Approaching a Work on Drugs or Alcohol – Expect the Unexpected

Saliva Drug Test

The Government of Western Australia’s Department of Commerce has a frequently-asked-questions tab on its Alcohol and Drugs webpage. There are four questions, and one of them is, “How should an employer approach someone affected by drugs or alcohol in the workplace?” The fact this is one of the most commonly asked questions is an indication of the concerns employers and coworkers have about approaching someone who is obviously impaired due to substance use or abuse. Professionals who are experienced in dealing with people under the influence of substances offer the same advice across the board: Avoid confrontation and rely on calming skills so the person does not feel more confused or threatened.

It is human nature to get defensive when confronted in anger. When the worker is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the emotional and mental balance is upset. It is likely that someone showing external signs of substance abuse is easily confused or may even be hallucinating. If the person is hallucinating, it is impossible to know for sure what the worker is seeing or hearing. As farfetched as it sounds, someone on hallucinogenic drugs might see “monsters” all around or believe snakes are getting ready to attack. Fortunately, most cases are not this severe, but there is simply no way to assess the extent of a worker’s impairment just by looking at the person. For this reason, the professionals are clear that it is best to avoid approaching someone who is mentally impaired by drugs and alcohol in a threatening or confrontational manner because the consequences can make the situation even worse.

Make No Assumptions

Workcover New South Wales makes two excellent points that employers should always keep in mind. First, supervisors should not make any assumptions. It might be the person only appears to be using illicit substances, when in fact it may be the worker is ill, overly stressed, or having issues with legal prescriptions. Making assumptions without knowing the facts can influence the supervisor’s attitude and prompt confrontation. The drug and alcohol test will help the employer sort through the facts. Second, the employer’s initial contact with the worker should be non-confrontational and an attempt to talk to the person in terms of workplace safety or work performance rather than discussing substance abuse.¹

The Department of Commerce offers employers specific advice about what to say. In answering the frequently-asked-question concerning approaching someone on drugs or alcohol in the workplace, the employer is advised to be brief and stay calm, but remain firm. The instructions to the worker need to be delivered in an unemotional tone and repeated firmly as much as necessary. Using the person’s name repeatedly may penetrate the brain fog substance use can cause. The initial contact is not the time or place to debate, argue, or make accusations.²

Unpredictability is Predictable

It is important to remember that people using drugs or alcohol can respond in an unpredictable manner. The worker can be experiencing symptoms that fall anywhere on a spectrum ranging from mild intoxication to having hallucinations. The first step is keeping the worker as calm as possible, and then getting the person out of the work area and away from coworkers. Once in a safer area where it is possible to assess the person’s mental and emotional state and to complete drug and alcohol test, the employer is in a much better position to determine the next steps to take.

Dealing with workers under the influence of drugs and alcohol is unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst. The first defence again deteriorating workplace safety is random drug testing. CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) provides the state-of-the-art drug and alcohol testing supplies that demonstrate the employer’s willingness to invest in programs that keep all workers safe.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/approaching-a-work-on-drugs-or-alcohol-%E2%80%93-expect-the-unexpected/

Healthy Lifestyles Education Contributes to Substance Free Workplace

Saliva Drug Test

Helping workers stay off drugs or quit using illicit drugs can be accomplished in a number of ways. Employers can play an important role because they have a front line advantage. Though drug and alcohol testing can be viewed strictly as a necessary step in keeping substances out of the workplace, testing can also be one component in a workplace program promoting good decision-making in areas of health. In other words, employees are encouraged to make good lifestyle decisions that impact general health. The employer benefits because healthy employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and make fewer health insurance claims. Worker education programs that promote staying off drugs and avoiding excessive use of alcohol a lifestyle decision, in addition to eating healthy and getting regular exercise, make sense.

Positive Component of Broader Policy

All too often, employers and employees view drug and alcohol testing programs as stand-alone initiatives. They are not encapsulated in general workplace health and safety policies and procedures. Unfortunately, that approach contributes to the idea that alcohol and drug testing is a “catch-you” program rather than a positive company-wide approach to promoting good healthcare. Healthy lifestyles on all levels in personal lives equate to healthy lifestyles in the workplace in a number of ways that may not seem obvious at first glance.

