Hiring the Right Way...Pre-Employment Alcohol Testing

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has a policy on pre-employment drug & alcohol testing that states, “Some job roles will have a statement contained in the position description “This is a safety sensitive position”. Candidates for safety sensitive positions may be requested to undertake a pre-employment alcohol and drug test.”1 The policy goes on to say that pre-employment testing is considered an “essential requirement” of their obligation to provide a safe workplace. Clearly, pre-employment testing for the presence of drugs or alcohol plays an important role in maintaining a substance free workplace. However, it is only the first step.

Someone who regularly uses illicit drugs has two courses of action to choose from in order to land a job. The first is to seek employment from a company that does not do pre-employment drug testing. The second option is to stop taking drugs long enough to pass a drug test, and then resume taking them once employed. Of course, this option assumes that the job candidate knows approximately when a job opening will become available. Therefore, pre-employment screening is most likely to detect the severely addicted persons or those who are uninformed about pre-employment drug testing.2

Message Sent Loud and Clear

However, despite the growing sophistication of drug users, pre-employment drug testing is an important screening tool for the employer. As more Australians choose to use illicit drugs, the pre-employment drug testing will detect chronic drug users, but just as importantly it supports a drug-free workplace culture. A powerful message is sent loud and clear before the person is hired: Employee drug use is unacceptable, and the employer will use available technology to keep drugs out. That still leaves the problem of dealing with people who pass pre-employment drug screening and have every intent of resuming drug use once employed.

In fact, it is no secret that there are online forums people use to teach other methods that will supposedly help them hide drug use. Employers using high quality saliva and urine tests are not likely to be tricked by these methods, but the forum messages indicate the desperate steps people will take to pass initial drug and alcohol screening.

However, pre-employment screening is just a first step in maintaining a drug free workplace. Since it is given with notice, pre-employment testing does not replace the need to institute post-employment drug and alcohol testing. The workplace testing procedures are then implemented on a random, post-accident, and for-cause basis. The random procedures are needed to ensure that testing is administered without prejudice and that workers are unlikely to be able to manipulate the process.

Transparency Attracts the Right Job Candidates

The key to successful implementation of drug and alcohol testing policies is transparency. Employers should use their pre-employment drug testing policies to promote their dedication to maintaining a substance free workplace, making the company more likely to attract job candidates who do not use drugs. In addition, the business brand benefits from the socially responsible policies. Drug and alcohol testing can be a contentious issue, but pre-employment testing has been almost uniformly accepted by job candidates and unions as reasonable and necessary. However, it should not stand alone because behaviours can change once people are employed.

Mediscreen (mediscreen.net.au/) offers flexible and high quality drug and alcohol screening services. The adaptability of the screening services means employers can get results on an as-needed basis for pre-employment and post-employment purposes. 

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2222

Screening and Dehydration

Drug screening is important when it comes to protecting the health of your employees. One of the common workplace hazards on a hard labor jobsite is dehydration. Of course, in warm weather, many employees drink a lot of water, anyway, but it still may not be enough. In air conditioned dry weather, your workers may still not be getting enough water?

How can you tell?

Water is necessary to hydrate the tissues, but all humans need both oil and water in their daily hydration consumption. So, does this mean you should pass out a lot of French fries and onion rings? Not necessarily. Fortunately, there are other ways of making sure they get both oil and water for their bodies while at work.

First of all, set a good example in both areas. Natural, unsaturated fats like butter, cream, milk and cheese help the body to absorb the oils it needs to offset all the water it will be drinking. This is always a good way to get the oil side of oil and water. Filtered water out of a dispenser is how many offices take their water, although people are starting to buy flavored water and spritzers in bottles now, so sometimes even that can be customized. Setting an example by consuming both oil and water around your employees helps them to feel okay about treating their bodies better.

Secondly, providing a combination of water and juice encourages healthy drinking throughout the day. In addition to that, you can provide snack foods, like biscuits and fried toast which possess real butter and other healthy fats which will combine with the water to develop optimum tissue health and cell flexibility. This suppleness and flexibility of the cells is what keeps us young and what helps us withstand injury and sickness without any long term effects.

Drug screening also helps, since it identifies employees who are sick in the body as well as sick in the mind. Addiction cuts into all parts of a human, from emotions to physical wellbeing to mental clarity and perspective. Workplace drug testing evaluates which employees are truly taking care of themselves and which are harming themselves. Look into our services today: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.

This Article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2170

Poseidon

Poseidon, the god of the seas, is one of the most glamorous figures in mythological history. The sea has always been an untamed mistress and that is evident by its many moods and absolute lack of feeling for how many sailors are lost at sea. Poseidon was often revered by people living on or near the ocean, because surely there was a god in control of the wind and the waves. Surely, humans had some control over their fate on the ocean if they acted a certain way or paid obeisance to the right deity.

