Drug & Alcohol Testing Edmonton
Testing Methods For Drugs in Edmonton
Urinalysis Drug Testing — immediate results with option to send to lab for confirmation
You can opt for urine testing to screen workers for drugs. The results can be read right away, and for non-negative results, we forward the sample for lab confirmation testing as well.
There are many urinalysis options available for drug testing which we can perform, including the following:
Point of Care Testing (immediate results), Lab Testing (delayed results)
- 10 Panel POCT (COAA and DOT compliant)
- 12 Panel POCT
- Fentanyl POCT
- 5/7 Panel LAB
- 8 Panel LAB
- 10 Panel LAB
- 12 Panel LAB
Note that cannabis testing is included in all the panel tests. For more details on what is covered in each test, e-mail our OHS division manager at OHD@safetycoordination.com.
Breath Alcohol Testing — Immediate Results
Breath alcohol testing uses a breathalyzer to assess the presence of ethanol in the breath. Access our team of occupational health professionals who can provide on-the-spot and instant readings of breath alcohol levels of affected workers.
You will find out immediately whether or not your workers have alcohol in their system, and to what degree (blood alcohol concentration).
Oral Fluid (saliva) Drug Testing — POCT or LAB
You can also use our oral fluid (saliva) drug testing service to check for a variety of drugs in your workers. It is a commonly used method for post incident or reasonable suspicion testing as it is easy to administer and hard to tamper with, and has a short detection window. Currently you can choose from the following tests:
- 10 Panel Oral Fluid POCT, or
- 6 Panel Oral Fluid LAB, or
- 12 Panel Oral Fluid LAB.
You will find out after the lab work is done whether or not your workers have certain drugs in their system, at a particular threshold level.
Lab-based drug testing / confirmation testing
While drug screening tests are adequate for policy enforcement and internal company affairs, in matters of legal or civil liability it is always best practice to perform lab-based drug or confirmation testing for non-negative results. These take one to five business days for processing the results.
Safety Coordination Services can also provide you with a cost-effective and comprehensive medical review of drug test results, including chemical and concentration analysis and prescription drug comparison.
Click on the button below to book any drug and alcohol testing we’ve described, which you may require.
Edmonton D&A Testing Circumstances
There are various circumstances where testing workers for the presence of drugs or alcohol in their system is valid and appropriate. However, it’s vital to know your employees’ rights and your responsibilities toward them and within your safety system. If you are uncertain about these issues, you can add to your knowledge by taking a few minutes to complete the online e-learning course Reasonable Suspicion and Managing Impairment for Supervisors, which describes these rights and responsibilities in more detail.
Here are the common situations when drug and alcohol testing is performed, and which SCS can undertake for your company
Pre-employment testing
Hiring employees with pre-existing substance abuse issues can result in unexpected liabilities and costs in both the short and long term. Through the judicious use of pre-employment drug and alcohol tests, you can protect your company from unwanted liability, and protect your existing employees working in and around critical tasks.
Site pre-access testing
Employees involved in critical tasks or working on restricted sites will often require drug and alcohol testing prior to being permitted access to the work site. You can arrange site pre-access testing with SCS, with same-day results and optional laboratory confirmation testing available.
Random testing
The use of random drug and alcohol testing is still debated between employers and unions. However, some employers continue to favour using random testing for diligently validated safety-sensitive positions. Should this be the case for your organization, SCS can provide this service as well.
Return-to-work testing
Employers often wish to administer drug and alcohol testing for employees who are returning to work from extended time away due to a leave of absence, a medical leave, or a substance dependency program. SCS can also provide this testing as needed for your returning workers.
Post-incident testing
Incident investigations rely on timely, accurate information to protect your organization from undue legal and civil liability. So drug testing immediately after an incident is imperative. Every minute counts, and our testing personnel can respond anywhere, anytime.
With our team of on-call staff, you can access timely drug and alcohol testing on-site or in-house, including emergency / after-hours testing:
- We can provide you with one hour priority response services in the greater Edmonton area.
- 12 hour priority response options are available for the greater Alberta region.
To sign up for priority response testing, you can e-mail the manager of our occupational health division for more information at OHD@safetycoordination.com.
Click the button below to book online any of the types of drug and alcohol testing we provide, for whichever testing circumstances you may need.
Testing Compliance
DATAC
SCS can provide your company with testing services to maintain your compliance with the drug and alcohol testing rules within Canada and the United States.
In addition, Safety Coordination Services is proud to be a member of the DATAC organizations.
D.O.T. (American Department of Transport)
If your employees operate motor vehicles into the United States, they are required to undergo periodic drug and alcohol testing in compliance with the regulations and protocols imposed by the American Department of Transport.
Commonly referred to as D.O.T. testing, this level of testing requires careful adherence to American federal guidelines. If your employees require this D.O.T. testing, ask our occupational health division staff for help.
Click below to e-mail with your inquiries or for more information about arranging D.O.T. testing with SCS.
Drug and alcohol policy and training options
Extra resources for supervisors
E-learning options
With the introduction of legalized cannabis in Canada, it is very timely to learn about the concepts and practical applications of reasonable suspicion testing as well as signs and symptoms of impairment.
We offer convenient access to e-learning courses in reasonable suspicion training, including the following online course options:
- Reasonable Suspicion and Managing Impairment for Supervisors
- Reasonable Suspicion Training for Alcohol & Substance Abuse
- Substance Abuse Awareness for Supervisors
Click the button below to access our e-learning catalog to browse these courses and select which would be most appropriate for you.
In-class options
Research shows that only a small minority of supervisors are capable of distinguishing drug and alcohol use signs and symptoms from common illnesses and conditions. Can your supervisor tell the difference between an impaired employee and one suffering from diabetic shock? Is your worker erratic due to heat stroke or amphetamines? Is it fatigue or cannabis?
To help you sort out this puzzle, we also offer customized signs and symptoms training we can deliver for your supervisory personnel, which coupled with one of our certified first aid courses can help your company:
- protect lives and prevent loss on your work sites, and
- guard against civil and legal liabilities that may arise from wrongful dismissal suits.
Click the button below to inquire about setting up this in-class training to equip your supervisors with the required skills for this important task.
Extra resources for employers/management
Getting your drug and alcohol policy right requires balancing due diligence with employer and employee rights and responsibilities.
So many companies have excessive and unnecessary policies that just cost in employee turnover and excess expense on screening and hiring. On the other hand, insufficient policies and enforcement can expose companies to risks and losses, legal and fiscal liabilities and damage to reputation. If you need help striking the right balance to protect your interests and your bottom line, SCS’s team of CRSPs can guide you in developing a solid policy to protect your workers, contractors, clients, and the public from impaired workers.
Click the button below to e-mail our safety management division about your D&A policy needs and we will let you know how we can help.
Extra resources for testing technicians
If your company is sufficiently large to require a dedicated technician for drug and alcohol testing, you can sign that person up for D.O.T. Specimen Collector & Breath Alcohol Technician Training. Click the link in the bullet below to find out more about the course and request registration:
Of course if you don’t have the need for such a full time position, we are always happy to outsource this work for you with our certified, experienced drug and alcohol testing personnel. Just click the button below to book online any drug and alcohol testing you may need.