• Co-workers do not support or protect fellow workers who are using drugs and alcohol in the workplace because they understand the implications in terms of potential injuries

• Employees are more likely to report safety hazards resulting from co-worker substance abuse because they are more aware of the dangers

• Employees are more supportive of the drug and alcohol testing programs because they can connect it to healthy lifestyles

• Job satisfaction is increased by creating a workplace environment that is perceived as supportive and caring

• Improves workplace morale by promoting a positive psychosocial work environment

• Reduces worker stress and anxiety and promotes a feeling of power and control because substance abuse is not tolerated

One of the issues associated with workplace substance abuse is the fact co-workers cover for other people. They do not want to be tattle-tellers or feel there will be repercussions as a result of reporting workplace substance abuse. Creating a substance free workplace is not always easy because drugs and alcohol have become so pervasive in society. However, achieving that goal benefits everyone – workers, worker families, employers, and communities.

Fitting the drug and alcohol policy and testing procedures into a healthy workplace program is not difficult. It begins with company-wide change initiatives that promote positive attitudes toward healthy practices and are supported by management practices that reinforce those attitudes.¹ For example, many companies hold training workshops that teach safety and ways to avoid injuries. The sessions are supplemented with a reporting system that documents incidences, and the reports are analysed to determine if there are ways to prevent the same injuries from happening again. People under the influence of drugs and alcohol have a higher risk of incurring injury, and this information is incorporated into future workshops.

A drug and alcohol organisational change initiative can be approached in the same manner. Training sessions promoting a substance free workplace to teach people about the drug and alcohol policy and procedures are held. The sessions are supplemented with a reporting system that enables workers to confidentially report situations that they believe involve substance use in the workplace. However, the workshops can present the policy and procedures as a component of a larger healthy workplace program that ties substance abuse and increased injury rates together. In this way, each workshop addressing a healthy workplace initiative also reinforces a substance free workplace.

Proving Managerial Commitment

The benefits of having an open, integrated and well-transmitted set of policies and procedures are many. It shows a managerial commitment to workplace health and safety. A comprehensive health policy and program that includes a drug and alcohol component also shows there are expectations as to worker behaviours and personal responsibilities. Health and safety training promotes organisation-wide solutions to problems and holds everyone more accountable for their actions and the actions of co-workers.² Business processes can be enhanced by improving worker productivity.

There are direct and indirect ways to discuss the dangers of substance abuse. Employers can directly talk about them in separate sessions and indirectly keep the information in the forefront by incorporating the information in other health and safety training sessions. A poster in the lunch room promoting a healthy diet or regular exercise can just as easily promote substance free living.

The drug testing program can rely on quality drug test kits and alcohol test from CMM Technology (cmm.com.au). Companies investing in reliable testing equipment prove their commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe workplace.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/healthy-lifestyles-education-contributes-to-substance-free-workplace/

Drug & Alcohol Policy is Corporate Social Responsibility in Action

Breathalyser

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is a leader in establishing “…higher standards of safety…” and in actively engaging and interacting with the “…wide aviation community…” The organisation has three goals that include establishing “comprehensive, consistent and effective regulation to enhance aviation safety,” good governance, and effective relationships with the aviation community. CASA also hires a number of safety-critical personnel and developed a strategy that focuses on ensuring the workforce understands its obligations and accountability.¹ Social responsibility is a comprehensive concept that addresses organizational responsibility to all of its stakeholders. Many activities are associated with social responsibility, including charitable contributions, reducing environmental impacts, and maintaining a substance free workplace.

Developing drug and alcohol policies and procedures and implementing a random alcohol and drug testing process are two of many strategies that contribute to exercising social responsibility. The employer has a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of workers, and to ensure that the workers are as productive as possible and producing quality products and services. However, corporate social responsibility is about a lot more than just how people act while at work. It is a principle that should be embedded in the business culture, brand, reputation, and even human rights.

Respecting Human Rights in Many Ways

The Australian Human Rights Commission outlines the everyday best practices in a business that respects the human rights of workers and the communities in which the business operates. The Commission’s Fact Sheet 3 explains the best practices for Human Rights as a component of the larger social responsibility principle in the extractive industry.² Human Rights have several areas of concern where risks are created when the rights are not protected. One of those areas is under labour practices. The Commission writes, “Extractive companies, like all other employers, have a responsibility to make sure that employees enjoy fundamental labour rights like a safe workplace, a living wage, non-discriminatory work practices, and collective bargaining.”² The workplace drug and alcohol policy and procedures address two of the four areas mentioned – safe workplace and non-discriminatory work practices.

Australian employers know they have a duty of care to maintain a safe environment. It is a corporate responsibility and a social responsibility, and an important step in the process is keeping drugs and alcohol out of the workplace. However, a zero tolerance policy is usually not thought of as a human rights responsibility, though it should be.

In addition, the random drug and alcohol testing program supports the non-discriminatory work practices responsibility. The program is designed to randomly test employees without regard for their gender, race, or age. The testing of safety-sensitive workers outside the random testing is also non-discriminatory because the testing is based on job responsibilities and not on any personal characteristics. The procedures protect workplace safety which means they protect the safety of co-workers, yet another Human Rights issue.

