Alcohol Testing In The Workplace: An Employer's Choice
- Date: 2008-09-20 - Word Count: 479
Share This!
There are many different types of alcohol testing. From the breathalyzer to intensive urine alcohol testing or hair alcohol testing, there are many ways employers can get the information they are seeking. Here is a brief overview of several different types of alcohol testing.
Blood Alcohol Test
A blood alcohol test measures the amount of ethanol in the body. This type of test can be very useful in determining the amount of alcohol in the blood when someone is suspected of being intoxicated; it may be used to find the cause of an altered mental state. When a situation exists where alcohol is prohibited, this test may be used to determine whether or not the consumption of alcohol has taken place.
Urine Alcohol Test
Urine alcohol tests are simply not as accurate as other forms of alcohol testing. While a urine test can show the amount of alcohol in the body, it does not show the person's present condition. Since it takes several hours for the alcohol to pass through the body, the test will not be an accurate indication of their present state. Further, this test can vary widely based on a person's metabolism. This type of testing is also not helpful in the case of an emergency, because it takes hours for a lab to test and deliver the results.
Hair Alcohol Test
Hair Alcohol Tests can get results that a regular blood alcohol test cannot. It is simple and accurate and requires only a small bit of hair. You might see a blood alcohol test being used on a person who is intoxicated, like a drunk driver that gets pulled over. While this may be effective in the moment, alcohol is quickly lost in the blood because it breaks down so quickly. In the hair, however, tiny traces of alcohol metabolite are trapped and save an alcohol history in its roots. Each half inch of head hair provides a 30-day history of alcohol use. This can allow employers to examine a person's alcohol use over a period of months rather than days or even hours.
Whether employers continue to simply do a background check or progress to both drug testing and alcohol testing, one thing is certain: It has an effect on their bottom line. While minor drug and alcohol use may not seem to impact employers, it starts to take a toll when their employees are missing work. While a short-term effect may just be one missed day of work and a bad hangover, this may progress to a weakened immune system, meaning more missed work, more doctors visited and increased healthcare costs. Healthcare costs are already on the rise, and employers and already looking for ways in which to decrease them. Perhaps in the future they will look toward drug testing and alcohol testing as a solution or at least a step in becoming more drug and alcohol free.
Blood Alcohol Test
A blood alcohol test measures the amount of ethanol in the body. This type of test can be very useful in determining the amount of alcohol in the blood when someone is suspected of being intoxicated; it may be used to find the cause of an altered mental state. When a situation exists where alcohol is prohibited, this test may be used to determine whether or not the consumption of alcohol has taken place.
Urine Alcohol Test
Urine alcohol tests are simply not as accurate as other forms of alcohol testing. While a urine test can show the amount of alcohol in the body, it does not show the person's present condition. Since it takes several hours for the alcohol to pass through the body, the test will not be an accurate indication of their present state. Further, this test can vary widely based on a person's metabolism. This type of testing is also not helpful in the case of an emergency, because it takes hours for a lab to test and deliver the results.
Hair Alcohol Test
Hair Alcohol Tests can get results that a regular blood alcohol test cannot. It is simple and accurate and requires only a small bit of hair. You might see a blood alcohol test being used on a person who is intoxicated, like a drunk driver that gets pulled over. While this may be effective in the moment, alcohol is quickly lost in the blood because it breaks down so quickly. In the hair, however, tiny traces of alcohol metabolite are trapped and save an alcohol history in its roots. Each half inch of head hair provides a 30-day history of alcohol use. This can allow employers to examine a person's alcohol use over a period of months rather than days or even hours.
Whether employers continue to simply do a background check or progress to both drug testing and alcohol testing, one thing is certain: It has an effect on their bottom line. While minor drug and alcohol use may not seem to impact employers, it starts to take a toll when their employees are missing work. While a short-term effect may just be one missed day of work and a bad hangover, this may progress to a weakened immune system, meaning more missed work, more doctors visited and increased healthcare costs. Healthcare costs are already on the rise, and employers and already looking for ways in which to decrease them. Perhaps in the future they will look toward drug testing and alcohol testing as a solution or at least a step in becoming more drug and alcohol free.
Related Tags: hair alcohol testing, urine alcohol testing
About the author: Rebecca Beckett is a freelance writer for Innuity. For more information about urine alcohol testing or hair alcohol testing go to Trimega. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- 5 Reasons That a Restaurant Should Use a Restaurant Recruiter
Have you ever noticed how many restaurants pop-up over time but then disappear just as quickly? Runn - Does Money Motivate?
Some say money can't buy happiness, but data shows that for those who can barely pay the monthly bil - Because Workforce Friendly Policies Payoff
Employer-sponsored wellness programs are becoming more popular as companies strive to maintain a hea - EAP Value
Life would be simpler if we could set aside our personal issues and emotional baggage when the workd - Hiring an Expert SEO Company to Improve Your Online Business
Search Engine Optimization or SEO Services are used to make your website or online business popular - Why Safety Training at Workplace is Important
Safety training at workplace should be one of the top priorities of your business. An effective safe - Team Building: Brain and Sweat to Attain Company's Central Goal
Are you one of those employees branded ineffective and unproductive? Reasons might be the sense of d - Security Alarm System
It is a must that houses and offices install a security alarm when we speak about safety reasons. Se - Workplace Safety Tips
When we speak of safety based on books, its importance is next to food. It is essential to all indiv - The Benefits Of Lease-to-own Properties
One of the hit real estate investments today is to buy properties that will later be put up as "leas
Most viewed articles in this category:
- A Map Mural for Your Business
Yay! That retail store you've been planning has finally opened its doors and you are officially in b - Attracting Customers Through An Improved Shopping Experience
So many new shopping malls and supermarkets are put up every year. Many more are already in business - "To Oz!": Leading a Resilient-High Achievement Organization
One of my favorite movies is "The Wizard of Oz" based on the book by Frank Baum. The story is about - 5 Critical Items Never to be Included in Cost Benefit Analysis
When dealing with decisions using Cost Benefit Analysis techniques it is very important to follow th - Collaboration and Change
I’m an expert on change and leadership, but my most popular speaking topic this past year, and - Workplace Gap
In your workplace, are you a manager with a smart group of people and they aren't responsive to your - Leadership - The Proper Relationship with Subordinates
In the army, "the men" are kept separated from those known as "the officers." This comes from the id - The 10 Most Asked Questions of Cost Benefit Analysis
When dealing with decisions using Cost Benefit techniques it is very important to follow the proven - Cubicle Space Planning
Space planning is an essential element of any project and efficient planning serves the dual purpose - Why Passenger Surveys are a Transport Operators Best Friend
Public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not fully appreciate the multiple b