High Quality Drug and Alcohol Testing and Monitoring in the Aviation Industry: An Imperative

Drug and alcohol use and misuse in industry is frequently hidden, unidentified and unreported. The aviation industry is “no different, and it has been estimated that alcohol abuse and dependence affects approximately 5-8% of all pilots, similar to the proportions in other professional occupations such as law and medicine.” In view of this fact and the findings of the Hamilton Island accident involving six fatalities, mandatory testing was introduced in Australia in 2007. It is therefore imperative a stringent approach to drug and alcohol testing in the aviation industry is affected, and thoroughly and properly maintained.

CMM Technology produces both quality testing equipment in line with Australian standards and also offers a leading consulting service in the area of policy development and program recommendations for testing practices. While drug and alcohol testing and consulting cannot be viewed as stand-alone cure-alls, they must be regarded as an intrinsic component of a thorough, multi-faceted, responsible and cost-effective drug and alcohol risk management approach.  This view is further backed by the Review into Safety Benefits of Introducing Drug and Alcohol Testing for Safety Sensitive Personnel in the Aviation Sector, 2006. A broad range of views were received with regard to available drug testing options for the report, with supporters arguing it is imperative that any drug and alcohol testing regime included both random and regular options. The types of testing to be considered were: pre-employment, for reasonable cause, post incident or accident, periodic, post treatment or follow up and random.”

Furthermore, the report recommended:

·    zero tolerance testing should apply to five illicit drug groups – cocaine, marijuana, Opiates, amphetamines and phencyclidine 

·     Industry be encouraged to implement testing as part of a broader response to drug and

Alcohol use in safety-sensitive roles – including better employee education, encouragement of staff to self-identify substance abuse problems and employee assistance programs offering the opportunity of rehabilitation and return to duty.

As Sir John Wheeler maintained in 2005, “employers and issuing authorities should have an ongoing obligation to monitor their employees and alert the central authority if any significant concerns arise at the workplace, including alcoholism or drug use.” While this is now legislated, aviation companies are better able to develop thorough testing and monitoring procedures by sourcing leading, cost-effective testing procedures and specialists such as those supplied by CMM Technology.

For further information on consulting services and cutting edge products, phone CMM Technologies on Tel: +618-9204-2500

Does Drug Free Workplace Cleanliness Affect Overall Substance Abuse?

Drug Free Workplace

Is it really true that cleanliness is next to holiness? Well, it may not make any of us any more righteous that we were before, but it sure contributes to important issues like safety, morale and confidence.

In research performed by Michael O’Toole, he examines how employee perception of safety is crucial to an organizational culture. Companies which have limited funds available to deal with on-the-job injuries are trying to find ways in which they can organize and manage smarter, in more effective ways. It was found that injury rates were tied to the management’s commitment to safety, which in turn impacted employee perception of safety. Not only were work-related risks increased, but production decreased and efficiency decreased, which were both related to employee perception of lack of safety. These findings support the fact that management should consider drug and alcohol testing more than just company protocol, but also a part of safety procedures.

Cleanliness contributes to two measures of satisfaction: safety and aesthetic appeal. Arthur Brief and Howard Weiss state that the drug free workplace and how it appears affects the attitudes of the employees. This is not just how their mindsets are directly affected, but also how the employees think of the company itself, how it is set up and how they view the upper management. It is based partly upon aesthetic appeal, but also on spacious areas and light colors, which especially affect mood during the winter months and when the employee works long hours.

Brief and Weiss also discuss how influences in the workplace drug test are two-sided. Not only does the organizational structure affect the moods of the employees, but employees’ moods also affect the company. Therefore, it is vital to maintain excellent management-staff relations, not only for the sake of the staff, but also for the sake of everyone. Reactions, disbursement, temperaments, feelings of well-being, and creativity are all a part of the company atmosphere and organizational standard.

Substance abuse testing and cleanliness are one and the same. They each contribute to the internal health of the organization. Any company cannot base their success solely upon revenue. People (both staff and customers), creativity, innovation, acceptance and bonding, workplace environments, and healthy communication are all factors in a strong organization.

Devote time and energy to drug and alcohol testing, as well as to cleanliness. They are interrelated and both provide useful services to your business. Call CMM Technology for drug and alcohol testing equipment today: +618-9204-2500.

