Bright Blue Seas

drug alcohol screening nationwide

Have you ever seen the movie The Shawshank Redemption? If you have not, then it’s okay to just keep reading. If you have, though, you will remember one of the last lines spoken by Morgan Freeman’s character. “I hope the Pacific Ocean is as blue as it has been in my dreams.”

“I hope.”

The point of this movie is the ability hold onto hope which, in other people, has long since died out in order to maintain some level of mental sanity. When prisoners are institutionalized, they become so satisfied and aware of their current surroundings that they no longer hope to get out any time soon, nor do they try to change their present circumstances. The protagonist of this story, Andy, has urged Morgan Freeman’s character, Red, to never lose hope, because hope is the last thing in life. Red tries to convince Andy to forget about getting out of prison before old age, because it is just a lost cause, and that hope can drive a man mad with desire to leave, rather than giving him the acceptance he needs to live in prison sanely.

But, Andy responds by telling Red that, without hope, you might as well die. He says, in one of the most famous lines in modern movie history, “I guess it depends upon whether you’re going to get busy living or get busy dying.”

If any of you know someone who has been through the ravages of drug abuse or alcoholism, you are fully aware of what “getting busy dying” can actually look like. The lack of hope, the lack of direction or the ability to propel yourself, and the lack of contact with this person until they are better really makes the situation seem dire, and almost threatening.

Mediscreen provides onsite drug testing and alcohol screening to business all over Australia, and we are NATA accredited for our drug testing. We know that it is of vital importance to keep your business workers regularly screened for illicit substances while on the jobsite. Your business needs the hope which comes from success and good employee mentalities. Your business needs hope, like the kind that the Pacific Ocean brings to Andy and Red. We even have ISO 9001 accreditation.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/bright-blue-seas/

Dirt, Mud, and Hands

Urine Drug Test

In many religions, people were made from mud. It is not just a Christian religious belief, but one which pervades many different religions the world over. The idea that human hands originally came from dirt is one of great significance. It is really important to not be swayed by too much sterility in this world, for washing away dirt from our hands is washing away our past.

This is the same reason why recovering alcoholics or drug addicts shouldn’t try to sterilize or get rid of their past. Their past is what made them who they are today, and that is really important for people who need to remember the good parts of who they are. When we are looking for redemption, we will easily find it in the simplest of pieces of salvation. That is why forgetting our drug induced or alcoholic past is not really a solution to the problem. People need to be able to look at their dirty, messy, chaotic roots, see them, accept them, and use them to dig deeper into the human experience which is called life.

At CMM Technology, we believe that your workers may or may not be abusing illicit substances while at work. The question is not whether they are or not, but how many and who it is. You see, even in the healthiest environments, our pasts, if ignored long enough, can reach up from the ground and pull us back to our ancestral earthy roots.

That is why CMM Technology has drug test equipment, alcohol test, and even a breathalyser recalibration service which is accredited by NATA. We know that it is important to know what your employees have been doing regarding their drug and alcoholic behavior in the workplace itself. Anything outside of that is not your domain, but this job, this workplace, and this office are yours. As the steward of the business, you must make the best decisions for the good of all of your employees, and that means having a plan in place for when someone has unacceptable drug test or alcohol test results.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/dirt-mud-and-hands/

Today’s Social Drinking University Students are Tomorrow’s Workplace Alcoholics

Alcohol Test

Managing a business requires intense focus on operations, Human Resources, and a myriad of goals, systems, projects, processes, and programs. One of the programs is the AOD program. For many companies, keeping drugs and alcohol out of the business is literally a full-time job in the sense that someone has a full-time responsibility for managing the alcohol and other drug testing program. However, employers are increasingly viewed as the points of contact for educating people on the inherent dangers of substance abuse. Governments and nonprofits now go even further and ask employers to participate in community and public programs, especially addressing alcohol abuse and its consequences. The reality is that alcoholism begins early in Australian life as children as young as 14 years old take their first drink and continue the practice as university students who binge drink. Employers should always keep in mind that the young social drinkers of today are tomorrow’s workplace alcoholics.

