United We Stand

Drug Testing Australia

In your business, as in the world, people will succeed who stand together. While office politics may insert just the right amount of personal drama into your life (if you happen to be looking for that), it is far better to stand together as a team than to be divided from within.

In the workplace environment, there are multiple times throughout the day and throughout the year where you will rely upon one of your coworkers and they will rely upon you. You tell your secretary to cover for you while you catch up with your old college buddy. You inform your friend that you have extra tickets when you couldn’t bring your own family. People look out for people in the workplace, and that’s how it should be.

It is when this teamwork and simple relationship dies that people find out how much they needed that interpersonal connection, weak though it may be, in order to smooth their day out. People need people on a regular basis. If they stand united, then no size of problem can bulldoze them over. However, if they allow their weaknesses and fears to infect the group, they find themselves unable to keep from falling. The group is infected, the group falls, and then the individuals suffer.

Workplace drug testing is brought to your doorstep by Mediscreen, a NATA accredited company specializing in onsite drug and alcohol testing. We know how hard it is, sometimes, to create a team effort. However, when someone brings substances into the workplace, it sure seems to become impossible.

Keep track of what is happening with your individual employees. You don’t need to know everyone by name. Just make sure that your team stands united, combined by everyone’s professional agenda in the workplace, without the infection of substance abuse making the business sick.

Keep track of how often someone is abusing in the workplace, so that you can make reasonable judgments on who should stay, who should be given a second chance, and who should be dismissed. Mediscreen is the business you want to hire. We have the results, the accuracy, the time management, and the convenience which makes your business great.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/united-we-stand/

The Physical Touch

Drug Screening

Humans need physical touch. We really need physical touch. However, even with our great nation being, overall, an extroverted people, we do not receive or give each other enough of this human contact that is so important. Human touch is one of the primary ways in which we comfort each other, console each other, and reassure each other. Words don’t cut it. Physical touch shows us that we, as humans, are connected and that we all care about each other in a very real sense.

Fortunately, through things like sex and touch therapy, humans are relearning our primal instincts, instincts which we have in some ways suppressed in this day and age of harassment lawsuits and professional behavior.

Of course, context is important. You still need to maintain a professional distance from people with whom you work. However, in the comfort of your own home, it is okay to hug your loved ones, and to kiss and make love to your spouse. Often, context is forgotten after office workshops delineating appropriate behavior, and we all tend to carry some of that “don’t get too close” mentality home with us, thus inadvertently snubbing our loved ones and denying ourselves the physical touch we crave so much.

In addition to all of the above stated benefits, physical touch calms us down and leaves us with a feeling of belonging and community, without over thinking or distractedly trying to systematize our relationships with other people. Employee drug screening goes a long way to defining appropriate behavior regarding drug abuse or alcohol drinking while on the worksite or before coming to the jobsite, but it also sets a standard by which appropriate action can be measured. Since legal limits and scientific data have already been defined, it is easy to just look at the numbers and see if someone has been following the rules or not.

Without appropriate action after drug and alcohol testing has been implemented, addicts may take physical touch to an inappropriate level, and that destroys the context of the professional demeanor. Mediscreen is NATA accredited for workplace drug testing, and we are here to help you set up onsite drug and alcohol screening in your own business.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/the-physical-touch/

The Last Minute

Alcohol Drug Testing

We have all, at some point in our lives, waiting until the last minute to get something done. Of course, this is not considered to be the best option available to people, and many people think of it as delivering less than quality results in the end. However, there are indeed some advantages to waiting until the last minute.

For example, you may have a personality and character which does eight times better under pressure than it does when it is given free reign and plenty of time. Also, waiting until the last minute is used by some employers to motivate their employees who would otherwise do the work more slipshod over a longer period of time.

Sometimes, waiting is done to make sure that the original plan, or Plan A, will not work out fully before starting on Plan B. Of course, this should only be done if you will definitely have enough time, willingness and resources with which to execute Plan B.