Debunking Common Drug Testing Myths

It seems that as each day passes, a new myth is born about how a person can pass or fail a drug test. Not only are many of these myths completely untrue, but some of the more popular ones are actually dangerous. Obviously, the most effective way to pass a drug test is not to take drugs and the methods of cheating the system that are to follow are about as ridiculous as they come. From drinking an excessive amount of certain fluids to overdosing on over the counter medications, be wary of the many attempts that people will make to hide the fact that they are doing drugs.

Marijuana is the most common drug that people will try to cover up in a drug test, and due to the fact that THC attaches itself to fat cells, it is virtually impossible to disguise the presence of THC in a urine sample. A common myth is that drinking an excessive amount of water will help flush the THC out of a person’s system. In reality however, all that drinking a lot of water will do is dilute the test and allude to the fact that the person is trying to cheat the system. Vinegar and pickle juice yield the same result as water while dehydrating the person’s body in the process.

An extremely dangerous method of passing pre screening recently is to take an overdose of aspirin. Overdosing on aspirin will not help anyone pass a drug test and it can actually cause kidney and liver failure if the overdose is severe. Other myths have circulated that taking ibuprofen will result in a positive drug test result. The moral of the story is that over the counter pain medications don’t influence urine or saliva drug test in any way.

Finally, be very wary of the cleansing systems that are advertised on the internet. These systems are advertised to flush all of the toxins out of a person’s system and, as a result, clear the urine of all traces of drugs. However, THC metabolite stays in our fat cells and will continue to come out in our urine for anywhere between days to months. Cleansing systems may be very good for cleaning out our digestive tracts, but they are no way to pass a drug test.

Lastly, urine and saliva drug tests will pick up any trace of drug metabolite in a person’s system. However, to test positive for drugs, an individual must exceed a cutoff point that eliminates the possibility of having contact with a drug through a friend or family member. For this reason, common fears that coming in contact with marijuana smoke will cause a positive drug test result are unfounded.

If you have any more questions about the accuracy of drug testing or to find out more about CMM Technology’s drug testing products, please contact us at +618-9204-2500 or email us atinfo@cmm.com.au .

Alcohol Testing Australia, Drug Test, Urine Drug Test

In a case study by Dr. Holland, new drug and alcohol testing procedures in the mining industry were not disputed in the mining workplace, but an incomplete evaluation program certainly was. Since drug and alcohol use (as well as abuse) could be the result of a stressful workplace environment, if regular and randomized testing was to be implemented, the inherent need for stress-free surroundings at work required more than simply submitting samples for drug test.

However, stress at work can easily be caused by under-qualified and under trained individuals, coworkers and members of management. At CMM Technology™, in addition to our drug and alcohol testing training and courses, we offer courses in Life Support, Senior First Aid, Cert IV TAA, Manual Handling, Grader, Haul Truck, Chainsaw, Loader, Excavator, and many more.

Although compliance with alcohol testing helps to make the workplace more efficient, which in turn reduces stress, self education and edification, can contribute greatly to calm, steady, peaceful working environments. Both factors are important to achieve high efficiency and to retain high quality employees.

During any type of economic instability, it may seem that training employees “just enough” to get by will at least keep your business afloat. This, however, was not true in more famous examples such as the Exxon Valdez oil tanker, where an under-trained officer ran the ship aground on well-charted Bligh Reef and the St. Francis dam collapse, where self-taught and under-qualified civil engineer, William Mulholland, built a dam above the St. Francis Quito Canyon, in order to provide water for Los Angeles residents. Mulholland was the only one in charge and both the dam and the rock upon which the dam was built were insufficient for the task. In these circumstances, companies and businesses can prevent disaster by providing adequate training, not only in work duties, but also in company and legal protocol. Protocol is set in place to avoid “what if” situations, where chain of custody or reactions to unique environments is not clearly defined.

In the above examples, a great amount of damage can be caused in a short amount of time and through improper supervising procedures. Receiving adequate training and courses such as the ones listed above can greatly reduce accidents, injury, death and loss of revenue in high-hazard work environments. Drug and alcohol testing, especially around major holidays, can reduce additional damage due to slowed reaction time, poor judgment and carelessness. Incomplete knowledge can, in some circumstances, be more dangerous than having no knowledge at all. Keep yourself and your employee’s safe by receiving the proper training and testing.

Can Drug and Alcohol Screening in Your Business Save You Money?