Matter of Dignity, Respect, Security and Health

The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed additional fact sheets for the finance, retail and manufacturing sectors. The Commission defines Human Rights as “…promoting and protecting the values of respect, dignity and equality for every person…” Included on the list of things businesses can most impact are the right to life and security of the person and the right to health. The drug and alcohol policy goes right to the heart of these Human Rights factors. It is a business best practice meant to keep workers secure and to help them stay healthy. CASA is just one example of an exemplary Australian organisation that understands the connection between Human Rights, social responsibility, and a substance free workplace. There are many in Australia, and every business needs to join the effort to protect the health and safety of their workers.

Businesses have a social responsibility and managing a quality alcohol and drug testing program is one way they meet that responsibility. CMM (cmm.com.au) can play an instrumental role in helping employers administer a quality program by providing high-tech supplies and equipment that make drug and alcohol test safe and accurate.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/drug-alcohol-policy-is-corporate-social-responsibility-in-action/

Australia is Player in the Global Addiction Burden

Saliva Drug Test

Australia has a long history of economic success and can boast of having a fascinating and unique culture. It is exceptional in every way, including its geographic location and natural environment which sets it apart from the rest of the world. However, Australia is a global player in every regard, including in its contribution to the global economy, its importance in preserving a diverse ecology, and its role as a gateway to a burgeoning Asia. Unfortunately, it is also a player in a global addiction burden that limits what the nation is capable of achieving in numerous ways. Addiction increases crime rates and disease rates, and it also lowers productivity. It is good to step back at times, take a more global view of the use of illegal drugs and acknowledge that Australian employers are key players in the effort to protect the country’s residents from the tragic consequences of a growing illicit drug market.

The best way to assess Australia’s global status is to consider the statistics. The Australian Crime Commission’s report titled “Organised Crime in Australia” presents a grim picture. The Commission made a conservative estimate that organised crime is a $10 billion industry in Australia. It came to the conclusion that a large segment of organised crime is related to drug smuggling and the marketing of illicit drugs. The Commission also reported that at least half of Australian criminal activity is connected to illicit drugs. Smuggled drugs include ecstasy, amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine, cannabis, and heroin. In other words, the country has become a major market for international drug trafficking. Heroin is largely coming from south-east Asia and West Africa, though new sources have been emerging. At the time of the report, Germany, Canada, and Nigeria were the main embarkation points for cocaine.¹

A Matter of Statistics

Employers can readily use these numbers as justification for drug testing in the workplace. The only reason that drug smuggling to Australia is growing is because there is a growing local market for the illicit substances. That increases the likelihood that one or more employees are using drugs in any workplace. It is all a matter of statistics. The drugs in the workplace may have originated in distance locations, but many of them end up in local businesses.

Globally, an estimated 149 to 271 million people around the world used illicit drugs in 2009. The drugs included opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabis. Up to 21 million people injected drugs, and in Oceana that number was 193,000.² Australia is one of the few countries that tracks trends in the use of specific forms of drugs. Since so many countries do not survey for drug use and dependence, it is difficult to get reliable global numbers. However, the statistics that are available leave no doubt that Australia is considered an established market for illegal drugs.

As is true for other high-income countries, drug use is on the rise in Australia, and that increases the likelihood of health consequences. The adverse health effects have been divided into four major categories by researchers. They are: acute toxic effects which include overdose; acute effects of intoxication which include violence and accidental injury; the adverse health effects of sustained drug and alcohol use, which include chronic diseases, blood borne viral and bacterial infections, and mental disorders; and dependence.³ Each one of these health effects is detrimental to worker productivity and workplace safety and increases the cost of health insurance.

The relationship between drug and alcohol use and health issues like mental disorders are not always apparent to employers. For example, there is an established link between substance abuse and depression, and depression is the fourth leading cause of Australia’s disease burden.⁴ The employer may not realise a worker is making many mistakes at work due to experiencing depression as a symptom of drug abuse. A random drug test is the only legal and impartial means for detecting the presence of illicit drugs in a worker’s system.

A Broader Perspective

The statistics give perspective to Australia’s global position in the world of substance abuse. Keeping an eye on the broader perspective makes it easier to remember that a substance free environment benefits workers, the workplace, Australia, and the global community of which it is a member.

