Avoid Staff Cheating the Drug Test?
Traditionally, urine has been the most popular sample for drug testing, however, it’s open to adulteration, or ‘cheating’ by a determined test subject. Here’s some of the ways the urine sample could be corrupted:
- Using someone else’s urine, synthetic urine, or a different substance altogether
- Diluting the sample by drinking excessive water, or by adding water to the urine
- Adding substances to the sample to prevent drugs from being detected.
There are ways to prevent adulteration: check the subject isn’t carrying any containers or bags of liquid, ask the person to pat themselves down and to take off any heavy jackets or clothing items that can hide containers. Essentially you need to make it difficult for liquid to be smuggled through. The toilet area itself also needs to be made secure so it’s impossible to dilute a sample. You could drop a blueing tablet in the cistern to discourage water being scooped into the sample cup, tape up any taps inside the room, and secure windows to prevent water being passed in from outside.
If this ‘high security’ approach sounds a bit draconian for your staff to endure, you could consider changing your testing approach by switching to the oral swab method. It’s much harder to tamper with oral fluid samples, which helps to ensure the integrity of the test results. Most important is that oral fluid testing is less invasive and a more comfortable experience for employees. No toilets, no high security, no stress.
By partnering with Advance Diagnostics, organisations can confidently manage the risks associated with drugs and alcohol in the workplace, fulfilling your HSWA duties and ensuring a safer environment for everyone. Our unique approach streamlines processes and reduces testing budgets by around 70% versus an outsourced 3rd party solution.
Advance Diagnostics = Intelligent drug & alcohol workplace screening solutions, policy advice and training across New Zealand since 2012.