Drug Test Kits

Drug and alcohol testing is not always seen as entirely cost-effective. However, it is quite financially efficient. Logically speaking, employees under the influence of illicit substances have consistently lower levels of productivity. Even small areas of low productivity can significantly affect an entire organization. When one part of the business is sluggish, it slows down the remaining departments. In addition to this, better pre-employment strategies, such as drug screening, was found to save a test organization up to $162 per applicant hired among a test group of 2533 applicants, in a study by Zwerling, Ryan and Orav.^[1]

In another research project, the total annual loss of productivity due to drug and alcohol abuse was estimated at $100 billion.^[2] The research states that two factors have been the leading cause for using urinalysis for drug testing: the growing demand for drug testing in the workforce, and technical developments in drug testing methods, which allow for easier, more widespread and more cost effective testing. At this point, reliable, low-cost testing equipment is necessary and would prevent individual organizations from losing money on their testing programs, rather than increasing income because of them.

Employees under the influence have consistently low levels of job retention. The organization must foot the bill for high employee turnover. Not only does low job retention affect the organization as a whole, but it affects coworkers who retain steady, reliable, trustworthy employment. In a study conducted by David Parish,^[3] it was determined that a minimum of 10% higher rate of employee turnover occurred in drug-positive workers than in their negatively-tested counterparts, and that drug-positive office staff were significantly more likely to be fired or to leave without notice than the managerial staff. Organizations are less likely to be able to retain high quality workers when pre-employment testing is not maintained, and office staff is more likely to have a high employee turnover rate than staff in a more professional or managerial capacity, although management also tested positive. This was to a lesser degree, but the difference in drug-positive testing between upper and lower management was not considered due to less usage, but to the lower echelon staff receiving more frequent evaluations from which they could be fired.

At CMM Technology, we offer steady, consistent alcohol and drug testing equipment and training, at an affordable and easily serviceable price. Our services will reduce the stress environment in your business, as well as remain cost-effective.

For expert assistance on a quality workplace drug testing solution, contact our team of industry professionals today on (+618) 9204 2500.

1. “JAMA — Abstract: Costs and Benefits of Preemployment Drug Screening, January 1, 1992, Zwerling et al. 267 (1): 91.” JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, a weekly peer-reviewed medical journal published by AMA. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/267/1/91.

2. “NCJRS Abstract – National Criminal Justice Reference Service.” National Criminal Justice Reference Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=132364.

3. Parish, David C.. “Relation of the Pre-employment Drug Testing Result To Employment Status: A One-year Follow-up.” SpringerLink.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. www.springerlink.com/content/b442n8x8373164w6/fulltext.pdf.

Lion AlcoBlow® – a fully portable, handheld professional breathalyser

Lion AlcoBlow

An effective method for monitoring your workforce’s alcohol intake is by utilising alcohol detection technology. At CMM Technology, we offer a wide variety of alcohol testing products which can accurately determine the level of alcohol in the human breath.
One of most advanced and simple to use, state-of-the-art, digital handheld breathalysers, is the Lion AlcoBlow. This fully portable, handheld professional breathalsyer is recommended for use by authorised collectors and security personnel in the workplace. Other industry applications suitable for this unit include: mining; correction facilities; and education establishments.

What makes this device a sensible and practical choice for your workplace drug and alcohol testing program is its simple operation features and lightweight design. Consequently, training requirements are minimal and the Lion AlcoBlow can be operated at multiple sites as necessary. The Lion AlcoBlow can also be used as an alternative or in addition to fixed breathalyzer wall units that are held at one site.

Another good reason why the Lion AlcoBlow is a popular choice for most businesses and organisations is that each test is performed at a low cost. For example, unlike conventional alcohol breath testing instruments, the Lion AlcoBlow makes no physical contact with the subject. This means there are no disposable mouthpieces (which are an additional cost consideration for comparable units).

Listed below are additional key product features which make the Lion AlcoBlow breathalyser unit an excellent choice for your workplace drug and alcohol testing program, including:

• Easy functions: two button control to enable easy operation and readings.

• Fast readings: to enable the collector/supervisor to determine whether a driver or employee has ingested any alcohol in his or her body – literally, within seconds.

• Accurate analysis: the Lion fuel cell sensor ensures high specificity to alcohol.

• Durability: the unit has a long, stable working life.

• Easy to read display: the subject’s alcohol level is shown on a single LED.

• Meets AS3547 Australian Standard.

Alternatively, you can contact the expert CMM Technology Team to further discuss your needs and our other breathlayser ranges on (+618) 9204 2500.