What is the basic drug and alcohol test kit combination for UK workplace drug testing?
Workplace drug testing has expanded massively over the last 10 years in the UK. Its use is no longer restricted to the traditional heavy manufacturing, oil and gas and rail side construction sectors.
With this expansion has developed a need for greater flexibility in the combination of drug tests used for the initial screening. The older 10 and 12 drug combinations reflected an international mix of drug groups, stabilised in the 1990's many of which are not common drugs or abuse or recreation in the UK and Europe. Some are now incredibly rare 25 years on.
Despite these changes these core industries still cling to the old drug test combinations for testing, ignoring the development of newer drugs of abuse, synthetics and modern opiate analogs which are feeding into abuse chains. These will be missed when using these traditional combination drug test kits.
So if you are testing within the construction or rail side industries you will still be required to use the 11 drug rail side cup or 12 drug construction saliva barrel combinations.
Outside these sectors you have a far greater choice in the combination you choose to run initial on-site drug and alcohol screening. We would suggest every test contains the core 4 common drug groups, Cannabis, Cocaine, Opiates and Amphetamine.
Many companies with drivers have looked to the UK Police roadside drug tests to match their workplace screening with these tests, That requires the addition of Benzodiazepines and Methadone to the above 4, a combination we list as the roadside drug test DSD-867/MTD
A urine alternative embedded in a collection cup is the Recruitment drug testing cup with screw lid. A version in split chamber design is also available for users requiring retention of the original sample for lab confirmation drug testing.
The commonest screening cup for workplace drug testing is the UKDrugTesting workplace drug test cup this have proved successful as it covers all common drug groups with the addition of some modern and growing abuse groups.
Legally defensible workplace drug testing
Workplace drug testing will mainly comprise an immediate on-site drug test, screening the sample for the combinations described above.
If this initial drug screen is not all negative then testing will proceed to a legally defensible workplace confirmation laboratory drug test.
These lab tests give a full chain of custody procedure with sealed sample A and sample B specimens witnessed and consented from the donor. Analysis is performed in a UKAS accredited laboratory with certificated results often within 72 hours of receipt. UKAS accredited labs can report the actual level of a drug and its common metabolites shown in the sample, so the cut off levels set in the initial on-site screening kits do not apply.
Buy workplace drug testing kits online
If you would like any help or advice choosing the best drug testing kits for your workplace then contact us by e-mail our drug testing kit experts anytime or telephone on 01263 731 168 during office hours Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm