It is unacceptable to use drugs at work in any sector. Going to work intoxicated has a lot of risks, especially if the job is physically demanding and includes heavy machinery. Rapid drug tests could be useful because the use of heavy machinery is typical for all manufacturing companies.
Did you know that 17.5 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively, of mining and construction site employees report heavy alcohol misuse while on the job? This is unsettling and quite risky.
Therefore, to lessen the harmful consequences of alcohol and substance addiction, your facility might request the usage of fast drug testing for each employee in your manufacturing company.
In this piece, we shall cover some reasons why your manufacturing company will benefit from an on-site drug testing protocol.
So let's get started on the risks involved, then jump to the kind of tests available and the best times to use these tests.
The Risks Involved with Drug Use on the Job
Nothing really good comes out of drug and substance abuse on the job. So here are the worst-case scenarios that may happen if a staff member in your company comes to work intoxicated.
Higher Risk of Life-Threatening Accidents
The first and most tragic turn of events occurring when someone is high is a horrific accident that alters one's life forever. These mishaps include heavy machinery falling on someone, being scorched by hot substances, fires, or gases, having machinery chop off fingers or limbs, or slipping from high places.
It might even get worse if one employee causes another employee diligently working sober the same suffering and sorrow. A case of partial or permanent impairment may develop. And death is worse off.
Specific medications impair a person's judgment and calibrations for certain tasks and measures that call for complete focus. So they start to pose a threat to both themselves and others if they are using it.
Loss of Productivity at Work
A person who abuses drugs or alcohol will also react slowly, reducing productivity—functioning drugged causes one to slouch and occasionally feel drowsy. Depending on the drug's effects, an employee may fall asleep at work, forget important tasks, or misuse company funds or resources to feed their addiction, which lowers productivity.
The ripple effects of even one employee reduce the output of the business. And this is especially true if they work as a core employee for the company, like a financier, manager, or head engineer on site.
To expound on how productivity may decrease, consider a truck driver who is in charge of delivering packages from one office to another. If they are intoxicated, they might stop numerous times for food or a little snooze. The overall result is a sharp decline in productivity in their job.
It May Result in you Losing Customers and your Company's Reputation
In the scenario mentioned above, where we used an intoxicated delivery driver as an example, the consequences of late deliveries may cost you customers and damage your company's reputation.
Due to the numerous complaints about late delivery, the shipping time is extended due to the late deliveries, which enrages the customers and ultimately prevents businesses from taking advantage of growth prospects.
As you can see, having a drug user in your business could damage your company's brand and drive away customers.
Type of On-Site Tests you Can Have to Avoid Any Mishaps At Work
You require instant drug tests as part of your inventory for your facility. They should test numerous people simultaneously, be accurate, and nearly instantly yield findings. They should also require no training or very little training to use.
Having said that, you might conduct one or more of the following rapid drug tests on-site for your manufacturing staff:
Saliva Drug Tests
Amphetamines, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP), cannabis (THC), and alcohol are among the compounds that a saliva test can identify.
Typically, saliva tests involve using a mouth cotton swab and a reagent that detects the presence of the substances mentioned above. If an employee's saliva contains a specific ingredient, the reagent changes color to a different shade depending on the drug utilized.
On-site saliva drug testing is affordable, painless, doesn't call for special training, and provides immediate results. In less than 5 minutes, you can receive the results from an instant saliva drug testing kit.
Urine Drug Tests
You can utilize urine testing to determine if someone has used any substances we just described.
They also provide instant drug results immediately, but the primary concern is that someone might tamper with the sample. An employee may try to use a different pee sample since one is obliged to urinate in a cup behind closed doors.
You can lose out on discovering an addict within your personnel due to this. Therefore, they continue to be a risk to you, themselves, and their coworkers.
Hair Drug Tests
Hair tests may detect the use of cocaine, PCP, opiates, amphetamines, and THC. These tests are rarely instantaneous since the hair follicles collected need to be taken back to the lab for better tests.
These tests are still important as they indicate long-term drug use, which may be vital, especially if you use this test at pre-employment.
Times You May Use These Rapid Testing Tests
The best periods for your manufacturing organization to use these on-site instant drug tests are as follows:
Pre-employment Phase
This is when you administer any of the aforementioned exams before your manufacturing company hires a potential employee.
Taking these exams before employment is essential because they enable you to determine the type of individual you are selecting. However, occasionally you could uncover a candidate who meets all of your requirements for experience and knowledge but whose single limiting factor is a history of drug use. If they can demonstrate that they are not using anymore, it is best to let them know that you will do saliva or urine tests in the future to verify their honesty.
Random
Any time an employee is at work and is present, a random drug test may be conducted on-site. These are the best since they catch a person off guard and prevent them from having a test escape strategy.
The use of random drug testing is particularly beneficial for employees who operate heavy machinery, drive or work on dangerous construction sites. This can assist your employees in avoiding becoming one of the 32 casualties of drunk driving in the US daily.
Post-accident
After a horrifying accident when intoxication may have been a significant cause, you may be required to use a drug test on the employee. To identify the primary cause, the person who caused the accident is put through thorough drug testing for any potential drugs.
To avoid a recurrence of the incident or worse, these rapid drug tests may also be administered to all other employees who work in that division or all other departments.
After Noticing Behavioral Changes
Lastly, if you have reason to believe that some of your employees are abusing drugs, drug testing supplies may also be useful. Some telltale indicators may include stumbling to work, forgetting crucial information about a crucial activity like turning off heaters, confusion, slurred speech, anger, and a decline in personal cleanliness.
Please be aware that these are but a few indications and that there may be others concealed beneath the surface.
Therefore, you can purchase drug testing supplies on-site to conduct a random drug test if you suspect anyone is using hazardous chemicals.
Things to Note with On-Site Drug Testing
Even though you may want to have rapid drug tests on-site or take advantage of a drug test for sale deal, there are several factors that you need to be aware of. They are:
- The laws of the state your factory is in: Despite the federal government allowing post-accident workplace drug tests under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, some states may have extra laws in place regarding the same. You must ensure that you comply with these laws to avoid lawsuits from the government or workers on your payroll.
- Some medications may cause the same reactions as some drugs: Before firing an employee for a positive drug test, remember that occasionally the prescriptions they take can also test positive. Encourage the employee to submit to additional testing, such as a blood test, to support their denial of drug use in such circumstances.
- If the drug testing supplies are mishandled, you may have false positives: Drug testing supplies need to be handled with care. You must transport, store, and use them as per the instructions. Suppose you do not; they may offer faulty results, including false positives.
Where To Get Drug Testing Supplies
Contact us at Drug Testing Supplies if you want all the tests we've covered and training on how to use them. Additionally, we provide drug screening kits that can detect THC, cocaine, opiates, oxycodone, and much more. We also have Covid-19 testing kits for home and facility tests.
Visit our website or call 1-321-206-0302 to view or ask about our whole inventory, which you may utilize for the on-site testing lab in your manufacturing facility