It’s nice to have hope, isn’t it?

When abusing drugs or alcohol, addicts almost feel the same way. If they can just get one more go at the drug, then they will feel in control enough to let go of it. Of course, the pain of withdrawal is so great that they only make these worthy goals when they are actually high on the drug itself. When they are at their lowest, it is not very often that you find an addict planning for the future or feeling perky enough to go outside and do some yard work.

Workplace drug testing, while extremely effective in businesses, is still very hard on individuals who just want to fund their addictive and self destructive habits more and more until they’re broke. Drug screening is the addict’s bane, and they always protest loudly or become defensive when they are asked to follow company policy. Of course, those who feel that their privacy is being invaded protest just as loudly, but the truth is onsite drug and alcohol testing really does get the job done. Well, it does not do your firing for you, but it gives you the information you need so that you can make complete employment decisions based upon all the facts. Even if your employed addict is one of the hardest working and most enthusiastic hires, it only takes one little slip up to leave you with an accident, a fatality, and/or a lawsuit. That is just not worth the risk involved. To find out more about onsite drug andalcohol screening, visit our website today or just give us a call any time: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.

This Article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2167

Party Ethics

Parties are so much fun to attend, and frequently there are many hilarious stories to tell the next day, not to mention a few embarrassing incidents resulting from too much alcohol consumption. However, it is rare that there are any lasting effects after the party is over, only temporary ones.

Party ethics must be observed, since there are so many ways to celebrate someone’s birthday or signing a new client. Therefore, we have some suggestions for how to carry off a safe and satisfying party for everyone.

1. Choose your booze carefully. Since there is a twelve to one ratio of the alcohol content of whisk to beer, it is recommended to not choose hard liquor when throwing your office or worksite party. Some people may not realize how strong the alcohol really is that they are consuming.

2. Avoid champagne and rum. These alcohols both have similar effects upon the body. The absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream is much slower, so the feeling of drunkenness has a much slower onset. Sometimes, you can drink a glass of champagne and not even be able to begin feeling the effects until an hour later. In that time, more liquor could be consumed, eventually leading to a dangerous situation.

3. Set rules between the sexes. While we are all adults, it is important to establish minimum basic guidelines both in practice and theory concerning how to treat coworkers of the opposite sex. This prevents misunderstandings or feelings of violation the next day, and it helps to facilitate better communication between the sexes.

4. Implement drug & alcohol testing not long after the party. This means that if there is a party, there will be drug screening and alcohol testing given to your employees a short while after the date of the party. This ensures that nobody “fell off the wagon” and resorted to abusing former addictions while at work. This is a good practice to have soon after any office or jobsite party, since it makes sure that people return to a professional standard after the festivities are over. Help your party ethics by looking into drug and alcohol testing today: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.

This Article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2164

Onsite Alcohol Screening

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Alcohol testing is used all the time by homeless shelters, hard labor companies, high hazard industries, and even small businesses to temporarily check employees or inhabitants which are not acting sober.

Drug screening is a slightly more involved process than alcohol testing. Alcohol testing involves having the individual blow into a breathalyser device, which takes a reading of the alcohol content of their breath. This is important because it cannot be altered in some way. While, occasionally, individuals have managed to provide an adulterant to a drug test, this is not possible with alcohol breathalyser devices. They take the content of alcohol and this reading is extremely accurate and cannot be undone.

While onsite drug and alcohol testing services also test for alcohol as well as drugs, it helps for a company to have breathalyser devices ready, just in case. You never know when an employee will show up to work and it is obvious to everyone around them that they are drunk. Their breath smells of booze and they cannot stand or walk straight and their speech is heavily slurred. However, the company is liable for any claims filed against it by an angry, newly fired employee if it is not ready to present proof that the worker was, in fact, intoxicated at the time of correction and/or dismissal.

Having a breathalyser reading is an essential part of your liability paperwork. It protects you in case such a thing happens to you. It helps you to legally and correctly present your case that they, in fact, had violated company policy by showing up to work drunk. Sometimes, businesses have a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy. Some have a zero tolerance policy. Of course, the restrictions you place upon yourself for dealing with drunken employees will be what is legal in a court of law. Therefore, make sure that you have read your company’s policy and rules. Onsitedrug and alcohol screening is important in making sure that everyone is doing what they are required to do on the jobsite, and nothing which will put their own safety or the safety of others in jeopardy. Call Mediscreen today to schedule an appointment: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.

This Article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/ 

Neverland and the Lost Boys

In the story of Peter Pan, the children protagonists are taken by Peter Pan to Neverland, a place where no one ever grows up. Here, he rules on high against even the most intemperate pirates, along with the lost boys. The lost boys are a group of boys who no longer have parents to take care of them, and so they are a little rascally.

