Quality of D&A Testing Programs Does Matter The impact of drugs and alcohol on the workplace is staggering.

The Australian Drug Foundation estimates that alcohol and other drugs have a usiness cost of !" illion. The costs are associated with accidents #$% percent&' employees taking a day(off' lost productivity' and so on. ) *nstituting a drug and alcohol policy and random testing program are first steps in com ating the terri le conse+uences of drug and alcohol misuse. ,owever' simply having written D&A policy and procedures is not enough. -mployers need a +uality program that encompasses the ody of knowledge concerning workplace su stance a use' which is always growing. Drug and alcohol use and addiction is a complicated topic. At one time' people elieved that anyone could overcome addiction without help' if the person was sincere a out stopping su stance a use. .ow there is increasing evidence that people actually /rewire0 their rain' and making the decision to +uit drugs and alcohol is not always possi le without intervention. At one point' it was also elieved that stress had a minimal impact on the decision to use drugs ecause it was all a matter of choice. After numerous surveys and studies' it is elieved that workplace stressors do influence a person1s decision to consume drugs or alcohol. *n addition' it was fairly recent that health researchers egan studying the impact of e2ternal factors on workplace drug use. -2ternal factors include an employee1s eliefs a out taking drugs or drinking alcohol' family lifestyle' community cultural norms' and personal values. -mployees arrive at the workplace with e2pectations' eliefs' perspectives' and a history of ehaviours. *n hindsight' it seems so o vious that people do not leave their personal lives ehind 3ust ecause they started working. 4u stance a use is the result of a complicated mi2 of internal and e2ternal factors.$ Evaluate and Revise 5ased on that premise and acked up y research' a +uality and most effective workplace drug and alcohol program involves more than issuing a policy and conducting drug and alcohol tests. The Australian Drug foundation offers guidelines for developing a workplace policy. The policy should6 7 5e ased on uni+ue workplace risks' i.e. work location' type of work' co( worker su cultures' and so on

Thoroughly and clearly delineate goals and o 3ectives' and clearly state the employer1s position on su stance use in the workplace 8learly descri e relevant workplace issues and conditions and e2pected ehaviours at usiness events' like office parties' meetings' and cele rations 9utline procedures for responding to workers who test positive for drugs or alcohol' emphasising opportunities for counseling and reha ilitation 5e clearly communicated and regularly reinforced through ongoing employee training and education 5e clearly understood management y managers and supervisors responsi le for program

:o through regular evaluation to ensure the policy is relevant and successful 5e presented in the conte2t of workplace safety and employer health

-mployers often overlook the evaluation step' yet that is the only way to verify whether goals are attained or that strategies are effective. The evaluation can report on the num er of incidences' patterns of use' employee attitudes towards the policy' management perspectives' and other factors the employer considers important. ;hen communicating drug testing procedures' it is important to present them in a way that raises awareness of workplace risks. *t is common to mostly discuss things like who will e tested and who will do the testing. That is not enough ecause it removes ;orkplace Drug Testing from the igger picture of workplace health and safety and turns it into a rote procedure. Focusing on What is Important A +uality drug and alcohol policy and program is focused on the people who make up the organisation and not 3ust on monitoring. Poorly designed and implemented D&A policies and procedures can cause more harm than good in terms of employee relations and reducing workplace risks. The policy should e comprehensive' offer opportunities for counseling' re+uire ongoing employee education' and e a ma3or tool for creating a workplace culture of intolerance for drugs and alcohol. *t is not something written' pu lished' and then filed away' never to e changed or revised. At 8MM Technology #cmm.com.au&' e2perienced professionals work closely with managers to provide the right type of drug and alcohol testing supplies that facilitate usiness o 3ectives. The saliva' urine' and reath tests are designed to make testing as efficient as possi le and add to the +uality of the D&A program. This article has een taken from 6 http6<<cmm.com.au<articles<+uality(of(da( testing(programs(does(matter<