A Quick Glance at Post Accident Drug Testing

A Quick Glance at Post Accident Drug Testing

As evident from the name, post-accident drug testing is carried out on workers that were part of an accident at a workplace. The purpose of the testing is to confirm whether the people involved in the accident were drug users or not. Different companies have different protocols to execute these tests.

Some of the most common reasons that lead to post-accident drug testing at workplaces include:

  • Severity of the injuries
  • Damages to the property/vehicles
  • Financial losses

While PADT is an effective way to spot drug abuse, it does not confirm whether drugs were the reason which caused the accident.

Experts suggest that the testing should be carried out within 12 hours of the accident for precise results. This is because the majority of drugs lose their influence after 12 hours and it becomes impossible to detect their role in the accident. Also, it is best to keep the involved workers away from the workplace until the test results have come out.

What types of specimen do companies use for PADT?

At the moment, urine is the most common specimen that companies use for workplace drug testing. It is federally approved and gives out complete details of what drugs were used by the employee.

Oral fluids are another useful specimen for testing as they let the employers know about the potential involvement of drug abuse in the accident.

Hair testing, which is a common type of drug testing isn’t a part of this scheme. This is because it only detects long term repetitive abuse and isn’t appropriate for PADT.

What is the main focus of PADT?

Unlike the majority of drug testing practices which are aimed at filtering out drug-using candidates or employees, PADT focuses on discovering whether harmful activities at a workplace are due to drug abuse. Besides, several states offer benefits and allowances to companies that have drug testing programs in place. Moreover, knowing that only sober employees are coming to the company puts the whole staff at ease.

Basically, post-accident testing not only discourages drug use but also augments the productivity and security of the employees. Plus, it gives employees the sense that their employers are doing everything they can to ensure their safety. This ultimately reduces employee turnover, absenteeism, conflict, and theft.

Lastly, to get the most out of PADT, make sure to choose a testing program that works the best for your business model. And if you can’t find an apt solution, please feel free to reach out to us. We’ll be glad to help.