Employers have a vested interest in what is happening in Australian society. Alcoholics and binge drinkers do not suddenly become alcoholics and binge drinkers once employed. There is a good chance that many of them attended “schoolies” and “leavers”. These celebrations to mark the end of secondary school education frequently turn into secret binge drinking and drug taking opportunities. They are not intended to be that way, but teens who do not understand the potential harms are more likely to participate in the non-sanctioned activities.

Schoolies and Employers

There are good reasons for employers to care about “schoolies”. For example, teenagers who consume alcohol whilst the brain is still developing are more likely to experience brain damage and health complications in life when older. They are also more likely to have problems with alcohol in the future.1 Employers must deal with the consequences because these are the people making up the workforce.

The young adults attending universities are more at risk of continuing their teenage drinking patterns. La Trobe University addresses student drinking head-on. The university’s research and surveys indicated that only 46 percent of their students who consumed five or more alcoholic drinks averaged marks of credit or higher. However, 67 percent who drank less than three alcoholic drinks each week averaged marks of credit or higher.2

One of the interesting results of the La Trobe surveys is that 86 percent of students believed alcohol “breaks the ice”. Approximately 82 percent thought drinking was a social activity enhancer. The reality is that many of the students drinking more than five or more drinks did something regrettable at a later point. The “regrettables” were things like performing poorly on school work assignments or missing classes.

Drinking at Work for Social “Coolness”

However, it is easy to take the wrong student perceptions and translate them into the workplace. People who think drinking enhances social communication are more likely to turn to alcohol as an ice-breaker in the workplace or to prove social “coolness.” When employers allow alcohol at work events like picnics, award ceremonies, and holiday parties, they are sending a message that it takes alcohol to interact with others and to have a good time.

It is not just alcohol that is a problem, and the substance abuse issues are not limited to Australian students. There have been European and American studies conducted by researchers at the Basel and Zurich universities involving Swiss students. The results were alarming. Almost 14 percent of students were relying on some kind of neuroenhancement substance to improve their school performance.3 If they think drugs and alcohol will enhance school performance, why would they not think the same substances would enhance work performance?

Employers do need to care about what is going on in the community and the habits of the members of the future workplace. Developing increased awareness is one strategy in the effort to maintain a zero tolerance workplace and supplements other activities like onsite drug testing and breathalyser testing for alcohol. CMM Technology can help by offering expert policy development assistance, accurate drug testing technologies, and a host of breathalyser devices and NATA equipment calibration checks.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/today%E2%80%99s-social-drinking-university-students-are-tomorrow%E2%80%99s-workplace-alcoholics/

Breaking the Silence Code

Saliva Drug Test

Silence is used for meditation, it is used as punishment, it is used to think about things, and it is used to ponder over the day’s events or to remember past loved ones. Silence is where our minds, in their greatest and most powerful use, dwell with equanimity and full strength.

However, if you have ever lived with someone who is angry and silent about it or who uses silence as a punishment, then you are looking at a situation where you need to be able to break the silence code. In these times, we have some suggestions for you: First of all, make sure you are aware of the person’s body language and personal demeanor. This will tell you a lot more than just if they are angry or not. It will tell you if they are angry because they feel threatened, because they feel insulted, or because they feel hurt.

Secondly, make sure that you pay attention to the memories you have of this particular person. If you know anything about them, you should know whether this behavior is typical of their good or bad moods. Make sure that you are not transferring a bad experience you had with someone else onto this person.

Thirdly, be sure and feel them out before drawing any set conclusions about them. For example, you might say something softly to them, in keeping with their silent state, and see if they burst into talking or if they answer in a manner which is not typical for them. It is also important to remember that most people are either morning people or evening people (some are just afternoon people), and that any other time of the day may be too much for their personal skills.