If you have ever encountered someone who is addicted to drugs, you will notice how similar they are to the immature and unruly lost boys in Peter Pan. The drug addict is naively unaware of the dangers the world has against them, and they are far too paranoid about realities which will not actually harm them. Their mind is not entirely stable, their thinking is not entirely clear, and their ability to judge for themselves is limited to a few small experiences.

Outside of these limited times of discernment, they are unable to fully function in today’s world, and often jump into and out of relationships with people, whether they are friendships or romantic connections. They are not stable themselves, and so they are unable to bring any amount of stability to their own worlds.

Of course, this is painful for them. The only way out is through their addiction. Only that can hide their eyes from their own incompetency.

Workplace drug testing is necessary to businesses because employees must be able to feel safe being loyal to the company. They must be able to encounter a situation, handle it correctly, and move on with the production of the business at large.

Drug & alcohol testing brings the lost boys to their knees. It shows who is a real worker, and who is looking to be taken care of. There can be no babysitting.

Onsite drug and alcohol testing in Australia is available through Mediscreen. We bring the best of the screening process right to your own doorstep. Your business can thrive with this additional scientific information. We want to show you what we can do. To make an appointment with Mediscreen or to talk about scheduling, call us today: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.

This Article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2158

Multinational Companies and the Drug Test

Multinational companies are comprised of multiple branches spanning more than one country. Now, these are difficult operations to run, since it requires knowledge and understanding of different cultures, different area traditions, and different types of business practices. All of these would not be so very bad, but the company is a unified whole, so that means that it needs really competent, super specialized, and often times multi-lingual employees in order to effectively run its operations on a truly multinational scale.

Obviously, drug screening is especially important under these types of pressure.

Your employees are not just judged by their performance and their reputation. They are also judged by their ability to anticipate and handle potential conflicts between different divisions of the company. They must act as translator, if not of languages, at least of cultures.

In Australia, we pride ourselves on our professionalism and our ability to deliver top quality results to businesses of every size all over our great nation. Workplacedrug testing laws exist to protect your assets and, more importantly, the lives of workers who are employed in high hazard industries, such as mining and transportation.

Onsite drug and alcohol testing provided by Mediscreen is by far an example of the good quality and friendly service you would receive in any Australian setting. As a multinational company, let us show you how we take care of our clients from one side of this island country to the other. Both large and small businesses can hire, and we travel to you, not the other way around.

Drug and alcohol testing is required for making sure that your clients are always treated in a professional and courteous manner, no matter where they happen to be. Mediscreen can help you ensure that by testing your employees for any traces of alcohol or illicit drugs in their system. After all, you have a standard to set and keep. You must be at the top of your game in the world market. Use Mediscreen for all of your Australian business transactions. We are proud to serve you and to show our devotion to quality drug screening. Call Mediscreen today to make an appointment: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.

This Article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2154 

Lack of Sleep and Morning Blues

People who regularly abuse drugs and alcohol are notoriously late sleepers. They stay up late, dealing with their problems, or at least drowning them with their addiction, and they can barely stand to get up in the morning. Sometimes, this is just due to the hangover from the alcohol, but even drug addicts find it difficult to cope early in the morning.

Not that we are trying to depress you with stories of what it is like to live as a self annihilating drug addict. We are merely pointing out the differences between aggressively successful people and people who wait until noontime to even get out of bed. There is a direct correlation between late sleeping and poverty, and another correlation between early rising and success. Often, it is attributed to the energy meridians or circadian rhythms of your body in the early morning, but it is usually a matter of being prepared for the day, and preparing to be prepared.

Lack of sleep is one of the primary reasons why people not only sleep in, but also why they have lower energy throughout the day if they do happen to get up in the morning. It is really important to get enough sleep, and no amount of work is worth the loss of sleep coinciding with your workload. In fact, those who have a well balanced life with plenty of sleep can often accomplish over four times as much as those who cram work into every teeny tiny crevice of their lives.

Alcohol testing is important when you find your employees acting in an unseemly manner or very different from their usual behavior. Lack of sleep can be the cause, but it could also be abuse of illicit substances on the worksite. Clearly, a definite determination must be made, and drug and alcohol testing is scientifically accurate. In fact, alcohol and drug testing is also a good way to help your employees stay motivated to keep in tip top shape. After all, they represent your company, and they must be able to pass simple drug screening administered by Mediscreen. 

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2148

Clean Air and Drug Testing

When one lives in a poor neighborhood, one is more likely to notice that the air tends to be different in this area. There is more pollution, on average, more waste smells, and more unhealthy breathing than in well brought out neighborhoods which can afford to set standards on how nice the area is. Clean air gives hope. Clean air shows people that they can look forward to the future, without worrying about the past. There is a spirit to having clean air around which really helps lift your mood.

