In July 2020, the Department of Transportation (DOT)/Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a Final Rule regarding their hours of service regulations. The goal was to increase flexibility for commercial drivers without negatively affecting highway safety. These changes took effect starting on September 29, 2020. It’s important for motor carriers to understand the most recent DOT hours of service/HOS rules so that they can avoid violations. If you are looking for more general information about these regulations, our electronic logging device (ELD) page includes a chart that lists these for both property-carrying and passenger-carrying drivers.

Here are the recent changes for the DOT Final Rule on HOS:

Expands the Short-Haul Exemption

The FMCSA requires that most types of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) have ELDs installed. However, there are some exceptions for specific circumstances. One of these is the short-haul exemption. This allows drivers who meet certain requirements to keep physical records instead of using an ELD. While some of the requirements are the same, the DOT Final Rule updated the maximum air-mile radius and on-duty time.

The following requirements remain the same after the new Final Rule:

  • Drivers using the short-haul exemption must return to the same work reporting location at the start and end of their shift.
  • It is necessary to keep a time card that includes the start and end of a shift as well as the total number of hours worked daily.

The Final Rule updated these factors:

  • Before September 29, drivers using the short-haul exemption had to travel within a radius of 100 air miles. The Final Rule extended this to 150 air miles.
  • The maximum on-duty time has been extended from 12 hours to 14 hours.

Adverse Driving Conditions

Sometimes, adverse conditions make it unsafe for a driver to stop before they go over their time limit. DOT hours of service regulations include an exemption for these circumstances. If adverse driving conditions were not known ahead of time, the maximum driving time could be extended from 11 hours to 13 hours. However, this did not affect the 14 hour maximum for on-duty time. After the most recent changes took effect, the on-duty maximum extends by two hour as well, increasing not only the maximum driving time but also the “window” in which this can occur.

30-Minute Break

Previously, property-carrying drivers were required to take a break (off-duty or sleeper berth) of 30 minutes or more if they had been on duty for eight hours. The new requirement modifies the eight hour time period to include driving only. The break can also now include time spent on duty, but not driving.

Sleeper Berth Exemption

Under the previous regulations, there were two different ways to meet the off-duty hours requirement. A driver could take 10 consecutive hours off duty or could split this up into a minimum of eight consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, plus at least two separate consecutive hours off duty. The second option is called the sleeper berth exemption. The Final Rule modified this so a driver can now take a minimum of seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, plus at least three separate consecutive hours off duty.

DOT Hours of Service Education Tool

The DOT/FMCSA released an online tool that drivers and carriers can use to better understand the latest changes to HOS regulations. Educational Tool for Hours of Service (ETHOS) allows users to input hypothetical hours and also includes some sample scenarios showing compliance and non-compliance. This tool is designed for educational purposes only and is not meant to monitor actual compliance. However, it can be very helpful to see how the regulations could apply to real-world situations.

Your Partner in Compliance

With so many changes to DOT rules and regulations, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. HDS Safety Services can help. We offer ELD monitoring services and can keep your fleet up-to-date with the latest standards.

To learn more about how we can help with DOT hours of service compliance, contact us today.

With so many commercial vehicles on the road, safety is essential in the trucking industry. One of the most important requirements to maintain safe travel is drug and alcohol testing for truck drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a division of the Department of Transportation (DOT), sets the requirements for when trucking companies must drug test their drivers. 49 CFR Part 382 C of the FMCSA regulations outlines when screening is required by law.

You will need to screen your drivers for illegal drug use and alcohol abuse at these times:

Pre-Employment Testing

Motor carriers must screen their CDL (commercial driver’s license) drivers for drug use before they perform any safety-sensitive functions for the company. This means that you must complete the drug test and confirm a negative result before the new employee drives a CMV (commercial motor vehicle). The FMCSA does not require alcohol testing before employment, but it does set regulations if you do choose to screen for alcohol. For example, you must perform the same testing on all safety-sensitive employees, so if you desire to alcohol test, you must do this for every new hire.