CMM Technology hopes that you only have mild problems with silence from your employees, and that none of it is due to drug or alcohol abuse on the worksite. If, however, that is the case, then we afford you the opportunity to know about it as it happens. Our drug test equipment, alcohol test, and NATA accredited breathalyser recalibration services are all at your disposal.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/breaking-the-silence-code/

Be Happy Now, Not When You’ve Achieved Something

Drug Testing

When you base your happiness upon achievements which are not internally based, your whole life because like sands by the sea. It is rootless and it cannot stand if anything so much as a breeze happens along. However, if you make a conscious choice to be happy now, rather than when something is accomplished, you can avoid a lot of heartache and misery.

Achievements should, indeed, be recognized. For instance, if you practiced every day on your piano in order to play in a concert hall, then the achievement of playing well at the recital is something to be proud of. However, while you are preparing, you are probably enjoying playing the piano while you are practicing. This is not basing your enjoyment of the piano upon achievements but upon being in the moments and enjoying it, anyway.

It is really important that you employees have this mentality, too. Who wants to work with someone who is forever getting mixed up with the priorities with which they have been entrusted? It is a matter of professionalism and candor, and these things should not be attained only when your worker has completed the day’s work. By working at your job throughout the day, you are building and breaking connections with different people, and you need to be able to do that effectively.

CMM Technology brings you the beauty of employee drug testing. We know that you may not find it in your heart to query your employees about what seems to be suspicious behavior, but with drug test kits and alcohol tests, you don’t have to question them. Science will do it for you. Our NATA accredited breathalyser recalibration services are also good if you happen to have alcohol test which need recalibrating but you haven’t bought our products yet. You don’t have to buy all new equipment. Just use our service and use the equipment you already have, if you’re happy with it. This is the time of great beginnings. Be happy now, not just when things are just exactly, finally, right. That moment will come many times a day if you can learn to live in the moment.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/be-happy-now-not-when-you%E2%80%99ve-achieved-something/

Psychological Symptoms of Drug Abuse

Breathalyser

Medical professionals have developed a host of terms in an effort to describe substance abuse. Technology has greatly advanced the understanding of the physical impacts, but theories like the biopsychosocial model reflect the fact that substance abuse involves more than biological factors. There are also cultural, social, and psychological factors involved in the use of drugs and in the display of their effects.1 On the use side, succumbing to peer pressure is a typical social factor and poor mental health could be a psychological factor. On the flip side, the symptoms of substance are also evident as biological, social, and psychological. Most are familiar with the physical and behavioural symptoms, but what are the psychological symptoms indicating substance abuse?

Beware of Assumptions

One thing is for certain – substance abuse is complex and so are its symptoms. Though there are common symptoms for each type of drug, no two people experience identical ones. That can make it difficult for people in the workplace to identify if someone is using drugs unless valid drug testing is done. It is easy to make the wrong assumptions, which is why managers must be thoroughly trained in properly responding to their suspicions. The psychological symptoms of substance abuse are some of the most difficult to identify as being related to substance abuse.

It is not too difficult to spot someone who has been drinking when the person begins slurring words and losing coordination. The physical symptoms are quite obvious. People using illicit drugs like cocaine frequently experience persistent runny noses and experience excessive sweating and chills. Behavioural symptoms are often easy to spot too. A drug user who previously enjoyed being around others will begin to avoid co-workers or work performance noticeably declines. However, someone who is anxious may be on cocaine, but is more likely to be under stress or have personal problems related to family or finances.

Only Drug Testing Tells the Truth

It is now recognised that there are psychological symptoms associated with substance abuse. For example, crystal methamphetamine or ice creates feelings of euphoria or excitement. Is the overly-enthusiastic employee using ice? Ice use can also lead to anxiety, depression, and tension.2 Is the anxious employee on drugs? Obviously the situations and the answers are not simple. Only workplace drug testing can definitively determine if someone is using drugs or alcohol. It is impossible to look at one symptom or one type of symptom and know if someone is violating the zero tolerance policy.