Naturally, many people think of procrastination as being a bad fault to have, and in many ways it can be one of the worst (if not the most stressful) faults to have. However, if delayed action is planned, so that the last minute is all carried out in full beauty, then it may be far less stressful, because you began late on purpose, rather than being forced or driven to having to do everything at the last minute.

Mediscreen sees a lot of businesses with employees who are just desperate to leave their work at the end of the day, so much so that they abuse drugs or alcohol while on the jobsite. This is an example of someone needing to waiting until the last minute to indulge in these little habits. Onsite drug & alcohol testing brings the drug screening process into your world and allows your workers to be screened right there, at their place of work. This is all important and crucial, because it reduces whatever stress they may decide to acquire about the whole process of being screened, anyway.

There are many reasons to choose onsite drug and alcohol screening over just regular laboratory alcohol testing and drug screening. Mediscreen has this in the bag. We are NATA accredited for what we do.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/the-last-minute/

The Example of a King

Drug & Alcohol Testing

The example of a king is one of the most influential examples in the nation. When a king decides to behave in an inappropriate manner, then everyone knows about it. Therefore, it is necessary to take public, very public, responsibility for your actions if you are in a position of such grand and high authority. Kings have ultimate power and ultimate authority in the minds of many people, even if the government isn’t exactly set up that way.

To be king is a huge responsibility.

When you own a business, then you are, in essence, king of your own little establishment. You have supreme reigning authority in the affairs of your business. You have supreme reigning authority to do whatever you want. If you are an irresponsible business owner, then business in its purest form will flee from you, and will not be an owner for very long. If, however, you find yourself gaining more and more power and growth naturally and organically, then you are probably doing something very right.

Drug screening brings you into alignment with how your employees are handling stress in their lives and how much they are able to handle stress in the future and in their workplace professionalism. You see, not everyone is able to take on as much as you or me. In fact, a lot of people see their jobs just as a source of cash, and when greater burden is put upon them as far as “work” goes, they crumble immediately.

Therefore, it is in your best interests to always be prepared and to always implement drug alcohol testing on a regular basis so that you can keep an eye on things for your own sake and for the sake of your workers who rely upon you to take good care of them. They shouldn’t be around someone who is dangerous, is irresponsible with heavy machinery, or who can jeopardize a relationship with a client.

Mediscreen is accredited by NATA for onsite drug testing, and our abilities in onsite drug and alcohol screening are extremely high quality.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/the-example-of-a-king/

Ten Kegs of Beer

Onsite Drug And Alcohol Screening

When your employees get together outside of work, they may often go to the local pub or bar and find a good way to spend some time, munch on some supper, and share some drinks to come down off of a hard day’s work. Sharing drinks and helping each other out is how coworkers form bonds and help each other to get through the day to day, mundane working together that happens. Especially if you happen to work nine hours a day, your whole daylight hours have been spent on work, and that definitely requires the need to come down off of that stress.

Many people party on the weekends, getting a keg, setting it up and inviting their friends over to enjoy the tap. Unfortunately, if this happens every single weekend, without any time to themselves for alone time to reflect and ground themselves, people can get dislodged from their own life and become a boat drifting between two shores: work and partying.

When Mediscreen began alcohol testing, as well as drug screening, we did it so that businesses throughout Australia would have a better chance of knowing whether or not their employees were engaging in any substance abuse while on the jobsite. However, we have been doing this for some time now, and we are not accredited by NATA for medical testing, and we are proud to say that you have high quality data at your fingertips when you order onsite drug and alcohol testing from us. We believe in what we do, and we want to make all workplaces in Australia safe and risk free. That means that employee drug & alcohol testing, which is common to many companies in this our great land, can be brought straight to your office or worksite and set up so that your workers can be screened and then return straight to work. It’s a highly efficient setup and it’s really effective for making sure that people are not mixing working and partying. Work and play should be done properly in both sides, but it is rarely that they should be mixed. For more info on workplace drug testing.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/ten-kegs-of-beer/

Forgiving Yourself

Drug Test Perth

Everyone makes mistakes. It is just part and parcel of the human spirit. We cannot live on this earth without making mistakes. Some of us are higher strung than others. Even a little bit of error in one direction or another is too much for these people. They may be considered weak for this pickiness or they may be considered people who uphold high standards of living. There is a third option. When someone refuses to allow mistakes to be lain out in the sunshine to be bleached white again, they are denying themselves the all important role of being ever-evolving human beings.