When it comes to drug screening, any business will tell you that there are certain areas of the city where drug testing is more likely to yield positive results. That does not mean that poor areas are automatically more likely to produce drug addicts. 

Instead, it speaks to the quality of lifestyle and the necessity to create an escape from a poor quality of life by engaging in drug abuse. In fact, wherever the living conditions are poor, people are far more likely to engage in drug and alcohol abuse than in other locations, since their basic human needs are not being met fully.

When looking at your business, you can see that something as simple as setting a higher standard is the best way to ensure that your employees are the happiest and perform their work in the most productive method possible. Setting higher standards regarding business location, quality of working conditions, and even who is hired all have widespread consequences on your workers.

Workplace drug testing is often implemented, and in some ways less needed, in companies which set these high standards. Alcohol testing is less necessary because it is part of these high standards and therefore it sets a minimum level of expectation as to when and where an appropriate time to drink is. Workplace drug testing laws are not the only things which factor into a company’s decision to implement drug and alcohol testing. The better cared-for businesses realize that these expectations really do have an effect upon behavior and upon better hiring decisions. For more information on how you can implement drug screening in your own company. 

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2136

Ditch the Drugs & alcohol

When somebody abuses drugs or alcohol, a single pattern of behavior has been initiated. Any singular actions we take are considered a single pattern of behavior. Now, when we continue this behavior over and over again, it is considered a repetitive behavior. If we develop the behavior so much so that we do it automatically, then it is a habit.

When it comes to addiction, the habit has already been established, but the body’s dependency upon the substance makes the action compelling. Habits we do without even thinking. However, we perform addiction, not as a habit, but as a conscious, deliberate need that has to be fulfilled.

When giving public service announcements over the television or radio, people often hear the equivalent of the popular “Just say No to drugs.” Anti-drug campaigns are everywhere and yet people still abuse drugs and alcohol just as much as they did before. Workplace drug testing laws only apply to certain industries. There really isn’t a limit to how much an individual won’t buy if they have the craving and the means to purchase drugs they desire.

Workplace drug testing is meant to be a deterrent to the spread of drug abuse into your workplace. If an employer allowed his employee to abuse on the jobsite, he is not just being illegal. He is also being irresponsible for the company assets and production. No one wishes to hire a bunch of degenerate idiots who do not even wish to do the job right.

Instead of “Just say No to drugs,” we might advise you to “Ditch the drugs.” Obviously, you cannot keep an individual from abusing substances if they are choosing to continue their addiction. But, you CAN keep them out of your jobsite. That is important. You must keep illicit substances off of your jobsite and out of your employees during the time that they are at work. Drug testing equipment is sold on our sister site, but what you really need is onsite drug and alcohol testing. This means that your employees can get tested right where they work! We could throw in a few more clichés, like “Be cool,” “A clear brain is a smart brain,” and “Would YOU eat poison?” but we know that you get the point. 

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2139

Business Flow

Business goes about as usual every day all over the world. Offices click on and off, lamps flicker over a late desk, papers are filed, errands are run, and executives pressure each other over power breakfasts. Business flow happens in the world, whether or not you are a part of it. Running a company is not an easy thing to do. There is so much to think of and there is so much detail to attend to. Even when the proper business system is placed and the right people hired, everyone has to do their job right or the whole process is put at risk. Take care of your process. Implement workplace drug testing in your company today.

Mediscreen provides onsite drug and alcohol testing services to businesses all over Australia, both large and small. Any time you need testing done, we bring our employees to your place of business and we test your workers, leaving the employee records onsite, so that privacy is maintained and so that you have control over how you utilize the information. Also, in this manner, employees can access their own information if they have a question or would like to update their address. Alcohol testing secures and transports business flow to and from your company, thus making screening one of the best ways to ensure proper business activity.

Employee testing is also one of the best ways to protect your assets. In order for your business to have worth and for your assets to increase, you must maintain that business flow we talked about earlier. Now, we are looking at ways to protect whatever flow you have achieved so far, so that you can look forward to growing your company larger and more powerful in the future. These ways include managing your accounts, keeping track of your cash flow, and of course it involves drug and alcohol testing.

Naturally, you would not wish to take time off from this steady flow of business you are cultivating, so it would make sense to use an onsite drug and alcohol screening service, so that your people are tested right where they work. 

 This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2133

Art Galleries and Employee drug Testing

When one thinks of employee drug screening, one does not tend to think of art galleries. One thinks of industrial worksite, large offices, and huge multinational companies. One thinks of a million little ants, with a few big ants on top.

