{mosimage}Issue 54 – December 2007
With the holiday season, parties and New Year's Eve shortly upon us, it seems an appropriate time to examine the topic of alcohol testing. You probably know that Quest Diagnostics offers a broad range of employment safety services ranging from drug testing to background checks. But you may not know that we also offer a variety of solutions for alcohol testing.
Alcohol Abuse by the Numbers
The length of time that alcohol will stay in the human body depends largely on the individual's physical makeup. Generally it remains detectable for between 1 and 12 hours after consumption. According to the American Council for Drug Education, employees who abuse drugs or alcohol are:
10 times more likely to miss work
Nearly four times as likely to be involved in on-the-job accidents
Five times more likely to file a workers' compensation claim
Responsible for 40% of all industrial fatalities
33% less productive than co-workers
At risk for healthcare costs that are three times as high as those of their co-workers
Problems at work are not the only negative repercussion of alcohol abuse. The dangers associated with operating a vehicle under the influence are obvious and well documented. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association collected some striking statistics from 2006:
There were 17,602 alcohol-related fatalities – 41 % of the total traffic fatalities for the year.
An estimated 13.3 % of persons aged 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol or an illicit drug at least once in the past year. This corresponds to about 31.7 million persons.
Male drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes are nearly twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater.
Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions is in the business of helping you acquire and sustain a safe and healthy workforce during the holiday season and all year long. If that means ensuring that your staff is not under the influence at work, or if a drug-testing policy dissuades employees from making irresponsible and unsafe decisions, then your partnership with us becomes instantly valuable.
Alcohol Testing Options
At Quest Diagnostics we offer three different alcohol-testing alternatives:
The first option is a laboratory-based test. Our lab-based alcohol test can be conducted on both urine and blood specimens.
Q.E.D. is a non-invasive, on-site saliva test that provides highly accurate, quantitative results within minutes. It meets federal requirements for alcohol testing and is approved by the Department of Transportation for all screening options.
Available in DOT and non-DOT versions, the Instant Breath Alcohol test is a simple-to-use, on-site device that measures alcohol levels from just one deep breath. Easy-to-read indicator crystals change color upon alcohol detection, providing results within two minutes.
At Quest Diagnostics it is our goal to assist you in making informed screening decisions.