We grow and morph and change and unfold as we age, and that another part of life which is inevitable. However, if you can accept your mistakes and own up to them, your rate of growth and morphing can be faster than if you dug in your heels and refused to forgive yourself.

In business, it is especially important to forgive yourself for your mistakes, and as an introvert, the author knows of what she speaks, or you may not unfold and develop as quickly as your coworkers, which in and of itself breeds an attitude of “I’m a loser” within yourself. This is who people who cannot let go of their mistakes end up turning to drugs. The inability to forgive yourself for your own weaknesses is instrumental in the increased likelihood that you will end up abusing drugs or alcohol to hide your shame or weakness.

Mediscreen believes in a much more proactive approach. We want your employees to be healthy, and we know that this mentality cannot truly exist in an environment where substance abuse is occurring around them or near them. Mediscreen is NATA accredited for onsite testing, and we believe in bringing the latest technology in data to your doorstep. You will be able to have all of your workers screened with our onsite drug & alcohol testing, and this type of workplace drug testing is great for when you would want to utilize random drug screening. When you are looking for the next permanent item in your toolkit of business evaluation, remember that Mediscreen is where you should look.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/forgiving-yourself/

A Case for Sweating It Out

Drug Screening

When you hear the phrase “hard work,” you often think of a strong back glistening with sweat engaged in hard labor. Either that or you may think of spending every free moment at the office or on the job, working late into the night, and starting really early in the morning.

There is a case which can be made for sweating it out. Not everyone appreciates the value of putting forth a lot of effort these days, but let’s examine some of the universal truths which everyone seems to be able to agree on.

First, we have the case that determination and perseverance will, eventually, get you exactly where you want to go. If you persevere long enough and keep attacking the problem or sitting back and thinking about it, you will eventually find and reach your solution.

Second, there is a universal truth based upon the fact that fear will always get in your way. It will make you freeze, fight, or run away, but in general it will always mess with your head, rather than with reality. Therefore, it is best to stay away from fear, ignore it, and to find every way possible to squash it down into nothing.

A third universal truth is that when you love something or are passionate about it, you will find a way to get it or get more of it or develop into the type of person who always has it. That means that, in spite of everything, if you are passionate about something, it will probably be your saving grace, in the end.

Mediscreen takes the business approach to sweating it out to a different plane of existence. Rather than working harder with our muscles or with our intellectual prowess, we deliver workplace drug testing, which gives you the data you need to be able to correctly assess your employees. Mediscreen is NATA accredited for onsite drug & alcohol testing, and we one of the premiere drug alcohol testing companies in Australia. In fact, drug testing in Australia is better because of us.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/a-case-for-sweating-it-out/

How Did They Hide Drugs in 2013?

Drug Screening

Drug smugglers will go to great lengths to get their products into Australia. It seems they will also try equally hard to get drug precursors like ephedrine into the hands of those who need the right supplies to manufacture ice (methamphetamine or crystal meth) and other drugs. That is not surprising given the increase in drug use by Australians. However, it is often surprising what smugglers choose to hide the drugs or drug precursors in as they try to escape detection by customs officials.

The variety of hiding places and the ingenuity of drug smugglers is a sad commentary for Australia. Smugglers would not risk detection if they thought they would have trouble selling the drugs or if there was not a lot of money to be made by helping people get addicted. What can employers learn from smugglers? They can take note of the fact that people with addictions will attempt to hide their drugs in unusual and unexpected ways. Looking at some of the ways drugs were hid in 2013 is eye-opening and a reminder that due diligence in maintaining a substance free workplace requires a quality drug & alcohol testing program and a good understanding of the level of desperation people reach as they strive to maintain their addictions.