However, art is one of the most prized possessions of an individual, a group, or even a country. History, art, power, prestige, life experience, originality, and pure unadulterated talent are all combined together into the life that we all wish to have or to have even more of. Art is uniquely powerful because it has so much influence over such a wide group of people.

When hiring employees for their galleries, some gallery owners even do background checks on the new employees. There is so much at stake, since an individual piece of art can be worth several hundred million dollars, not to mention be considered a national treasure by many people. That is a huge note of pride, and it means that employees must be watched even more carefully than you would think they would need to be watched. Security systems for art galleries and art museums are very high tech, since the buildings hold such valuable objects to enjoy.

Alcohol and drug testing are some of the very basic minimum requirements which may be expected of an employee of such a place. Workplace drug testing laws rarely cover such innocuous working conditions, but drug and alcohol testing is still very often employed by gallery owners or the board of directors…or even just the security administration set in place. Whatever the case, drug screening has a very real purpose in such an environment. So much can be at stake if someone questionable is hired. Even if they are not a criminal, if they abuse drugs or alcohol while on the job, they can open the door for real criminals to commit a real theft while the employee is unaware of what is happening or is even somewhat involved, to a lesser degree. Onsite drug screening is necessary for all workplaces, and that means that it can really do a lot for yours.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2130

Workplace Bodily Hazards

There are numerous things to encounter in the workplace or on the jobsite which can be bodily hazards. If you are working under just about any condition, then any of these things can happen to you. We will list some examples for you to consider:

The first bodily hazard is paper cuts. Just kidding, it is injury from machinery. Your clothing or hands or feet can get caught in office machinery or in heavy machinery on the jobsite, and this can lead to broken bones, limbs being torn off, massive bruises or other severe injuries. This is why construction workers and people in the line of heavy machinery operation often do not wear their wedding rings. Fingers and entire hands have been cut off due to a ring being caught on machinery or in some precarious way and the worker is unable to free himself.

The second bodily hazard is simply being gassed out. This tends to occur in the mining industry, though it is theoretically possible to occur on an oil field, in the agricultural industry, or in other locations. When mining, methane levels naturally rise from the earth, especially if the site has been on top of a former landfill (a particularly dangerous and irresponsible move). The methane meter always measures the degree of methane in the air and, once it hits a dangerous mark, mining workers should get out immediately. Any spark of fire or electricity can blow up the entire place, resulting in numerous fatalities.

The third bodily hazard comes from a lack of onsite drug and alcohol testing on any jobsite whatsoever. You see, when workers are under the influence of substance abuse, their judgment is impaired, their safety precautions are forgotten, and their tempers flare up. All of this can lead to a dangerous combination, and both accidents and intentional injuries and fatalities can occur. Onsite drug screening is one of the best ways to prevent this from happening. Workplace drug testing is a proven method of employee evaluation, and it involves hiring a company to do this work for you.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2127

The Wizard of Oz

The wizard of Oz, a fictional character from an extremely eccentric children’s tale, is rumored to live in the middle of the Emerald City, and none but the most humble has access to him, and none but the most practical can even guess that he is not some apparition or ghostly being, but rather just an engineer who can do a few magic tricks and who has a strangely accurate streak of common sense, which contributes to the general belief throughout Oz of how wise the wizard is.

In other words, the effect is achieved through smoke and mirrors, and has great effect, for who listens to a mere mortal who is great at giving advice?

Thus, this question is posed in business. How can you elicit trust in people without making it outright manipulation? The answer is through courtesy and respect. You cannot show them a false front, but you can be extremely professional, tasteful, gracious, polite and courteous. These attributes will go a long way toward showing a continual and uninterrupted respect for their feelings and needs.

These attributes are also less likely to shown, if at all, by employees who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Workplace drug testing and alcohol testing is extremely effective for identifying those in your company who are a direct threat to your courteous and classy image. Your own professionalism is thwarted by their crassness, and by their lack of caring, which can often be the case in addicts’ behavior. This is something which must be immediately dealt with.

And it does not require smoke and mirrors.

Drug testing in Australia is strongly helped by Mediscreen, one of the leading businesses based in Perth, WA. We keep our business up to date, and our drug testing equipment is top notch. We provide onsite drug and alcohol testing services for businesses all over Australia, not just Western Australia. We provide an unique set of gifts and talents which will help to inform you of your employees’ professionalism while on the job. If they are abusing substances, then they are clearly not being professional. 

 This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2113

The People Protected by Aviation Drug Testing

When you are looking into drug screening for any part of your aviation procedures, remember that many hundreds of lives are depending everyday upon the reliability and safety protocols of your employees.

The passengers are protected when they go flying, for they are trusting anyone in aviation to have done their job completely. Workplace drug testing for aviation employees is perfect for their daily needs. Passengers know that protocol has been followed, and they can fly safely no matter what.

