Masonry Magazine October 2006 Page. 30
DRUG TESTING
"A hair test is good for pre-employment and random tests because it shows a history, not just a couple days," Davis said. "It's not the test to use for a post-accident test."
Davis and Cholakis said that, although urine testing is the most popular testing method, it's oftentimes unreliable.
"There are over 11 million websites on how to beat a urine test. There's a cottage industry on ways to beat it," Cholakis said. "Cheating, or beating, the test is the primary reason companies are wanting to change."
Blood, saliva and hair tests are impossible to pass by cheating. In addition, Davis said his hair tests, which cost $44 to $55 and have a one-day turnaround, find up to seven times more drug users than urine tests.
"If you just catch one guy, you pay back the cost of the test," he said.
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Keeping the Drug Policy Legal
Before drug testing employees, mason contractors need to make sure their actions are legal. To do that, they should consult a lawyer to find out about applicable local, state and federal laws, said Thomas L. McCally, equity partner with Carr Maloney P.C., a law firm in Washington, D.C.
"If you're going to institute a drug testing program, talking to an attorney is the smartest thing you can do because there are too many pitfalls," McCally advised.
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ARE IMPAIRED WORKERS A HAZARD ON YOUR JOB SITE?
By Jamie F. Becker, LCSW-C
Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America
Even under the best circumstances construction work is inherently dangerous. Unfortunately, it also has one of the highest rates of drug and alcohol use among all industries.
The most recent statistics demonstrate that illegal drug and alcohol use is a serious issue for the construction industry, with 12.3 percent of the construction work population reporting drug use and 15.7 percent reporting heavy alcohol use versus 7.8 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively, for the general population [Source: The 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse). The role that alcohol and drugs play in a construction workplace accident varies depending on the study, with figures as high as 50 percent according to a study by the National Council on Compensation and Insurance and Cornell University.
Though the loss of life is the most serious consequence of substance abuse, other direct and indirect costs also result from drug and alcohol use by construction workers. Some of these include on-the-job accidents, legal expenses, medical insurance claims, employee theft, fraud and workers' compensation claims. Behaviors resulting from drug and alcohol use also detract from the bottom line and can include errors in judgment, poor job performance, low motivation and, in turn, low morale among co-workers on a site where substance use is tolerated. Ultimately, any cost from substance abuse, whether direct or indirect, is going to have a negative impact on a contractor's bottom line.
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What Can be Done?
A comprehensive, drug-free workplace policy and program should be a component of any company's safety program. Just as you would not want an employee 20 feet up on scaffolding without proper fall protection, you should not want employees working on a job site that is not free from drugs and alcohol. Consider a drug free workplace policy and program another tool to prevent accidents and injuries and to protect workers' health, safety and well-being.
A comprehensive drug-free workplace policy will have the following components:
* A written policy and procedures
* Worker education on the health effects of substance abuse
* Supervisor training on recognizing potential drug or alcohol impairment/use and confronting workers
* Rehabilitation options
Although drug and alcohol testing is an optional component of a comprehensive program, it is recommended because the construction industry has such a high rate of use and abuse. While some may view the program as a "witch hunt" and an invasion of privacy, a drug-free workplace policy and program serves to educate workers on the short and long-term health effects of substance use, educate supervisors on how to recognize and address unsafe behavior, and provide options for rehabilitation for those workers who have a substance abuse problem. Overall, the goal of such a policy and program is first, to provide a safe worksite and, second, to save money for contractors. No employee should want to work on a site that is not free from all illegal drugs and