Alcohol and Drug Testing

Supporting you to develop and effectively implement a robust Alcohol and Drug Policy

Alcohol and drug testing support services work most effectively when they form part of a more comprehensive policy.

Our specialist in-house advisors can work with you to create a new policy, or help you to review and develop your existing one to ensure that it:

• is clear, fair and robust enough to withstand a legal challenge
• complies with current health and safety requirements and fulfils employment law and data protection obligations
• provides a range of procedures to enable you and your managers to initiate an appropriate response if an employee is suspected of breaching the policy or seeks assistance for an alcohol or drug dependency

However, having a policy in place is only the first step. Ensuring that both your employees and management teams are aware of your policy, why it has been introduced and how it will be used is crucial to support its positive implementation.

That’s why we also offer support with planning and delivering structured training programmes to help you embed your policy effectively at every level of your organisation.

Training is targeted at two main groups:

Management

The aim of this training is to equip your managers and supervisors with the necessary knowledge and tools they need to be able to confidently and sensitively manage any issues surrounding alcohol and drug misuse that may arise, using the appropriate procedures and documentation. It focuses on educating managers about:

• The different types of drugs, their effects and the risks that alcohol and drug misuse pose in the workplace
• How to spot the signs and symptoms of substance misuse
• Their legal responsibilities
• How to deal with an incident relating to alcohol and drugs, including interview techniques
• The types of testing and testing procedures available and the counselling and rehabilitation services we offer

Employees and Workers

This training focuses on raising awareness of your specific policy and the testing procedures to be used, and addressing any queries, questions or concerns your employees may have. It also aims to inform them about:

• The different types of drugs, their effects and the risks that alcohol and drug misuse pose in the workplace
• Their responsibilities for reporting any medications they are taking that could impair their performance at work
• What to do if they suspect a colleague is not in a fit state to carry out their work properly, efficiently, or safely due to alcohol or substance misuse
• How they can access support if they are struggling with an alcohol or drug dependency themselves

To further enhance your alcohol and drug policy, we also provide bespoke materials, including posters, leaflets, and e-learning platforms, all tailored to your organisation, to complement the training and ensure it has been fully communicated across your workforce.

Promote compliance with your alcohol and drug policy with testing conducted by experts

Hampton Knight provide both scheduled and unscheduled testing, all conducted in accordance with European Workplace Drug Testing (EWDT) Guidelines by our UK-wide network of experienced collection technicians who have been specially trained in all types of testing protocols, including breath, urine, oral fluid and hair testing.

Our technicians are equipped with industry-approved testing products and use strict chain-of-custody protocols, so you can be confident that all testing is accurate and legally defensible.

Random testing programmes

Annual random testing programmes can help to promote compliance with your alcohol and drug policy:

• We require just 24 hours’ notice to arrange for a technician to attend your site and can schedule visits around your operational requirements
• Should you not have suitable facilities for testing on-site, we can deploy one of our mobile units, or arrange a clinic locally
• Our independent, random selection programme ensures the fair, unbiased selection of employees for testing
• We use breathalysers and Point of Care (POCT) testing kits to provide you with instant results
• All non-negative results are immediately escalated for analysis by a UKAS-accredited laboratory

For-cause and post-incident testing

On those occasions where testing is required urgently, either following an incident or accident or because there is reasonable suspicion that an employee may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at work, we’ll be on hand to provide the practical support and advice you need:

• Our 24/7 telephone helpline is manned by a team of experts who can offer guidance about our services and arrange emergency visits when required
• Our 24-hour collection service has a guaranteed two-hour response time across the UK mainland
• All for-cause and post-incident alcohol and drug tests are carried out under strict chain-of-custody protocols, with sample analysis carried out by our UKAS accredited partner laboratories

Providing you with everything you need to conduct legally defensible testing in-house

Hampton Knight’s rigorous competency training equips your management teams with everything they need to be able to conduct alcohol and drug testing accurately and effectively in-house.

During the training, managers and supervisors will:

• Be shown how to conduct alcohol, urine and oral fluid testing in line with UK and European Workplace guidelines for legal defensibility
• Learn about the specific documentation to use and the correct procedures to follow before, during and after testing (including Chain of Custody protocols)
• Be trained to an appropriate level of competency and provided with relevant certification

Alongside this training, we can also provide you with all required testing kits and documentation:

• The testing products we supply are the same as the ones used by our own collection technicians and are fully validated and approved
• The on-site breath alcolmeters we supply for alcohol testing are similar to the Home Office-approved instruments used by the police
• Our urine and oral fluid testing products can be used on-site but we can also provide Chain-of-Custody packs so that samples can be sent straight to our UKAS accredited laboratory for analysis

Helping employees who are struggling with an alcohol or drug dependency to access the support they need

We believe that employers should support employees who declare an alcohol or drug dependency to access the help and treatment they need and can assist you by:

• Providing initial guidance on how to manage the situation as sensitively as possible
• Arranging a preliminary, specialist assessment, either on-site or at a local clinic, to determine the most appropriate treatment approach, ensuring complete confidentiality at all times
• Helping to draw up a counselling contract between you and the employee, and arranging counselling support via one of our associate counsellors
• Supporting you to manage any counselling programme effectively, with the aim of returning the employee to normal work as soon as possible