The wind and solar energy generation industries provide power to other industries and the general public. The employees of such industries are responsible for the safe operation of infrastructure worth billions of dollars. Also, the errors in such industries can cause injuries, accidents, reduced employee morale, and fatal accidents. To prevent such hazards, the employees should be in sound mind always. However, the problem of drug and alcohol abuse in the energy generation and utility industry is quite a massive problem. To prevent such problems the wind and solar energy generation companies are implementing various drug-free workplace policies. MedWay Onsite Health Solutions (OHS) has helped several clients in the wind and solar energy generation industries to design and implement Drug-Free Workplace policies and increase their productivity, and reduce workplace accidents.
Drug Abuse Statistics in Wind and Solar Energy Industry
The following statistics suggest the rampant use of drugs and alcohol in the energy and utility industry. These figures are taken from different federal surveys conducted over the years.
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Nearly 24% of employees reporting to work are under the influence of alcohol and it leads to a reduction in productivity.
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Consumption of alcohol or drugs increases the frequency of workplace accidents and injuries by 2.7 times.
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Nearly 35% of workplace injuries are caused under influence of drugs and alcohol.
Risks of Drug Abuse in Wind and Solar Energy Industry
Drug and alcohol abuse is one of the key concerns in the energy and utility industry and is one of the expensive problems in terms of money, productivity, physical injuries, and so on. The following are a few risks associated with illicit drug and alcohol use at workplaces:
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Slips and falls
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Accidents and injuries
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Loss of productive hours
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Electrocution
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Exposure to radioactive materials
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Increased absenteeism
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Poor decision making and judgment
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Aggressive and argumentative with workers
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Careless handling of work equipment
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Depression and suicidal tendencies
Employers are conducting drug screening to minimize the fatalities of these risks. At MedWay OHS, we help them to screen employees for drug and alcohol consumption at various phases of employment. Our following services have been best utilized by some of our clients to build safe and drug-free workplaces.
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Pre-employment drug testing: This type of testing is conducted on qualified candidates for signs of drug and alcohol drug abuse.
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Random drug testing: We usually perform this drug testing on short notice. These tests are usually conducted by employers to discourage people from involving in drugs.
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Post-incident drug testing: As the name suggests, this type of testing is requested by employers usually after a workplace accident to analyze if alcohol or drug abuse has been one of the reasons for the accident.
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Reasonable suspicion drug testing: This type of testing is usually requested by employers if there is some raised suspicion on certain employees. Suspicions raised by employers and colleagues forms the basis of this type of testing.
Types of Drug Tests offered by MedWay OHS
The Federal government mandates the energy industries to test for illicit drugs under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). We offer the following drug testing services to check for the influence of such illicit drugs.
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Urine Drug Test: In this testing, the presence of drugs is detected using a urine sample. This test generally offers 30 days of detection window, however, it differs based on the type of drug consumed, hydration, metabolic activity, etc. This urine drug test is suitable for the post-incident drug test, on-field test for drug influence as a precautionary measure. It can detect various drugs.
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Saliva Drug Test: This test is commonly used for instant result tests. It offers 72 hours of detection window. This saliva drug test is suitable for random drug tests performed under Drug-free Workplace Policy.
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Hair Follicle Drug Test: This drug testing helps identify prolonged drug use. The hair follicle test is suitable for testing drug consumption throughout the recruitment process. The detection window for this type of testing is up to 90 days and it can identify traces of drugs embedded in hair follicles.
Of these, saliva and hair follicle drug tests are difficult to cheat because the samples are directly collected by our experts.
Why Work With MedWay OHS?
MedWay OHS has been one of the most reliable choices for workplace drug screening. The following capabilities make us stand out.
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We act as third-party administrators (TPA) and offer comprehensive alcohol and drug testing services.
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As a DOT certified third-party administrator (TPA), we maintain complete transparency and authenticity in specimen collection and drug testing results.
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We maintain the alcohol and drug testing records according to FMCSA guidelines.