Random Drug Screening

Random drug tests help continuously ensure that your employees are not using illegal drugs or abusing alcohol. For random screening, the FMCSA does require both drug and alcohol testing. You must randomly select employees to test from a pool of all safety-sensitive workers. The FMCSA sets a percentage each year of how many employees you must screen during each testing period. This is based on the number of violations in the industry as a whole.

Reasonable Suspicion

When a supervisor has a reasonable suspicion that a driver is using controlled substances or alcohol on the job, they are required to perform a drug test or alcohol test for that employee. Once reasonable suspicion is identified, the driver in question must complete screening promptly. Only officials who are trained in reasonable suspicion can request this type of test. HDS Safety Services offers training to help your supervisors understand the reasonable suspicion guidelines set by the FMCSA.

Post-Accident Drug and Alcohol Testing

If a commercial driver is involved in an accident while on the job, it may be necessary to screen for drug or alcohol use. This is based on the type of damage. If there was a human fatality, the FMCSA requires you to test your driver under all circumstances. If there was an injury to another driver that required immediate medical treatment away from the scene, or if another vehicle was damaged and towed away, you only need to screen for drug or alcohol use if there was a citation.

Return-to-Duty After Testing Positive

When a driver refuses a drug or alcohol test, has a positive result, or otherwise violates FMCSA regulations, they will need to cease safety-sensitive duties immediately. A DOT-qualified substance abuse professional will supervise the return-to-duty process for this individual. The driver will need to meet all of FMCSA’s requirements, which includes an observed drug and/or alcohol screening. A negative result is required before they can resume safety-sensitive tasks.

HDS Safety Services

Helping You Meet Drug Test Requirements

If you operate a trucking company, it is essential that you follow all DOT and FMCSA regulations for drug testing. HDS Safety Services can help you stay compliant with drug and alcohol testing. We also offer non-DOT tests for employers who want to take extra steps to keep their employees and others safe on the road.

Contact us today to learn more about our drug testing services.

If you are in the transportation industry, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of ensuring that you have an effective drug and alcohol testing program set up for your employees. You also need to make sure that your company is in compliance with the rules established by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). One of the things that is critical to understand is when you have reasonable suspicion to administer a drug or alcohol test to an employee. Here’s what you need to know:


When may a reasonable suspicion test of a driver be ordered?
A reasonable suspicion test of a driver may be ordered by their supervisor in the event that they have reasonable cause to suspect that the driver violated the rules by using drugs or alcohol. In making this judgment call, the supervisor may take factors such as a driver’s appearance, behavior, speech, or body odor into account. These factors cannot be vague: The supervisor must be able to explain the reasons for suspicion clearly and articulately, and they must be based on observations made at the time.

Can a reasonable suspicion test be ordered by someone besides a driver’s supervisor?
Only a driver’s trained supervisor can order a reasonable suspicion test. If a trained individual who is not that driver’s supervisor observes any evidence that the driver may have used drugs or alcohol before driving, they may report that to the supervisor, who can take whatever action is needed.

Are reasonable suspicion rules different for controlled substances than they are for alcohol?
For drivers, any use of a controlled substance is considered unlawful because those substances can remain in the system for a long time. Therefore, if a driver seems to be experiencing withdrawal from a controlled substance, it can be cause for a reasonable suspicion test. Since alcohol is legal and drivers are only prohibited from having a high blood alcohol concentration while driving, they cannot be tested on reasonable suspicion grounds simply for showing signs of withdrawal.

HDS Safety Services specializes in providing companies with dependable drug and alcohol testing services to ensure that they get the best, most responsible team members possible. If you want to ensure that your business is following DOT regulations, you can get in touch with us today at (520) 622-0419.

In order to ensure safety and compliance, the Department of Transportation (DOT) reviews companies that are subject to its regulations. If your trucking company is undergoing a DOT audit, it can be stressful and confusing. Luckily, HDS Safety Services can help you navigate this process.

What is a DOT Audit?

There are multiple types of audits the DOT may perform. The similarity is that all of these check whether a company is following the necessary guidelines. If the auditor discovers any violations, your motor carrier may be subject to large fines or interruptions to your operation.