Vanilla Powder to Steering Wheel Locks

In October 2013, an enormous shipment from India, containing precursor substances used to manufacture ice, was discovered. This was the second such shipment discovered that month, making Australians wonder how many drugs had made it into the country undetected. The first seizure consisted of vanilla powder that was mixed with pseudoephedrine. A large ephedrine shipment in September, also from India, was hidden in rice. Though the recent shipments are believed to have been initiated by a Canadian-based international crime syndicate, the people arrested most recently when the shipments were confiscated included Australians, Indians, and Canadians, reflecting the global nature of drug smuggling.¹

Putting the ephedrine in vanilla powder is obviously an attempt to hide the illicit substances. The police are not sure if the same syndicate would have manufactured the ice or if it intended only on selling the pseudoephedrine to people running meth labs. Over 18 months, more than two tonnes of drugs or drug precursors were seized. Vanilla powder sounds innocuous and obvious at the same time. However, there have been a number of inventive ways drugs and precursor chemicals have been hidden in an attempt to get them into Australia.

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service could undoubtedly tell some interesting stories about drug smuggling. In 2013, the desperate attempts to hide drugs led to the use of unusual items. The agents found drugs in artificial flower arrangements, a baby’s pram, a fax machine, a coffee machine, suitcases, and in shipments of bolt cutters, bathroom titles, and much more. Ephedrine was found hidden in steering wheel locks in consignment shipments coming from Ireland, China, India, and Hong Kong.²

Desk Drawers to Coffee Cans

Large, legitimate manufacturers and imports/exporters have learned from these busts and perform their own security checks to ensure workers do not add anything to shipments that could get employers into trouble. However, all employers should be aware of the fact that workers determined to smuggle drugs into the workplace or to use drugs whilst working, will go to equally great, though smaller, efforts to hide the drugs. They have been hidden behind desk drawers, in empty fluid cans, in cans filled with coffee, computers, supplies orders, customer shipments, and so on. Awareness and knowledge are two of the most powerful tools for maintaining a substance free workplace, and the random drug and alcohol testing program contributes to increasing both.

No one knows what 2014 will bring in the way of innovative drug smuggling efforts. What is known is that the more successful Australian federal officials are at catching these illicit shipments, the more creative smugglers get. Australian employers need to ensure their drug and alcohol policy is regularly updated and that the testing program uses high quality supplies and screening services. They also need to stay alert for new drug trends and smuggling strategies.

Mediscreen (mediscreen.net.au) is a NATA accredited onsite drug and alcohol collecting agent and screening service offering technologically current equipment, supplies, and procedures. Employers serious about maintaining a substance free workplace will find Mediscreen’s services to be invaluable to their efforts.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/how-did-they-hide-drugs-in-2013/

Engaging With Employees to Gain Support for Drug Testing Program

Drug Testing Australia

Drug and alcohol testing is critical to employer efforts to maintain workplace health and safety. Equally important is engaging with employees so they adopt and accept the policy and principles that support a safe workplace. The reality is that people must embrace a positive workplace culture and develop the desire to support management policies designed to keep all workers safe and healthy. Otherwise, the program can be easily derailed when employees fail to cooperate. Drug and alcohol testing alone cannot ensure a substance free workplace because employees must want to support the policy, help keep drugs and alcohol out of the workplace, and assist in the effort to keep the workplace safe.

Many employers present drug and alcohol programs without emphasising the safety and health aspects. One of the first rules of employee engagement is consulting with the workforce whilst the policy is being developed and before it is introduced. The ideal program has mutually acceptable goals which promote internalisation of the goal of maintaining a substance free place of employment. However, even if the drug and alcohol testing policy was previously developed without workforce consultation, it is still important to make a sincere effort to engage the employees to gain their support.¹ In fact, consultation with employees may lead to policy changes based on information they provide.

Defining “Appropriate”

Engaging employees requires sincerity, honesty, and communication. Employers should not present the policy as if it is a dictum and not open to discussion. The zero tolerance policy is non-negotiable, but employees have valuable information that can make policy adherence more likely. For example, they can discuss issues like departmental stress factors, supervisor training, and management responses to suspected employee substance use. During training sessions, employees should have adequate time to ask questions and should get motivating and honest answers. Fear is not a motivator. Employers usually make worker termination a last resort response to workplace substance use. The clear message for employees is this: Drugs and alcohol are not allowed in the workplace, and if discovered, there will be appropriate action taken. However, appropriate action can focus on treatment first whenever possible.

