Point of Care Testing: Take Control of Workplace Safety
Safety in any working environment is of paramount importance. Employers need to be proactive to ensure they are able to deal with any potential health and safety issues.
An effective way of taking control of safety in the workplace is by utilising point of care (POC) drug and alcohol testing. Drug or alcohol misuse can greatly impair an employee’s performance and can have a damaging effect on all aspects of their life. By being educated on these issues, and being equipped to deal with them, workplaces can offer greater care to their staff.
In basic terms, a point of care test enables the user to conduct a test there and then. Generating results in a matter of minutes, thus removing the need for all samples to be analysed in a laboratory. This makes testing a lot more convenient as well as cost-effective.
One of the downfalls with POC testing is that accuracy can be compromised if procedures are not adhered to. To combat this, we also offer a training service so those conducting the tests can be as competent as one of our very own sample collection officers. This means workplaces can have designated employees on-site who are fully trained to conduct sample collection across a range of methods.
Forms of POC Testing
Common forms of POC testing include breathalysers for alcohol and instant urine or oral fluid tests for drugs:
Breathalysers
Breathalysers are used for indirectly measuring blood alcohol content by analysing a breath sample.
When a person drinks, alcohol is absorbed in to their bloodstream. When the blood reaches the lungs a small amount of alcohol (in proportion to the concentration in the blood) transfers into the alveoli. This is then passed out of the body when the consumer exhales. A breathalyser is then able to measure this concentration and give a reading.
At Randox Testing Services we use and supply UK home office approved breathalysers that utilise fuel cell sensor technology, which is specific to alcohol for accurate detection of breath alcohol level. This type of testing can be utilised by employers to ensure staff are not coming to work while under the influence of alcohol.
Instant Oral Fluid / Saliva – 10 tests in 1
Oral fluid tests analyse saliva samples for traces of drugs. This is implemented by placing an absorbent collection device in to the donor’s mouth. The sample is then placed into a screening device where it reacts with the attached test strips.
A negative result can appear in as little as 2 minutes, for the majority of drugs with non-negative results visible after around 10 minutes. Oral fluid tests have a detection window of around 1-2 days for the majority of drugs.
At Randox Testing services our oral fluid tests can detect up to 10 drugs with one sample, with one drug allocated per test strip for superior accuracy and sensitivity. The test panel can be customised to detect 10 drugs of your choice (from a specified range). So if you are dealing with specific issues in the workplace, we can create a test to cater for this (subject to order volume).
Instant Urine Testing – 14 tests in 1
A urine test analyses a urine sample for the presence of certain illegal drugs and prescription medications. The test requires the donor to urinate directly into a collection cup with the test strips displayed around the outside of the cup. As the sample is collected in private it is possible to use adulterant strips to identify the presence of substances commonly used to tamper with urine samples. Results can be displayed in as little as 2 minutes.
Urine tests provided by Randox Testing Services can detect up to 14 different drugs from one sample. The same as oral fluid, the panel can be customised to meet your needs (subject to order volume). Urine has a longer detection window than oral fluid tests at around 3-5 days for the majority of drugs, so is often the method of choice for workplaces.
Drugs that can be detected in our Point of Care tests
Our Point of Care Testing Service
When buying point of care kits it is important to remember that not all tests provide the same quality or specificity. At Randox Testing Services we guarantee the highest level of accuracy by ensuring all POC equipment is certified to deliver reliable results.
All of our instant tests are CE marked for quality, with ISO 13485-2003 accreditations and market leading drug cut-offs. Superior accuracy is guaranteed as each drug is assigned its own individual detection strip.
Point of care testing is an affordable, convenient way to test for the presence of drugs and alcohol. It is flexible enough to adapt to your workplace and with the help of Randox Testing Services you will find yourself in a position to conduct accurate and reliable testing in-house.
For more information on our point of care tests and training services, please contact testingservices@randox.com, visit our website or call +44 (0) 161 741 2760.