However, it is important to understand that substance abuse does have psychological symptoms and not just behavioural and physical ones. The psychological symptoms include:

Unexplained changes in attitude (key word is “unexplained” Noticeable change in personality (personality does not normally change without some kind of trigger) Outbursts of anger at the slightest or no provocation (over-reacting) Laughing at nothing (like the person is laughing at a private joke) Sudden mood changes Appearing mentally disoriented (“spaced out”) Loss of motivation (in a person who was previously performed well) Difficulty focusing or paying attention Acting paranoid or extremely anxious for no reason Becoming fearful for no reason Becoming withdrawn

Most of the time drug users will exhibit a combination of psychological, behavioural and physical symptoms, and that is how managers are led to test for just cause. The most important step an employer can take to identify substance abuse in the workplace is by doing consistent on-site drug testing. There is simply no substitute for facts.

CMM Technology is one of the oldest suppliers of AOD products that are stringently tested to ensure they produce the correct results. Products include technology for alcohol testing, saliva drug test, and urine drug test. 

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/psychological-symptoms-of-drug-abuse/

Mistakes in D&A Testing DO Count

Drug Testing

Everything in life has risks and rewards, and workforce testing for drugs and alcohol is no different. The rewards of a substance free workplace include a lowered risk of accidents and injuries, higher productivity, and reduced health costs. The maximum rewards are only derived when the AOD program is managed correctly and legally. The risks, on the other hand, flow from failures to act. For example, management fails to develop a healthy workplace culture or the on site drug testing schedule is not followed. What are the other common drug testing mistakes that can quickly get employers in trouble?

Staying Off Shaky Ground

The first two common mistakes cover a broad area. First, the failure to develop a culture that discourages substance use and encourages ethical behaviour can raise the risk employees will use drugs and alcohol. There should be a positive culture that engages everyone in the organisation in the effort to keep drugs and alcohol out of the workplace. A poor workplace culture contributes to worker health problems like alcoholism and drug addiction.1 Developing a substance free culture has to start in the executive suite, flow down through the organisation and be regularly reinforced through messaging, employee resource groups, and worker training and development.

The second broad mistake is failing to have a written drug and alcohol testing policy. A corollary is failing to have a policy that meets federal and state or territory laws. Without a policy, employers stand on shaky legal ground in terms of enforcing a substance free workplace. In addition, the policy provides the consistency in the message delivered to employees and the responses should employees test positive to drugs.

List of Common Failures

Other common mistakes include the following:

Failing to follow the policy and procedures that were put in place Using a company that is not AS4308 & AS4760 accredited for drug and alcohol testing Failing to train managers in proper responses after developing suspicion an employee is using drugs Failing to train employees on the policy whilst expecting compliance Taking action on the first non-negative onsite drug testing results without obtaining confirmatory testing at an accredited laboratory Not maintaining proper documentation that indicates the chain of custody for the sample Breaching drug and alcohol testing confidentiality Treating certain employees inconsistently, i.e. never test, test more frequently, ignore positive results, etc. Small mistakes can lead to major employer problems. For example, The Australian Standard requires that certain protocols be followed concerning sample handling when there is a non-negative test result. If the employer fails to follow the Australian Standard, an employee is likely to claim the employer cannot “prove” anything (and is right).

Tell Me Again...

The drug and alcohol program needs the same attention to detail as other critical programs like compensation or job training. Workers should be thoroughly trained on the AOD policies and procedures. It is also just as important to share information that helps employees cope with workplace conditions and situations without turning to drugs or alcohol. The training has to be ongoing too. One more common mistake employers make is believing that telling a worker once, at the time of hiring, that drugs and alcohol are not allowed is all the training needed.2

Mistakes in D&A programs do count. To help employers avoid critical mistakes, CMM Technology supplies them with quality saliva drug test, urine drug test, and alcohol test supplies. In addition, CMM Technology has the appropriate documentation that simplifies the recording process whilst assisting employers with meeting legal requirements.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/mistakes-in-da-testing-do-count/