Training Marbles Blog

Received a call this morning regarding a Diluted Specimen which has sparked me to post some general information for all employers. So the question becomes what to do with a dilute specimen if an employee is covered by DOT, DOT rules prevail (RETEST with MRO follow-up). If it’s NON-DOT test than this is a procedure item that need to be addressed in your companies policy.

Regarding these two categories of dilute, DOT and HHS differ as follows:

As drug free workplace programs have evolved, a parallel industry devoted to finding any and all means of hiding the presence of illicit drugs has evolved right along with it. This doesn’t mean that everyone is trying to beat the test. Employer should remain aware that there are many legitimate reasons that could cause a diluted specimens, including disease states, medications, medical advice, habits of fluid consumption, and types of fluid consumed by normal people living normal lives.

While it is important to list clear levels of  “normal urine” and remain consistent with all employee’s. Here are a few words that require your immediate attention; inconclusive, substituted, not consistent with human urine, adulterated specimen..just to name a few.

Employers should break up the group of dilute specimens (creatinines of 2 mg/dl to less than 20 mg/dl) into two categories. For simplicity we will call them “dilute” and “hyper-dilute” and define the corresponding levels and next step for your company.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is retiring it’s current Drug-Free Workplace Program as of June 30th and replacing it with the Drug-Free Safety Program (DFSP) as of July 1, 2010.Training Marbles, Inc. (TMI) invites you to join us for live webinars to discuss the new program. This is a great opportunity to find out about the benefits, requirements and have any questions answered.

Following is the list of our sessions:

• May 20th @10 am
• June 2nd@1pm
• June 16th@10am
• June 25th@10am

Please contact Dyann McDowell at dmcdowell@trainingmarbles.com to register

Supervisor and Managers are the key to success in maintaining a Drug-Safe Workplace. This course is designed to give supervisors the skills necessary to identify and document performance & behavior problems that may be related to alcohol and other drugs.
Supervisor will also be trained on referring an employees for testing.

This training exceeds the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Comp (BWC) and Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements

March 19th @10am; registration link please email: dmcdowell@trainingmarbles.com

As many company are planning the annual Christmas party the questions regarding alcohol continue to surface. These concerns are valid and every company must understand the legal liability and dangers that come with these events.  Employers want to host an event that their employees will attend and enjoy. We strongly suggest that employers raise-the-bar and understand that alcohol-free parties can accomplish both. The party can be a great way for companies to make employees feel appreciated and for people to relax, get to know each other and share the joy of the season.

Start a new tradition which your employees will appreciate long after the event. Consider the following as alternatives:

1) Consider moving the party to a breakfast, brunch or lunchtime event – this actually helps your employees manage their busy personal lives which are filled with other social events, school plays, shopping, family commitments, etc.

2) Everyone appreciates great food. So, consider hiring a cater that has a reputation for unbelievable cuisine and an eye for detail.

3) Think of your party as an event – laser tag, skating, bowling, a movie premiere or Christmas Karaoke, are great alternative to the traditional sit-around and eat parties.

4) Give Gifts – this is an opportunity to give your employees items that they will either cherish or give as a gift to their love ones – very popular items include: blu-ray disc player, Wii, mini laptops, iTouch, Gift Certificates, Movie Tickets.  I suggest one or two big items be given via a raffle or ticket system and lots of smaller items drawn throughout the event. Be sure to note that employees must attend to participate in the drawing.

It is possible to a have a safe holiday event that doesn’t include the traditional liability traps that many companies open themselves up to.  In the next post we will discuss reducing liability if alcohol is planned for your event.

Our clients depend on us to ensure that  their Drug-Free Workplace program  achieves the highest level of success. We understand the strategies  and tools needed to support our  clients’ core values while maintaining change in the workplace.

Return-to-Work Oversight

Let our team facilitate the return-turn-work process. We will reduce the amount of time your team spends dealing with and attempting to coordinate the return-to-work process. Our services include:

• Network of Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP) throughout Ohio to  ensure quick and reduced cost for assessment
• Regular communication with your employee to ensure compliance, accountability, and provide guidance for continued success
• We will coordinate the return-to-duty test and make recommendations for the follow-up test dates
• Continuous contact with the Treatment provider to coordinate care, make treatment recommendations, and ensure compliance.
• Forms  to protect the company including customized agreements, status report, medical release…

Critical Incident Guidance

The one consistent element about the Drug-Free Workplace program is there are no two scenario’s that are the same. Our team is constantly monitoring federal and state changes that could effect your organization.  So regardless of the scenario let our experts guide your success. From reasonable suspicion, crisis intervention, post accident investigation to rebuttal presumption.

Last month the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation pulled together a panel to brainstorm retooling the Drug-Free Workplace program. The overall discussion focused on encouraging Ohio Employers to participate in this voluntary program, criteria for training, testing requirements, and discounts to off set the cost of participation.

 Let’s review the five program elements: 1) Written Policy 2) Employee Education 3) Supervisor Training 4) Drug-Testing 5) Employee Assistance Plan

I would like input from employers, employees, vendors and testing facilities on the elements you would like see changed or maintained for the continued success of this program. This is an opportunity for me to take your request and feedback to the BWC panel for consideration.