The types of audits and when they occur:

    • New Entrant: This occurs during the first 18 months of operation and ensures compliance with all DOT regulations.
    • Targeted:A targeted audit occurs when there have been red flags related to compliance. One example is if a motor carrier’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) Score is too high. This is a percentile measure with 100 as the worst performance and 0 as the best. Crashes, hours-of-service violations, and other factors can raise the score. You can check your company’s safety rating using the CSA site.
    • Compliance Review: This is a general review of how well a company is following regulations. It can sometimes occur due to an issue such as a serious crash or citizen complaint. However, you can also be randomly selected for a DOT audit at any time.

This article focuses on compliance reviews, but HDS Safety Services can also assist you with preparing for a new entrant or targeted audit. If you have questions about your specific situation, please reach out for more information.

The Compliance Review Process

If your company has been selected for an audit, the DOT will contact you by phone. They will let you know if the audit will be off-site or on-site and will tell you which documents to send in advance. You will also need to have certain documents ready to present during an on-site audit. The auditor will review various aspects of your company’s safety performance. They may request additional documents after the on-site visit.

After the review process is complete, you will receive a report and one of three ratings: satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory. A satisfactory mark means your company is compliant with DOT requirements and regulations. A conditional rating indicates that the auditor discovered a violation, but does not consider your motor carrier to be a significant safety risk. You might need to pay fines and your insurance costs may increase, but you can submit a Safety Management Plan and correct the issue to raise your rating to satisfactory. An unsatisfactory mark means that there were significant safety violations. This will almost always result in large fines and if the violations were especially severe, the DOT could designate your motor carrier as “out of service.” You will need to submit a Safety Management Plan within a set time frame to avoid further consequences.

Preparing For a DOT Audit

The best way to prepare for an audit is to keep your records in order at all times, rather than scrambling to do so after you are selected for review. There are many different documents and files you must maintain for your drivers. These include the results of drug and alcohol testing, electronic logging device (ELD) records, annual driver reviews, and more.

Stay Compliant with HDS Safety Services

It can quickly become overwhelming to organize and maintain all the necessary documents for DOT compliance. However, proper record-keeping is essential, especially if your motor carrier is selected for an audit. HDS Safety Services can help. We offer a variety of services including driver qualification file management. If you have been selected for DOT review, we also offer pre-audits to ensure you are prepared.

To learn more about how we can help you stay compliant in case of a DOT audit, contact us today.

Ensuring that safety-sensitive employees are drug-free is an essential component of Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance. Motor carriers must test their drivers for drug use at specific times. These include before employment as well as randomly for as long as they hold their position. The standard screening method for DOT-regulated companies is a 5-panel drug test. Although motor carriers may choose to conduct additional testing, this is the minimum for compliance.

How Does a 5-Panel Drug Test Work?

A 5-panel drug test checks for the presence of drug metabolites in an individual’s urine. Metabolites are chemicals that the human body creates while processing a specific drug. The first step to obtain test results is known as an immunoassay. A technician uses test strips with antibodies embedded in them to rapidly detect drug metabolites in the urine sample. If metabolites are present, the lab will then conduct a more sensitive gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) test. This can confirm or deny the positive result. After this, the Medical Review Officer (MRO) will contact the individual to determine if there is a medically acceptable explanation.

What Substances Does a 5-Panel Drug Test Include?

A standard DOT 5-panel urine drug test screens for the following substances:

Amphetamine

Amphetamines are a type of stimulant. Some forms may be prescribed legally for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A DOT drug test detects the presence of amphetamine metabolites for up to four days after use. This includes amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine (MDMA), and methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA).

Cocaine

Cocaine is another stimulant drug that trucking companies must screen for. A 5-panel drug test specifically checks for the presence of the metabolite benzoylecgonine, which can be present in urine for up to four days after use.

Opioids

Opiates are painkillers derived from poppy resin and opioids are semi-synthetic forms of these drugs. At the start of 2018, the DOT expanded the number of drugs included in this panel, which screens for codeine, morphine, heroin, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. A urine test can detect opiate metabolites for up to four days after use.

