Frequently Asked Questions
We have compiled an extensive list of some frequently asked questions we have experienced. If you have any questions that aren’t answered in the below section, contact us and we can help.
No, if the drug and alcohol testing program is carried out fairly and within the agreed guidelines, it is not an invasion of an employee’s privacy. In fact, it is widely encouraged by government bodies and trade unions in order to protect the welfare of employees and the safety of others.
Yes, the data obtained is kept confidential at all times. Employers and Medical Review Officers (MRO) keep the test results confidential and records cannot be released without employee consent.
A Medical Review Officer is a qualified physician who reviews and interprets positive results. They will assess a positive result within the context of an employee’s medical history and prescribed medication.
Chain of custody is a monitoring process to prevent tampering of an employee’s sample or test results. Our chain of custody begins with collection of the sample, and continues right through the final reporting of test results to employers. Sealing of sample containers, transport and control of samples, receipt of samples by the laboratory.
Supervision of laboratory tests remain under strict discipline throughout the chain of custody. It is designed to link, beyond doubt, the sample to the employee and the result to the employee.
A comprehensive list of drugs can be tested for and this can be tailored to the needs of the company, running as many as are deemed necessary.
We use cut off limits for both alcohol and drug testing. A positive result is a concentration greater than the cut off limit for that particular substance. A positive result means that the drug has been used but will not indicate frequency of use or when it was used last.
Cut off levels refer to the minimum concentration of drug in a sample, which can be deemed positive. At Randox Drug and Alcohol Testing Services, we follow the guidelines and cut off values set out by the EWDTS.
We use our own revolutionary Biochip Array Technology which has been scientifically proven to produce highly accurate results. The Drugs of Abuse arrays have been specifically designed to improve accuracy and reduce the amount of false positives.
At the collection site, the donor gives the sample and the collector will seal the sample in a tamper evident bag. They complete the necessary documentation, and prepare the specimen for transport to the laboratory.
No, however, they may be asked to remove any bulky or unnecessary outer garments. This is due to the possibility of concealed items that may be used to tamper with the sample. Also, if the collector suspects tampering with the sample, the employee may be asked to empty his/her pockets.
No, the urine void is not witnessed by the collection officer. The employee provides a sample in a secure toilet facility which has been predetermined and prepared by the trained collection officer.
This should be addressed in your drug and alcohol testing policy. Some companies will commence disciplinary procedures but this varies according to individual policies. Some policies outline that if an employee declines a drug or alcohol test, their test result will be an automatic fail.
The collection site should have a private room. It will have a toilet and sink and for the duration of the urine collection. Access to the area should be restricted.
In this case, the employee would be given fluids so they should be able to provide a sample within a few hours. Only a small amount of urine is required, about 50 millilitres. If they are still unable to do so, an Unable to Provide Form would be completed and retained by the employer. The MRO may investigate whether this was due to a medical reason e.g. poor kidney function.
An alternative test may be offered e.g. oral fluid. If this sample is refused then the employee will be determined as ‘unwilling’ to give a sample as opposed to ‘unable’. Your workplace drug and alcohol testing policy should contain procedures to follow in this instance.
Introducing a drug and alcohol testing policy in the workplace is not expensive and the company will actually gain greater productivity, less accidents and subsequent litigation.
The detection window is generally shorter than that of urine and will depend on the person’s metabolism, the type and amount of drug taken etc. Usually oral fluid testing will show any drug use in the previous few days.
This depends on various factors including the drug being tested for, the amount of drug taken and the individual’s metabolic rate. In the case of cannabis, the detection window can be up to several weeks.
No, the employee should continue eating and drinking normally and keep taking any prescribed medication. Prescription medicine will not interfere with the tests as long as it has been declared to the collector.
Yes, an employee has the right to challenge a positive result and ask for a retest. They will not be permitted to give another sample but the retest will be carried out on the secondary portion of the original sample, which the laboratory still holds. Depending on your company, the employee may have to cover the cost of the retest.
For head hair, a standard window of detection is 90 days. However, longer and shorter timeframes are possible. Body hair samples are noted as an approximately 12 month timeframe.
It takes approximately 7-10 days from the time of drug use for the effected hair to grow above the scalp. Body hair growth rates are generally slower and cannot be utilised to determine a specific timeframe of drug use.
Hair can be collected from several head locations and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. In addition, body hair may be used as a substitute to head hair. In the rare case where no hair is collectable, oral fluid or urine testing may be utilised.
Studies indicate that head hair grows on average approximately 1.3 cm (or 1/2 inch) per month.
Contact us to find out
more about our services
We offer a fully confidential and no obligation initial quotation