The success of the employee engagement strategies is dependent on how the drug and alcohol testing policy is presented and how often the topic is discussed. Education and training needs to be ongoing to reinforce the policy with employees and to ensure new hires are well-informed. Offering regular training also creates a two-way communication channel for workers who may have issues come up in between training sessions.

Connecting the Parts

The alcohol and drug testing program has to be part of a safety management system and not a standalone strategy that fails to connect broad safety and health issues with being substance free. A testing program that stands alone is a simplistic solution to a complicated issue. Drug and alcohol testing can be viewed as a complementary strategy that blends with other initiatives, including training, education, employee assistance programs, return-to-duty programs, and so on.² Ultimately, the testing program is just one component of a comprehensive response to maintaining a substance free workplace.

Achieving successful employment engagement concerning the drug and alcohol testing program also relies on using quality screening services. Poorly administered collection and screening services can harm engagement efforts. Mediscreen (mediscreen.net.au) services more than 700 employers across Australia and uses the highest quality standards to deliver drug and alcohol sample collection and screening services. 

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/engaging-with-employees-to-gain-support-for-drug-testing-program/

 

Looking Ahead: Detecting Emerging Drug Trends

Drug Screening

There is an old saying that says, “Ignorance is bliss,” which goes along with the saying, “What you don’t know, can’t hurt you.” Neither saying applies when talking about the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace. Ignorance can lead to worker injuries and death, and not understanding the pervasiveness of drugs in society can lead to complacency. Each year new illicit drugs emerge or people abuse legal drugs to a greater extent, and employers must increase their efforts to maintain drug and alcohol free workplaces. Understanding the emerging drug trends can help employers design effective drug and alcohol policies and random testing programs.

The first thing that should be made clear is that drug use is certainly not just an “Australian problem.” Drugs pervade society around the world. A recent report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction reported that at least 85 million European adults have used illicit drugs. This represents a staggering one-fourth of Europe’s adult population. There were 14.5 million who used cocaine; 11.4 million who used ecstasy; 12.7 million who tried amphetamines; and 77 million who used cannabis.1 Sadly, these are impressive numbers, and it is likely they will continue to grow even as the particular type of drugs used shift.

Glimpse Into the Future

Government agencies and nonprofits spend a lot of time and effort studying trends related to drugs and drug dependency. One of the things they do annually is try to detect emerging trends in drugs to design better government and treatment responses. This also gives employers a glimpse of the future, as well, in terms of the drugs employees are likely to use should any choose to do so. In 2012, the most recent statistics, there was a growing global trend in the seizure of psychoactive drugs like ‘Kronic’ and other synthetic cannabinoids. Whilst the cocaine market seemed to be easing, the ecstasy market was expanding. In addition, there was increasing use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.2

The drug use trends reported as of the end of 2012 in Australia also showed increasing use of prescription drugs for non-medical purposes and an increase in cannabis use. There has been an increase in cocaine use but a significant decline in the use of ecstasy. Employers should take note there has been an increase in the number of people from older age groups who have presented to area hospitals for problems arising from cannabis use. This proves yet again that drug users do not fit any particular profile. The greatest numbers of hospital presentations were related to the use of opioids, followed by problems related to meth/amphetamines.3

Finding Context

Drug use in the workplace is a matter of safety and health, but employers must look outside the business to understand context. Workplaces are set in a larger society where drug trends influence the likelihood and type of drug use by employees. Understanding the trends can help employers keep a watchful out for signs of particular drugs or for the expression of typical symptoms of drugs. Ultimately, the goal is to maintain a safe workplace and help workers enjoy healthy, productive lives. Random drug alcohol testing is just one strategy for success.

