received until the time it is finally destroyed. Each specimen is required to undergo an initial screen followed by confirmation of all positive screen results. Any specimen found positive by the initial screen must be confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to determine exact levels. After the specimen has been through the screening process, the result is reported to the Medical Review Officer through electronic means that maintain confidentiality.   Drug Screen Results Negative Results Negative results are reported by fax or email to the company's confidential contacts. All reports are confidential, therefore strict procedures are in place to insure that only designated company officials receive information regarding test results.   Positive Results Positive results are processed by the Medical Review Officer following similar rules that apply to federal drug testing. The MRO makes every effort to contact the donor to discuss the possibility of a medical explanation. If no wrriten medical explanation is given, the result is verified as positive. When the paperwork is completed, the result is reported verbally to the company's confidential contact and a written confirmation is sent by mail marked "Confidential". The same procedure is followed to report the test result if it is confirmed negative by written documentation from a physician. Medical review is not required for non-federal testing. If you wish, all negative and positive results can be reported the same way as described above for negative results. Consequences of a Positive Controlled Substance Test After a verified positive drug screen, the following disciplinary action(s) must be taken: After a verified positive drug screen, the following disciplinary action(s) are suggested: (company policy should clearly outline the consequences) Termination; when your company policy requires it. 24 - 48 hour suspension with a return to duty test required.

DOT Regulations and Information
		US Department of Transportation
		The Federal Register
		Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
		Federal Aviation Administration
		Federal Railroad Administration
		Federal Transit Administration
		Maritime Administration
		Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

NonDOT Laws and Information
		Drug & Alcohol Industry Testing Association
		Department of Labor
		Federal Drug Administration - CLIA
		Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services