Pilots, copilots and stewards/stewardesses are protected, for they not only have been tested through onsite drug and alcohol screening themselves, but they also know that those working on their equipment and their planes are just as safely vetted, too. Engineers and repairmen are protected because, if someone makes a mistake and causes a problem, alcohol testing and drug screening can show who was clean during the time of the mistake, and this allows innocent parties to not be blamed.

There must be a company/flight policy for using onsite drug and alcohol testing, and it must cover all contingencies. There must be a safety mechanism at each step along the way. When the aviation industry protects people, they are protecting hundreds, sometimes thousands of people at a time. The process of flight procedure and commercial airline flights requires a delicate and yet all too important balance to be maintained at all times. If even one person does not do his or her job correctly, then the whole system can be brought down rather quickly. This is why many planes have backup engines and backup fuel tanks.

This is why Australians can fly in safety. It is because safety protocols are always kept in the aviation industry. When you take your next flight, remember that the same drug and alcohol testing that is observed in your company is also being used by every aviation professional you meet. This is an industry where safety must come first in all ways, or there will be severe consequences to human life. For more information about employee testing in Perth specifically or Australia in general. 

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2105

Work Ethic And Alcohol Screening

What company doesn’t want every employee to have outstanding work ethic coupled with a generous heart and continuing smile? I’m sure every business owner would be thrilled at the thought, but the chances are slim to none that such a thing exists.

In fact, some men and women have no idea what work ethic even means. They have never been taught the value of “work” and do not realize that input oftentimes equals output. Even if they do understand what it means, some are simply apathetic and don’t care about the value of working hard.

For example, let’s say an employee shows up at his job every day, but he lacks a solid work ethic. Maybe he was spoiled his whole life and his parents handed him everything he wanted. Maybe he grew up in a dysfunctional home, became angry and depressed, and could care less about work ethic. Or maybe he just does not understand that solid work principles will benefit him throughout his life- he simply may be immature.

Sometimes it is hard to gauge whether potential job applicants will have a solid work ethic. You may not know until months down the road when the employee misses more days than allowed, is continually tardy, and is simply not productive.

One way to nip in the bud those that tend to have limited work ethic right off the bat is to provide alcohol and drug screenings as part of the employment process. Experts assert that those who continually use alcohol and drugs tend to have less work ethics, as the drug use wears them down physically and oftentimes emotionally. In fact, some will even come to work after using drugs and use while at work.

If you don’t employ drug screening tests during your employment process, consider doing so. It is affordable and easy. Mediscreen provides convenient, mobile, onsite alcohol drug testing throughout Australia. Whether your business is big or small, we are here to serve you and help assure you that your employees have definitive work ethic.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2095

Different Types of Pressure

When encountering day to day tasks and responsibilities, you may begin to equate one pressure with another. This is dangerous, because you can end up spending a great deal of time on a less important task, and not enough time on a very important one. Let’s look at the different types of pressure you may encounter on a daily basis.

First and foremost, we have the time sensitive pressures. Anything which is on a deadline and which requires you to get it done on time or all of your work will be wasted…is important. This is what you should be focusing on more than anything else. When the time sensitive tasks are out of the way, you can more leisurely work on less time sensitive objectives.

Secondly, we have person sensitive pressures. These are pressures which relate to a specific person, whether it is a client, a boss, a coworker, or a subordinate. People skills are needed, and this is the second most important objective because it is dependent upon the needs or desires of someone else. It is not just numbers. This is definitely a task which requires priority. Someone is being kept waiting, after all.

Thirdly, you have the self fulfillment tasks. These are goals or pressures which will, in the end, be better for you. However, if you find yourself putting these tasks off for more mundane ones, then you may be looking at giving too much of your energy away, and not restoring that energy enough. Employee drug & alcohol testing definitely falls in this category. Alcohol testing in Australia is based upon an agreement between a business and their client and the fact that drug screening protects everyone. Now, obviously onsite drug and alcohol screening cannot actually come off of the page and keep people from doing stupid things, but it can help you to evaluate and detect dangerous employees in your midst. This is how alcohol and drug testing can be beneficial for your business.

The last pressure is just everyday mundane pressures, which you really should be used to, anyway. Typically, people who abuse drugs or alcohol are overwhelmed by those, though, as well. For more information on our onsite testing services, call Mediscreen today.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2020

Cutting Costs Is Not Always The Right Answer

The economy around the world certainly has been through some tough times the past few years. Businesses and families have taken more of a toll than anyone could have ever imagined. With such massive amounts of layoffs and plenty of businesses closing their doors, a dark cloud of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety has made its way across plenty of cities and nations.