Mediscreen (mediscreen.net.au) can be instrumental in helping employers across Australia manage a zero tolerance workplace. The drug and alcohol sample collection and screening services company offers state-of-the-art services and works closely with a variety of employers to ensure quality programs are in place and well managed.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/detecting-emerging-drug-trends/

Drug and Alcohol Use Multiplies Dangers of Workplace Fatigue

Drug Testing Australia

Everyone experiences fatigue at some time or other in their life. It is a feeling of weariness that does not abate even after resting or sleeping. Fatigue can be caused by a number of things that include sickness or stress, but it is also commonly caused by the use of drugs and alcohol. Fatigue has many symptoms that vary from person to person, and in the workplace any of these symptoms can lower work performance and increase the possibility of injury. Fatigue as a workplace risk needs to be taken very seriously, and its relationship to substance use or abuse recognised so that it can be addressed in employee education programs.

The first point to bear in mind is that fatigue is not the same thing as being tired. People who are tired will feel better after getting adequate rest or sleep. The symptoms of fatigue include muscle weakness, slowed reflexes, lack of normal responses, dizziness, impaired hand-to-eye coordination, poor concentration, reduced ability to pay attention, blurred vision, and many others. Each one of the symptoms can impair work performance, leading to frequent mistakes and lack of production. More importantly, fatigue jeopardises workplace safety because the worker cannot concentrate, see clearly, or comprehend situations. The safety of the fatigued worker and his or her co-workers is compromised.

Fatigue and Lifestyle

Though fatigue is caused by health conditions in some cases, it is often the result of lifestyle. For example, some people try to function on inadequate sleep; eat poorly and lack nutrition; or get little exercise. Fatigue may be a symptom of workplace stress or depression. However, substance use is a major cause of fatigue. For example, despite having a reputation for making people more energetic, alcohol depresses the central nervous system and disrupts sleep.

Drugs are also responsible for causing physical and mental fatigue. A good example is cocaine. Cocaine, like alcohol, first creates feelings of alertness and energy, but that is followed by mental fatigue and depression. People who frequently use heroin may often appear sleepy and apathetic, and eventually fatigue develops as a symptom with prolonged drug use. People using meth, ecstasy, marijuana and other illicit drugs experience a similar pattern of heightened alertness followed by sleepiness, with fatigue developing after using the substances over a period of time. Prescription drugs can also lead to fatigue in workers. However, drugs and alcohol also produce fatigue because of the damage they do the user’s body. They can damage liver and kidney functioning, for example, making it more difficult to process nutrients. Regular drug users often fail to eat balanced meals, creating a double nutritional deficit.

False Beliefs

Sometimes employees use drugs in the false belief they relieve fatigue. One research project focused on truck drivers and drug use. A powerful motivator for truck driver drug use is overcoming fatigue. During interviews, all of the drivers said their driving skills improved when on drugs because road fatigue was lessoned. When coming off the drugs, their driving skills declined so they took more drugs. The drivers justified their use of drugs because they were used as a fatigue countermeasure. This dangerous thinking is harmful to the truck drivers and other drivers on the road, and presents numerous employer risks including increased business liability. The truck drivers are following a similar cycle that other drug users follow. It takes more drugs used more frequently to get high and to overcome the fatigue they are producing. The drug use is justified through faulty thinking.

Managing fatigue is a health and safety duty for the employer, as is maintaining a substance free workplace. The best way to manage health and safety risks caused by fatigue is to address the factors causing the fatigue. One way is to evaluate the working conditions and minimising stress as much as possible through scheduling changes or job revisions. Developing a drug & alcohol testing policy and implementing a drug and alcohol random testing program addresses duty of care on multiple levels when fatigue is caused by substance abuse. Anyone producing a positive test can be directed to treatment; and once substance free, the fatigue is eliminated. Alert employees who are substance free are much more likely to produce their best work.

At Mediscreen (mediscreen.net.au) employers will find experienced consultants who understand the close connection between the level of health and wellness in the workplace and employee substance use. Employers can use Mediscreen’s trained sample collectors and high-tech screening services as a component of a larger health and safety program.

This article has been taken from: http://www.mediscreen.net.au/drug-and-alcohol-use-multiplies-dangers-of-workplace-fatigue/