Consortiums help make DOT drug testing effective

Posted by SharonEvans on March 21st, 2015

Drug abuse including excessive alcohol consumption is considered to be one of the biggest challenges of modern society. Substantial evidence has proved that drug abuse can not only increase propensity towards committing crime but can also pose a serious threat to safety at workplace. Employers have realized that this can affect the image of the company and also can compromise with its bottom line. While larger enterprises can organize their own drug testing program to curb this menace, the lesser resourced businesses may find it a bit difficult. The federal government supports drug testing consortiums for such companies that must comply with drug testing regulations. Any business associated with U.S. Department of Transport (DOT) falls under this category and must have a stringent DOT drug testing policy in place.

A drug testing consortium is a professional agency that aids in planning a drug testing program at your workplace. They can also help in forming the DOT drug testing policies that conform to FAA, FMCSA or PUC guidelines. People in the business of transportation perform a responsible task as safety of the citizens is in their hands. It can be an airline crew or a commercial vehicle driver whose safe conduct can ensure the wellbeing of millions who avail their service in everyday life.

After framing a policy the drug testing consortium will plan out the drug testing schedule and educate the employees on the program. The agency will have its own resource to collect samples from employees, get them tested at reliable laboratories and arrange for test results to be delivered to you. The entire activity of DOT drug testing is well documented and all test results are stored for future reference. Record keeping is an important aspect of drug testing as objective evidence is very important and many business houses might falter here. The consortium offers support in storing all relevant records.

The drug testing consortium has liaison with reputed pathological labs that are equipped with trained technicians, modern instruments and are certified by DHHS. They are adept in performing all relevant tests and provide cold storage for specimens collected. Drug testing when carried out regularly is a good deterrent for errant employees as they fear getting exposed. DOT drug testing can be undertaken at random which is prevalent in most sensitive work environments like aviation. Periodic testing is more of a planned program and is held at scheduled interval. Post-accident testing is a confirmatory test done on workers directly involved in an accident. Employers can also conduct test on employees who are under reasonable doubt as well as on employees who are to join back after rehabilitation.

A drug testing consortium offers business houses a convenient option of conducting drug testing without having to maintain their own resources for the same. Since such agencies work for many firms they have a well-established infrastructure ensuring their service remain cost effective. When you have a DOT drug testing policy firmly in place you do not run the risk of being on the wrong side of the law as the government conducts audits on such procedures. Apart from keeping your business secured you also ensure a safe environment for your employees.

A drug testing consortium is an expert adviser who can guide you in enforcing an effective DOT drug testing at your workplace.