NEWS: Adelaide Advertiser - 26/10/07 'Workers fail drug tests'

[lil angel15]

Workers fail drug tests
MATT WILLIAMS
October 26, 2007 02:15am

RANDOM workplace drug tests in the past year have caught hundreds of South Australian workers with crystal methamphetamine in their system.

Adelaide-based company, Integrity Sampling, has tested up to 5000 workers in various industries in the past 12 months.

The company said about 10 per cent had displayed traces of the stimulant drug.

Worksafe SA, another company which conducts workplace drug tests, has reported a "five fold" increase in one year in the detection of crystal methamphetamine, which also is used to make ice and speed.

A report by workplace regulator, SafeWork SA, shows at least 5 per cent of deaths and up to 13 per cent of work injuries are related to drug and alcohol use.

A recommendation from a parliamentary committee this month says SafeWork SA should be given the power to require alcohol and drug tests from any employee deemed to be involved in a workplace death or serious injury.

The growing use of methamphetamine – highlighting the nationwide "ice epidemic" – has been linked mainly to workers in the manufacturing and transport industries, which employ nearly 100,000 people in SA.

The average number of workers detected with cannabis in their system is between 10 and 15 per cent. Heroin and cocaine is being detected in about one in every 100 workers.

Integrity Sampling managing director Bill Hayes said the 10 per cent figure for positive crystal methamphetamine tests was similar to results in other states.

"It is a massive problem and has grown tremendously over the past 12 to 18 months," he said.

One manufacturing business recently tested by Worksafe SA had 54 per cent of its workers test positive to illegal substances, mainly cannabis and/or methamphetamine.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union SA secretary John Camillo said: "It is alarming . . . people coming to work should not have drugs or alcohol in their system."

Business SA chief executive Peter Vaughan said "persons affected by drugs or alcohol in the workplace present physical risks to themselves and others".

Adelaide Advertiser

 

[8L4YN3]

'crystal methamphetamine, which also is used to make ice and speed.'...Moron.

 

[marklar_the_23rd]

do these test differentiate between "had a little bit on the weekend" (which should be none of their business) and "had some this morning to deal with this shithole i call work" ?

 

[phase_dancer]

The company, Integrity Sampling uses the Cozart detection system which is an oral swab based test. iirc, level of detection (LOD) is similar to the Drugwipe test where only the active substances are tested for (not metabolites) although from the way the Aus standard reads (AS 4762, part 2 DR 05591), cocaine metabolites are included in oral tests.

As there's no strictly defined detection period for various drugs, it's certainly possible that a worker could show a positive after consuming drugs the night before, or even days before with some drugs that have a long half life such as meth.

The Cozart drug detection system is an on-site saliva drug screening and is used in industries ranging from mining and heavy transport to police forces.

The system enables dignified, non-invasive sample collection and accurate, well validated results. Risk of sample adulteration is minimal. Easy and straightforward to use, the system removes user error and subjectivity from the diagnosis. It accurately times, reads, interprets and stores the results, which are displayed on the screen and can be printed.

The instrument tests for five main drug groups: THC (marijuana), methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine and opiates. Results from the oral sample are obtained in just over 5 mins. All positive drug and alcohol screenings are subjected to a further laboratory confirmation test using the oral fluid sample. At no time is urine obtained, in keeping with the Australian Standard AS 4760.

From part two of that standard (draft DR 05591), the 'Initial Test Target Concentrations' in undiluted oral samples are:

Opiates --> 50ng/ml

Cannabis--> 25ng/ml

Amphetamine type stimulants --> 50ng/ml

Cocaine and metabolites --> 50ng/ml

 

[Teddles]

On their online PDF it goes on to say that the Cozart drug detection system it tests for Benzodiazapines too. So I'd guess you bring a letter to work from your Dr to avoid being singled out and accused off being effected by drugs, then only would have to deal with you boss wondering "what mental illness does ________ have?" Instead off them think good work on being clean at work.