Cutting costs is not always the right answer when it comes to business. Let’s take the cost associated with drug and alcohol testing. The cost that a business owner puts into such testing is well worth the outcome. For example, let’s say an employee at a company is addicted to cocaine. He continually gets high in the bathroom during his shift as a stock person at a department store.

One evening he gets high and because he is not clear in his mind, he runs into a co-worker with the fork lift and she falls down and breaks her arm. This accident will cost the company a great deal of money in the long run and it might have been prevented if the company did random or mandatory drug testing every so often.

The employee with the addiction to cocaine could have been caught through drug testing and could have either been let go, reprimanded, given leave without pay, forced to get addiction counseling if he wanted to stay employed with that company, and so on.

Random Drug Alcohol Testing is well worth the investment in the long run. One accident due to the use of drugs can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Additionally, those that use drugs tend to be less productive and reliable when it comes to work, so little by little money a business owner is losing money.

For this reason, Mediscreen assures you that the cost of Onsite Drug & Alcohol Testing is worth well more than the information you get regarding your employees. Cutting this particular cost will not save you in the long run. Allow Mediscreen to take care of all of your alcohol and drug screening and alcohol testing needs today.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2016

Coping With the Stress of Life Using Illicit Drugs on the Rise

Drug and alcohol use in Australia has been steadily increasing through the years. There are masses of people who use and abuse drugs to escape from reality, numb the pain they struggle with, succumb to peer pressure, and a host of other reasons. In fact, the age at which kids are beginning to experiment with alcohol and drugs is at the alarming young age of 12. With the risk of addiction quite high in Australia, this has many parents and drug and alcohol professionals concerned.

There are plenty of reasons why people abuse drugs, but relationship break ups oftentimes cause a great deal of stress and heart ache that prompt such use. In fact, to combat feelings of pain, emptiness, hurt, anger, etc., many people resort to using drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Though not a positive coping method, many people perceive it as a chance to numb the pain temporarily rather than face it head on. With more than half of relationships and marriages doomed to fail, the chances of one using alcohol or drugs to cope is quite high.

This is one reason why workplace drug testing ought to be mandatory for a new job. First, it will eliminate the chances of hiring one that is addicted to drugs and that fact alone will assure you higher safety ratings. Second, it may give the person applying for the job the nudge he needs to take a look at how drug use is contributing negatively to his life. Perhaps he will stop using drugs, clean up his act, and move forward seeking a job in which he can be fully present under no influence of illicit drugs.

A recent Australian survey of adolescents reported that at least 90 percent of adolescents have drunk a full glass of alcohol and at least 38 percent of Australians 14 years old and older have used an illicit drug at least once, with 15 percent using within the last year. This is exactly the reason employers ought to have drug screening before hiring an employee.

Along with drug screening, random drug alcohol testing ought to be done throughout the year utilizing onsite drug and alcohol screenings. Finding out that an employee is using drugs can enhance safety for your company and also force that employee to take a look at the effects of his actions. You can offer several options for that employee, including substance abuse counseling, time off with no pay, termination, or whatever other measures you believe will be helpful.

It is quite easy to schedule and set up such tests and Mediscreen can certainly help you out.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2012

Budgeting for Onsite Testing

While we do not pretend to know everything that there is to know about drug and alcohol testing, we do know about as much as one company can, and we are here to offer you some tips on budgeting for your drug screening and alcohol testing.

Workplace alcohol drug testing laws have made it so that certain industries MUST test their employees, but the truth is, you can implement drug screening any time you want, in your own company, for any reason. Now that you have determined that you wish to go ahead and hire a company to provide this service, consider the benefits of onsite drug and alcohol screening.

It is fast, efficient, cheap, and has incredibly high standards.

When budgeting, remember that you must make this a regular expenditure of your company’s finances. You cannot add it on as something which you will do if you have the extra money for it. It must be a regular occurrence, and you must plan on setting the money aside for it. If you do not, then you may run up against a wall concerning your drug testing schedule, and it is imperative that you be able to test your employees, no matter what. You never know when you will need to look at someone’s track record to make sure that they are living up to the company’s codes.

Alcohol and drug testing is very important in many circumstances. You must be able to know what is going on. Therefore, the second step for budgeting should be to allow for a little more testing or testing for a few more employees, just in case. There should be some room for movement in your budget. Onsite drug and alcohol testing will, generally, be cheaper than regular laboratory testing, since you are not paying for overhead costs.

However, whatever form you choose, remember that many companies under-budget for their requirements. We at Mediscreen urge you to choose us for your drug & alcohol testing, and to remember that our onsite drug and alcohol screening services will make your endeavors much easier and more much efficient and smooth running.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2009

Brave New World

It is impossible to wake up every morning and see it the same way as we did yesterday. There is so much to do and so much to enjoy, that it seems as if the years of our lives are barely able to contain all of the things which we desire to accomplish each year. This really is an amazing existence that we lead.

