A drug-free workplace is a reasonable goal that any business should aspire to. People working sober are capable of maintaining focus, making logical decisions, and, perhaps most importantly, have good control of their reflexes and response times in jobs that rely on this, such as driving, or construction.
But drug-free workplaces must be enforced by drug testing. In some cases, this may even be a legal requirement, as is the case with businesses that fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. One way to get excellent, accurate results is with a more recent technique known as hair collection.
It’s All In The Metabolites
When a biological sample is tested for drugs, in most cases, the presence of the drug itself is not being looked for. Marijuana and other narcotics only remain in the body for a few hours. However, after being processed by the body, they leave residual “leftovers” known as metabolites. Different drugs create different metabolites, and that is what drug tests look for.
Metabolites appear in many body fluids, such as blood and urine, which is why these substances are popular for testing. But metabolites can also be deposited in hair.
More Accurate Results
Hair collector training is fast becoming a popular skill to have because hair collection brings so many benefits. It’s not as invasive or elaborate as requiring a urine sample, which requires extensive preparation and a lot of work to discourage cheating.
It’s also a better long term test. Metabolites linger in urine or the bloodstream for a few weeks at best. Metabolites deposited in the hair are essentially permanent. By getting a long enough hair sample, even the frequency of drug use can be tracked on a length of hair.
Proper hair collector training is vital to be a part of this test trend that is growing in popularity. It’s essential to make sure that training comes from a licensed, experienced instructor.
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