A drug and alcohol test program represents a reliable monitoring system that works to keep illicit drugs and alcohol out of the workplace. CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) supplies businesses with quality products and professional services across industries.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/australia-is-player-in-the-global-addiction-burden/

Taking Time to Talk

 

Saliva Drug Test

Talking is something that only about a quarter of the population is very good at. For those of you who are talkers out there, keep this in mind when trying to get someone else to be as talkative as you are. It really is only a quarter of the population who can pull this off with any degree of talent.

However, even among those who avoid being around people because they prefer their privacy or one on one time, talking still counts. As long as it is in private and just between themselves and another person, it can be quite effective. Hardcore introverts find it easy to talk when they feel comfortable with the person with whom they are talking.

Taking time to talk is the subject of this article and even hardcore introverts like to specifically take time out of the day or their schedule to talk with each other. With introverts, it tends to be a little more “planned” than with extroverts, but it is time taken, whatever the case. All of this means that people who take the time to talk often do it because it makes them feel better. This is the human connection with which we are all familiar. All of us need it, no matter our personal preference for degree of interaction. We all need that human touch: the ability to feel close to another person while on this journey on earth.

In the workplace, this connection is still needed and it is fostered only when people can have normal, healthy, emotional reactions to each other. Drug abuse is only a severance of this connection. Alcohol abuse only makes this connection more distorted. It is only through employee drug testing that you can begin to see who is severing these ties and who is still upholding them. People still naturally seek connections, so all of us succeed in this manner to some degree. However, if someone is not fit for duty, they are certainly not fit to uphold these human interactions. To find out more about the drug test equipment CMM Technology provides.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/taking-time-to-talk/

A Child’s Laugh

Saliva Drug Test

Here at CMM Technology and our blog, we often discuss workplace safety and how employees should be screened for potential alcohol or drug abuse while on the jobsite. However, we often deal with subjects which have to do with the personal responsibility and accountability taken by adults. It is simply not a subject which lends itself to the topic of children.

Children are hurt by drugs and alcohol, too. Also, they sometimes abuse them, without anybody else knowing this.

People who begin drug or alcohol abuse as children have started to alter their minds before their minds even began to be developed. That is really bad, and it carries repercussions much later in life.

You see, people don’t fully reach adulthood in their minds until around the age of 23 or 25. That means that, for every legal adult out there, there is still a lot of people who are not fully developed in their brains, and so therefore are not as mature as they could be in a few years.

And, if those people began substance abuse as kids, then the damage could possibly have permanent or extremely long lasting brain damage to their young minds. Children often abuse drugs or alcohol if they are not watched carefully by their parents and if their parents or someone in authority they know often drinks or does drugs. Obviously, this is a situation where an example is being set for them and, being children, they are trying very hard to live up to the expectations of their adults.

In the workplace, people have suffered from childhood substance abuse are not as likely to be in high level positions, because leadership requires a great deal of cognitive skill and activity. However, it is still possible. It becomes even more possible if they have not continued their drug or alcohol abuse into their adulthood.

That is one of the myriad of reasons why we here at CMM Technology distribute high quality drug test kits and alcohol breathalyser devices. Our Rapid STAT saliva drug test are also quite useful. When you need to implement some employee drug testing .

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/a-child%E2%80%99s-laugh/

Self Sufficiency and the New Worksite

Today, you are able to be more self sufficient in your work with less community involvement because of the advances in technology and the ability to distribute and manufacturing products on an individual basis.

Self sufficiency has also never been more rewarding. Now, you can make and create and idealize just about anything, dream it into reality, mass produce it, and make a killing off of it. Money is available from every part of the globe, and thanks to the foreign exchange market, currencies have never been more liquid.

This is the time to produce great products, get rich off of it, and understand markets and how they will behave in a global environment, not just in a nation’s specific environment.

The new worksite has global communications which cost little or nothing at all. Cloud commuting means getting up, going to work from your computer, and getting projects done outside of the office, from anywhere in the world. Businesses seek to handle their projects on a highly personalized platform, and all of this is available through the world wide web.

Drug test equipment is still needed for companies which work together in the same office. The idea is to not only provide safety for other employees who work in the same office as a potential abuser, but also to protect company assets from people who would be desperate or cunning enough to embezzle. Those without morals are likely to have fewer morals due to their altered brain chemistry. Drug addiction and alcoholism are two very dangerous, very degrading diseases.

They take the human out of you.

They rob you of the last shred of individual spark or spirit you might have left.

CMM Technology not only provides these drug tests kits, but also breathalyser devices and a NATA Accredited breathalyser recalibration service for equipment which you may already have up and running. We seek to bring even more self sufficiency to your current worksite through the use of employee drug testing, which enables you to effectively evaluate your staff members.