In onsite drug & alcohol testing, there is a commonality which you may find intriguing. There are certain types of employees who are more likely to need drug screening, and certain types which are more likely to test positive during alcohol testing. We do not mean to generalise or to point fingers here. Instead, we are looking to identify some of the traits which are common in repeated abusers.

Dissatisfaction is one of the most common traits in people who frequently test positive in workplace drug testing. Dissatisfaction and discontent are high because abusers often over-stimulate their brains with drugs which cause abnormal levels of serotonin and other feel good hormones. This makes daily life a bore, and it soon becomes almost painful to live without these drugs.

Another common trait is an overly subjective point of view. Rather than taking reality at face value and determining the best course of action from that data, abusers often express opinions and high subjective views of reality, without actually touching upon what is really there, as if their opinion is the truth of the matter.

While workplace drug testing laws cover and protect some industries, it is still advisable to use drug testing in Australia, no matter which industry your company caters to. These services can really bring good to your business, as well as to your community. After all, everyone has a reputation to uphold.

Look around you. Isn’t this a beautiful world we live in? When your employees wake up, they should feel that, too, rather than dread about who they may encounter at work. We would like to invite you to check us out. To schedule an appointment or to sign up for onsite drug and alcohol screening, call Mediscreen today.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2006

Report Indicates Amtrak Employees Failing Drug Tests At High Rate

Traveling by train is steadily increasing as the cost of flying continues to increase. Many people travel via train due to it being considered a safe and efficient way to travel- especially for those who fear driving or flying. In light of this, it might be fitting to learn that a certain train carrier in America is dropping the ball when it comes to ensuring safety for passengers.

Recently, CNN news reported an increase of alcohol and drug test failures among Amtrak employees. In fact, it has been steadily increasing since 2006. This has caused passengers to question the safety of such travel and other companies are wondering just how much drug and alcohol use is going on with their own employees. Some companies are questioning why they don’t have any alcohol and drug test measures going on at all.

A report by Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General stated that marijuana and cocaine were the top two drugs used by employees who failed Alcohol Drug Testing. Ever since the fatal 1987 Amtrak collision with another train due to an employee high on marijuana, drug & alcohol testing measures have been enforced at Amtrak. The collision with a freight train took the nation by surprise and also took the death of 16 people.

Some officials are questioning Amtrak’s lack of concern for monitoring alcohol and drug use among employees. With Amtrak’s failed alcohol and drug tests at 51% higher than passenger train industry average, the concern is quite legitimate.

The inspector general commented that Amtrak’s senior management had limited knowledge about the high failure rates and encouraged a more serious approach to managing the problem. Amtrak has been advised to increase the frequency of alcohol and drug testing, as well as compare the results with competing industry averages.

If you own your own business or manage employees, it is wise to have your own Drug Alcohol Testing measures in place for your employees. Having such can be beneficial in various ways, including higher productivity and a decreased chance of accidents due to being under the influence of drugs. With the high use of alcohol and drug use among men and women in general, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to employment safety matters.

For more information about alcohol and drug testing in Australia, call Mediscreen today and ask about our onsite services.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2003

Truth in Advertising: Possible?

Can you really have truth in advertising? It is a much quoted phrase, both for and against the topic, but advertising by its very nature is somewhat manipulative. How can you tell if a company is legitimate or not? The proof is in the pudding, as they say. If the service is high quality and if the products are high quality, then the advertising is running parallel to the truth, if not actually on top of it all the way.

However, many people find that products and services do not actually live up to advertised standards. At Mediscreen, we do a great job of delivering services to companies throughout Western Australia. Drug testing in Australia is easier than ever. Our drug screening practices are so new and innovative, and our teams are such good people that we cannot possible go wrong. If we do, though, we know how to take accountability for ourselves.

At Mediscreen, the innovation of onsite drug and alcohol screening is right at hand. You can call us up or visit our website and learn all about how great our company is. We provide onsite drug and alcohol screening to companies all over Australia.

Of course, the only way to know if there is truth in our advertising is to try us out. If we meet your standards, then you can spread the word about us even further than it already has spread. If our services are not up to par or if our staff is in any way rude or seemingly incompetent, you can call us on it. However, we are confident that none of these things are the case. Drug screening, by its very nature, requires a cool mind and a steady hand. Alcohol testing requires that we know our business, inside and out.

At Mediscreen, we believe that there really is truth in our advertising. However, these are just words until you try us out. Please call our offices and find out what we can offer your particular company and what we can do to make your business a safer place. Onsite drug & alcohol testing is, after all, our specialty.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=1997