US Drug Test Centers is a nationwide drug and alcohol testing company that provides a full suite of employee testing services and a cutting-edge program management platform for employers.

The Benefits of Employee Drug Testing:

With our nation battling an opiate epidemic, legal marijuana use laws continuing to make traction throughout the U.S., and the perception of a dwindling job applicant pool, some employers are challenging the idea of performing drug testing in their workplaces.

Employers with a drug-free workplace program must test employees in the following circumstances:

• After an accident resulting in lost work time
• On reasonable suspicion of drug use (reasons for suspicion must be documented and made available to the employee on request)
• As part of a routinely scheduled fitness-for-duty medical examination, and
• After the employee returns to work following rehabilitation for a positing drug test, testing is not required if the employee entered rehab voluntarily, rather than after a positive drug test.

Businesses with employees who work in safety-sensitive jobs should conduct ongoing screens after workers are hired. Some employers like to perform random screening for workers who drive, operate heavy equipment, or work on dangerous construction sites.

The federal government has clarified that most workplace drug-testing programs are permissible under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. 

Perhaps the most impactful reason to establish an employee screening program is the obligation for employers to foster a safe and productive workplace. The central concept of safety is accepted across the nation in general but also federally recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) “General Duty Clause,” which reads in part:

According to and in alignment with 29 U.S. Code § 654 Duties of employers and employees:

(a) Each employer :

1. Shall furnish to each of his employees’ employment and a place of employment that is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;
2. shall comply with this chapter’s promulgated occupational safety and health standards.

(b) Each employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this regulation which applies to his own actions and conduct.