Workplace drug & Alcohol Testing

Why should your business perform drug and alcohol testing?

• Employers that have implemented a drug testing program have experienced a 51% reduction in workplace injury rates within two years of implementing the program.(1)

• Companies that engaged in random drug testing in combination with pre employment drug testing reduced their mean workers' compensation claims per 100 employees per year by 63.7 percent.  (4)

• The benefit to cost ratio for a drug and alcohol management program is approximately 26:1. (2)

Medvet provides a workplace drug testing and alcohol testing service Australia wide. 

We offer the largest nationally authorised on-site drug testing collection force in Australia.  Medvet Laboratories holds AS 4308:2008 urine testing accreditation and AS 4760:2006 Section 2 oral fluid testing accreditation.  We can manage all aspects of your workplace drug and alcohol testing program; from policy development and drug testing sample collection, to result analysis and dissemination.  We are with you every step of the way. 

Medvet also has a range of urine drug testing, saliva drug testing and alcohol breath testing products to identify drug use in your workplace. 

The cost of employee drug use to your business:(3)

72.5% of adult illicit drug users and 90% of alcoholics are employed.

• Increased Costs to Employers: On average, $7,000 to $25,000 per abuser.
• Higher Workers’ Compensation Costs: 38% to 50% of workers’ compensation cases are linked to substance abuse. (National Council on Compensation Insurance)
  
• Higher Medical Costs: Substance abusers are 3 times more likely to use sick leave and have 2.5 times more absences.
  
• Higher Turnover and Absenteeism: A worker under the influence is 3 times more likely to be late to work and have changed employers more than 3 times in the last year.
  
• Lost Productivity: Substance abusers are 33% less productive than their non-abusing co-workers.
  
• More Workplace Accidents and Fatalities: 40% of industrial fatalities are associated with alcohol abuse.  Drug abusers are 3.5 times more likely to be involved in workplace accidents. (Occupational Medicine)
  
• More Workplace Thefts and Violence: 80% of drug abusers steal from their employer to support their drug use and substance abuse is the 3rd leading cause of workplace violence.
  

The benefits of drug testing:

Cost savings

• Reduced medical and health insurance costs
• Reduced property, casualty, and liability insurance costs
• Reduced Workers' Compensation claims and lower premiums
• Lower costs due to losses and errors
• Decreased legal costs and costs of hiring and training new employees
• Reduced costs due to absenteeism, theft, and fraud

Safety improvements

• Fewer accidents
• Fewer disciplinary actions

Increased workforce morale

• Less chance that a current drug user will apply for a job and be hired
• Ability to respond quickly for  problems with alcohol or other drug abuse
• Improved productivity
• Greater awareness regarding drug abuse and related issues
• Earlier identification and resolution of problems affecting job performance

To see how saliva testing, urine testing, or breath testing methods can be easily implemented at your workplace, contact Medvet today.

The different methods of drug testing:

At Medvet we advise you of the best workplace drug testing methods to suit your needs. The table below outlines the advantages and disadvantages of each drug testing method that Medvet can provide.

1 Myers L. Construction company drug testing reduces work injuries - Cornell Chronicle. June 29, 2000

2 Effectiveness and benefit-cost of peer-based workplace substance abuse prevention coupled with random testing, Accident; Analysis and Prevention (2007). Author(s): Zaloshnja, E.; Miller, T. R.; and Spicer, R. S.

3 (Sources: Working Partners, National Conference Proceedings Report sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Labor, the SBA, and the ONDCP; National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Dept. of Health & Human Services

4 The Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice - http://www.globaldrugpolicy.org/3/4/4.php