This is no small job. We take it very seriously.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/self-sufficiency-and-the-new-worksite/

Pulling Out The Thorn

Anybody who has ever had the slightest twinge of withdrawal symptoms can tell you that seeking help and recovery seems to just be too much. If there has ever been anything more than a twinge, but rather very real cravings for the drug of your choice, then you will understand how important it is for the help to begin as soon as possible. Just like pulling out a thorn, it must be done sooner rather than later, and quickly rather than slowly.

Sometimes, when recovering from a particularly bad bout of withdrawal, it can be really helpful to pull out the thorn, so to speak, as a way to distract the mind from withdrawal symptoms. Many people believe in the power of distraction, but scientists have proven that distraction is not so much drawing the attention somewhere else as it is building new and different brain patterns in your head which do not include abuse among their daily thought patterns.

This means that you really have to understand the benefit of distractions, understand how powerful they are, and therefore choose the replacement for your addiction very carefully. If you change out one addiction for another, such a drug addiction for alcohol drinking, or alcohol drinking for cigarette smoking, you are simply shifting aspects without actually dealing with the underlying problem. You must find a healthy way of getting out of your old habits, and that includes exercise, marathon training, swimming, eating good food, and spending time among non-addicted but very sociable friends.

In the meantime, business health can still be maintained by employee drug testing on a regular basis, when you think it is most likely to help. Some companies implement drug testing on a bi-monthly basis, some on a monthly routine, and some on a weekly schedule. The point is that all of your employees must be accurately tested, and you cannot do this without proper urine drug test and oral fluid drug tests from CMM Technology. We here at CMM Technology really believe in our products, and we are accredited by NATA for breathalyser calibration. Go ahead. Pull out the thorn. Get your employee drug testing program on its way.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/pulling-out-the-thorn/

Knowledge and the Illusive Wisdom

What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Knowledge involves facts and experience and data and patterns which you are able to put together to form a conclusive whole. Wisdom is the ability to read between the lines and understand what all of this information means.

Knowledge is information.

Wisdom is the ability to learn from that information.

What happens when an employee fails a screening test under a new manager? Depending upon the personality type of the manager, they may do anything from threaten or fire the employee to calling it to your attention. Even if it is a small matter which is to be expected, such as after the night of an office party or some such occasion, there is still doubt about how hard or how soft to be on that employee.

Everyone has their separate opinion.

What you need, regardless of your choice in this matter, is accurate data. To receive this data, you will need to use high quality drug test kits and alcohol breathalyser devices. What else could matter, other than the administration and technical accuracy of the tests? You must have a competent staff on hand to administer the tests, but the equipment itself must be top notch. What do you do?

At CMM Technology, we pride ourselves on our ability to create and maintain a high quality drug test equipment operation here in Australia. Drug testing in Western Australia is better because of us, though we ship our products nationwide. Fortunately, many companies value our products and have standing orders with us. We would be honored to earn your trust and business, too.

Of course, knowledge comes from the information found about our products on our website. Wisdom comes from trying our products out and determining how effective they really are. We are not scared. Go ahead and try us out. We want you to be confident in whom you purchase from. When you visit our website, be sure to select individual product pages, so that you can view more detail about each item. Then, when you’ve made your choice, give us a ring.

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/knowledge-and-the-illusive-wisdom/

The Factor of Performing Your Goals Right Away

There is a certain mentality used by some investment advisors and real estate brokers which conforms to the idea that it is better to jump into an investment decision and learn as you go, rather than holding back from fear and not doing anything about it at all or for a really long time. There is another mentality used by the investment community that research and well thought out informative decision will not only give you enough material with which to make your decision, but it will also help you decide exactly where and how you would like to invest your money.

So which is the best approach? After all, things like habits cannot be decided upon too carefully, considering how easily habits can make or break someone throughout their life and their financial decisions.

The solution lies in the purposeful decision. One either wishes to invest in real estate, or one doesn’t. One either wishes to earn money through online investment, or one does not. Either way, these decisions make up a solid foundation upon which the potential investor will perform their careful research and then invest, or they will never make the decision to do it, passively or actively. In other words, at any point in time, the individual has already made their decision and they are already sticking with it. It is just a matter of time before they make that decision known to everyone else, and truthfully, it leaves them with a certain amount of security in themselves. When someone makes and sticks by a decision they have personally made, then they are creating and sustaining security within their own bodies and within their minds. It is a wonderful feeling, which does not receive enough credit from those who are losing their footing or who have already lost their footing.

CMM Technology devotes our decision making to making high quality drug and alcohol testing equipment for your workplace drug testing needs. For more information on employee drug and alcohol screening, call us today: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/06/self-discipline/

http://www.studygs.net/discipline.htm