Everyone wants safe employees but some companies find the cost of background checks and drug testing to be extremely costly. Which brings up the question: What is the price of safety?
With new advancements in hair alcohol testing, only an inch worth of scalp hair can prove up to 30 days of drug and alcohol abuse. Previously, hair testing was only able to test employees for drug use and now, with recent findings by Trimega Laboratories, a team of British and German scientists, they have found a way to prove whether a person had consumed drugs or alcohol recently or weeks ago. Findings indicate hair testing to be more accurate in determining a person’s alcohol and drug history over other methods.
Hair Alcohol and Drug Testing Described
When compared to the bodily fluid demands of previous testing, hair alcohol testing is fairly non-intrusive. The samples are taken by a professional nurse, who comes to your home or business and discreetly collects the hair sample close to the scalp.
It is then taken to the lab to be tested. A series of assessments called FAEE, fatty acid ethyl esters and EtG alcohol testing are done to measure the amount of FAEE and EtG markers that are revealed in the tests. The more alcohol a person has consumed, the more markers will be present on a test.
The rate that alcohol leaves the body in only hours and minutes makes it extremely difficult to judge how much a person has consumed and how long ago it was that the person consumed it. Hair alcohol testing and hair drug testing are also close to impossible to tamper with. Bleach, hair dye or other external contaminants will not affect the outcome of the test. Only shaving one’s head will affect the results of the test as there would not be any evidence which to test.
Who Benefits From This Valuable Information?
Social workers or lawyers trying to prove the lack of alcohol abuse of a parent trying to gain custody of their child
Employers in aviation and train drivers look to hair alcohol testing for accurate outcomes.
Hospitals looking to hire a surgeon or a school hiring a teacher will likely be interested in knowing the alcohol abuse history of a mentally challenging position before they’re hired.
You can’t put a price on your company’s name as a reputable provider of safe services. Don’t jeopardize your company or school’s credibility, assure your clients and rest assure yourself that you have responsible employees with clean records.