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How to Become a Certified Drug and Alcohol Tester
In Australia, it’s increasingly important to conduct onsite drug and alcohol tests to protect your business from liability, increase business efficiency and enforce company policies that prohibit drug use for many valid reasons. In the rustic settings of the western parts of Australia, drug use is growing steadily - possibly because workers aren’t tested on the job. In Australia, employers have a duty of care to provide a safe and productive work environment where employees don’t face the risks caused by fellow workers under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety in Government of Western Australia.
However, the first step to creating a drug testing program is developing a clear policy that prohibits recreational drug use. In businesses that handle heavy equipment and materials and driving vehicles, the need for anti-drug policies is evident. There are also other situations - such as handling money or personal information - where drug or alcohol use could result in liabilities. According to Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association in Western Australia, drug use is common throughout Australia, and you have the right to test employees for drugs if you have rules in place that prohibit drugs and alcohol.
In almost any case, drug or alcohol impairment can generate health, safety and reduced-efficiency risks. Hiring outside testers can be expensive for some companies - especially where employees travel to other locations to perform services such as construction, mining and supervising different offices.
Conducting Drug Tests in the Workplace Provides Signature Benefits
Your business can be held liable for accidents, injuries and physical confrontations that are caused or exacerbated by employees impaired by drugs or alcohol. Developing a testing program isn’t that difficult to do - online courses are available to certify designated staff members to conduct these tests, and you can order supplies that comply with Australian standards. The key benefits of workplace drug testing kits include:
- Reduced Absenteeism
In one study, companies with high absentee rates over 15% reduced absenteeism to 4% or lower after implementing a drug testing program.
- Increased Productivity
About 20% of companies experienced increases in efficiency after beginning drug testing.
- Fewer Claims for Workers’ Compensation
About 14% of companies reported high rates of workers’ compensation claims before drug testing, but only 4% reported high claims after establishing a drug testing program.
- Less Turnover
About 16% of companies starting a drug testing program experienced a decrease in employee turnover.
- Proactive Hiring
Testing job applicants is a proactive way to define the company’s culture and standards at the beginning of the employment process, and applicants will know that they can’t get by with recreational drug use while employed at your company. Proactive hiring can save many thousands of dollars.
According to the Society For Human Resource Management in the United States of America.
Getting Certified with a Drug and Alcohol Testing Course Online
In Australia, getting someone certified for drug testing can be very beneficial because it’s not always possible or economically feasible to outsource the job to outside consultants. Companies in remote Australia often don’t have access to nearby medical facilities and medical consultants in rural construction locations, mining operations and transportation and logistics services. Getting certified through a drug and alcohol course online saves money and makes it possible to test employees in multiple locations.
Finding a workplace drug and alcohol testing course is easy because there are many options such as MediNat.com.au, which offers online theory and practice in a course called HLTPA005 Collect specimens for drugs of abuse testing. Passing the course certifies students to collect specimens and screen for drugs. The course provides training in the following areas:
- Testing the breath for alcohol
- Handling the collection of oral fluids for drug analysis
- Collecting urine and detecting drugs
- Performing and reporting a real drug test in each area Getting
Your Drug Testing Supplies
It’s important to get the right brand of testing equipment and supplies to comply with Australia drug testing practices. MediNat offers a complete selection of supplies for accurate drug testing that includes breathalysers, urine drug testing kits and saliva drug tests. The products are manufactured to ISO-certified standards and comply with the Australian Standards. Setting up your in-house testing program is easy with a workplace drug and alcohol testing course and carefully formulated company policies. You can even offer long-standing and valuable employees treatment options if they’ve been identified as drug or alcohol users, which makes testing programs beneficial for both your company and your employees’ best interests.
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