Masonry Magazine October 2006 Page. 28
DRUG TESTING
tors' attentions: drugs or alcohol are involved in 47 percent of serious workplace accidents and 40 percent of fatalities in these accidents, and the average annual cost of a substance abuser in the workplace is $7,000.
Lang said the drug tests his company uses cost $55 per test. By mid-summer, his company had spent $1,430 in pre-employment testing and will spend approximately $3,500 for random drug testing of an employee pool of about 90 people. The company will spend another $3,150 in drug-free workplace training, Lang said, adding that he's applying for a grant to offset the cost.
"We certainly see this as being an investment for the company," he said. "One boom getting twisted on a Lull forklift will cost us more to repair than it costs us for the entire drug-testing program for a year."
Identifying Drug Abusers, Before and After Employment
Candidates seeking employment at GBC Concrete and Masonry must pass a drug test before a job offer is made, Daniel said. That alone sends a signal to applicants.
"We have noticed a sharp decrease in applicants who actually will come in for a drug screen if they are using drugs," he noted. "They usually will not show up at all. This is a deterrent for anyone using illegal drugs from applying for a position with the company."
Once hired, employees are randomly tested without advance notice, Daniel said. Those who test positive the first time for drugs or alcohol are offered the opportunity for treatment, except where independent grounds for termination exist, as covered in the employee handbook.
Lang also offers assistance to employees with substance abuse problems. The company pays for half of the counseling for employees who ask for help. The company's insurance picks up the tab for the other half.
"This will help an employee during a hard time to get back on his feet," Lang said. "However, it has been our experience that very few drug users have the courage to ask for help."
Otherwise, an employee who tests positive gets a week off without pay or can enroll in a counseling program. The person must test negative to return to work, which can take a couple weeks, Lang said. A second offense results in a two-week suspension without pay, and a third ends in termination.
Lang said the drug testing helps casual drug users, since they'll usually stop using drugs to save their jobs.
"We certainly see this as being an investment for the company."
Damian Lang Masonry Contractor
"There is also a piece of mind that comes with drug testing. As a business owner, my managers and I can't monitor everyone every minute of the day, so it may be difficult to detect those who have serious drug problems," he said. "Those people can be detected through drug testing. We know, as an employer, through the drug testing program, that we are doing all we can to protect our workers, their families and our own families."
While starting a drug testing program may initially cost a contractor some otherwise good employees, Lang said it eventually helps the company.
"Statistics show they are most likely the ones in the future that will wreck your trucks or get someone hurt on your project," he said. "When we started testing, our foremen warned us