Meet Area Drug and Alcohol Testing
Drug testing in the workplace has little to do with distrust of your employees, according to Larry Akers of Area Drug and Alcohol Testing (ADAT), 613 Maine.
“You rely on your employees to make products or provide services so your company can make a profit. Your employees rely on you to provide a safe workplace. Drug use works against all of that. Testing is a business decision; it’s not personal,” he says.
Larry, who is a licensed professional nurse and certified as a professional collector and breath alcohol tester, has been testing employees for 13 years. Recently, he partnered with Staci Hamilton and two opened a storefront in the Historic Quincy Business District for pre-employment screening and walk-in clients. His company most often uses a standard five-panel drug screen that tests for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, opiates, and amphetamines. He also offers a nine-panel screen and an alcohol urine test.
“Many of our clients are mandated by the Department of Transportation to perform drug testing on their truck drivers, school bus drivers, or because they are employees of the Coast Guard, airlines, and railroads,” says Larry. “We are also seeing more and more companies voluntarily drug test because they have been impacted by Workers Compensation claims; they are trying to protect themselves against future claims.”
According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration website statistics, “the vast majority of drug users are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don't leave their problems at the door. Of the 17.2 million illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2005, 12.9 million (74.8 percent) were employed either full or part time.”
Area Drug and Alcohol Testing also performs random and post-accident testing at worksites and drug and alcohol screening for teens at a parent’s request. All tests are urine-based and results can be secured immediately in the office or sent to an outside lab. State-issued ID cards or passports are required to prove identity, precautions are taken to prevent tampering of the sample, and a strict chain-of-command protocol is followed when sending the sample outside the office.
“False positive tests are very rare,” states Larry. “In those instances, we have a physician who serves as our Medical Review Officer and calls the individual to see if there is a logical reason for that positive test. Maybe the person took a pain pill within the last 24 hours or an over-the-counter cold medication.”
Tests cost $25 for the rapid in-office screening and $35 for the specimen to be sent to an outside lab. Appointments can be made between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or Larry can come to your worksite to test multiple employees or following an accident. ADAT also performs fingerprinting and background checks, DNA/paternity testing and physical exams.
“I know that smaller employers, especially, are reluctant to test their employees,” admits Larry. “They believe they know their employees and that it would be obvious if one of them was using alcohol or drugs. Not so. In fact, because larger companies enforce drug testing, the users often find refuge in a smaller company. Those business owners need to protect themselves and their other workers.”
For more information, call Larry or Staci at 217-223-4300.
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