Effective screening policies for every industry
—In Canada, substance use remains a significant workplace safety concern. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), substance use contributes to lost productivity, workplace injuries, and increased healthcare costs, with total costs estimated at over $46 billion annually across all sectors. Alcohol alone accounts for more than 40% of these costs. With decades of global experience, Dräger supports Canadian employers, safety professionals, and policymakers with reliable alcohol and drug screening solutions. Trusted by law enforcement and workplaces worldwide for over 60 years, Dräger continues to lead the way in helping organizations protect their people and assets.
Drug and alcohol corporate testing policies
It’s important to understand the legal implications and high costs your business could incur due to drug and alcohol impairment in the workplace. As an employer, you should keep up to date with changing legislation around substance misuse.
Under the Canada Labour Code (for federally regulated employers) and provincial Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Acts, companies are obliged to provide a safe place of work as far as reasonably practicable – and implementing corporate testing policies can help to a great extent in this regard. There are several test categories when workplace testing may become applicable: for cause, post-incident, random, pre-employment, post-rehabilitation/return to work, and job-specific.
Employers and workplaces that wish to carry out drug and alcohol testing on employees must have a workplace policy in place, which is compliant with human rights laws and ensures the accommodation of employees with substance use disorders, where applicable.
What do substance screening policies look like?
Every policy relating to drugs and alcohol should be outlined in a formal corporate document that defines your company’s stance on drugs and alcohol at work. These documents should provide clear instructions for employees and employers, formal information on non-compliance, details on how abuse issues will be handled and a procedure whereby employees with a problem can seek assistance.
The advantages of screening policies
Effective drug and alcohol testing policies can help to ensure the safety of your staff and other people around them. They can act as deterrents, helping to ensure all employees are aware of the risks, consequences and legal costs of their actions. They also help to maintain the reputation of your company and its products, safeguard company assets from damage and theft, reduce absenteeism and increase team morale, as well as demonstrate company standards – all of which can have a direct effect on your company’s progress and efficiencies.
Drug and alcohol testing policies – can you afford not to have one?
A drug and alcohol testing policy can have a positive impact on reducing mounting costs and potential problems in the workplace – and ensuring people are fit and safe to work should be a priority for every business. Read about how investing in an effective screening policy can be beneficial to your company.
Pros and Cons - Oral Fluid Drug Testing v Urine Drug Testing
—Hygiene, time-efficiency, accuracy and workplace over lifestyle testing are some of the things we believe to be advantageous with oral fluid drug testing over urine testing.
Advantages of Oral Fluid Testing
Disadvantages of Oral Fluid Testing
Advantages of Urine Testing
Disadvantages of Urine Testing
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