Phencyclidine (PCP)

Phencyclidine (PCP), also called “angel dust,” is a dissociative drug that can produce hallucinations and a disconnect with reality. Metabolites can be detected in urine for up to 14 days after use.

Marijuana

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves and buds of the Cannabis sativa plant. Specifically, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Motor carriers should be aware that the DOT strictly prohibits marijuana use even in states where recreational and/or medical use is legal. A 5-panel test screens for the presence of THC metabolites. Since these are fat-soluble, they can remain in urine for a longer period of time, up to 30 days in the case of heavy use.

Additional Drug Testing

Urine testing detects drug use within a relatively short time frame. Companies who want additional verification that employees are drug-free may choose to use hair testing. However, motor carriers who hair test must also complete the standard 5-panel urine test, as this is the only type of drug testing that is recognized by the DOT.

Drug Testing Services

HDS Safety Services can help you stay compliant with DOT regulations and ensure that your motor carrier is drug-free.

To learn more about 5-panel drug tests and other screening options, contact us today.

Trucking companies must comply with all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules and regulations. As of January 6, 2023, this includes updates to pre-employment procedures. In particular, motor carriers must now query the FMCSA Clearinghouse to satisfy pre-employment inquiry requirements.

Why Have These Regulations Changed?

Motor carriers have a duty to ensure that safety-sensitive employees (e.g. drivers) they hire are compliant with drug and alcohol testing requirements. To do this, potential employers need to check for previous violations. FMCSA regulations require this check to cover three years of records.

Prior to January 6, 2023, there were not three years of data stored in the FMCSA’s Clearinghouse system, which is a database of drug and alcohol violations that makes it easier to track violations. This meant motor carriers had to conduct manual queries as well as those in the Clearinghouse to cover the entire three-year period. Since there is now enough data in the system, Clearinghouse queries only are required, and queries must be conducted in the Clearinghouse to satisfy the requirements.

How Can Motor Carriers Stay Compliant?

The FMCSA has clarified that as of January 6, 2023, prospective employers are required to conduct a pre-employment query of the Clearinghouse for prospective safety-sensitive employees. Section 382.701(a) of the federal regulations outlines how these queries must be conducted. If a query does not meet these conditions, it does not satisfy FMCSA requirements and the motor carrier will not be in compliance with the newest regulations.

Under Section 382.701(a), potential employers must conduct a pre-employment query of the Clearinghouse to verify whether a potential driver has any of the following on record before this driver may begin safety-sensitive duties (e.g. driving):

  • Any verified positive, substituted, or adulterated controlled substance test results
  • An alcohol test with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.04 or greater
  • A refusal to test
  • A report from an employer of actual knowledge that the driver used a drugs or alcohol in violation of FMCSA regulations

In order to satisfy requirements, employers must conduct a full query in order to release the above information in the Clearinghouse. Individual drivers must give consent to allow this query to occur.

What About Non-FMCSA Employers?

Some drivers have previously been employed by companies that fall under the jurisdiction of Department Of Transportation (DOT) agencies besides the FMCSA. Examples include the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and Federal Transit Administration. Employers regulated by these agencies do not report drug and alcohol violations to the Clearinghouse, so prospective employers will need to request this information directly to satisfy necessary pre-employment requirements.

We Can Help You Stay Compliant

It’s essential to stay up to date with the most recent regulations from the FMCSA. This helps keep your drivers, freight, and others on the road safe and also helps you avoid fines and other penalties for violations. However, it can be overwhelming to keep up with these requirements. HDS Safety Services can help. We help our clients stay compliant and assist with pre-employment checks, drug and alcohol testing programs, and much more.

Contact us today to learn how we can help your motor carrier stay compliant.

Current research suggests that nearly 77% of illegal drug users are employed in full or part-time jobs in the United States. This means employers around the country are subject to the hazards and drawbacks of employing illegal drug users, including lower productivity, smaller profits, more accidents, missed days of work, and many other negative effects. Fortunately, you can minimize the job performance issues and extra costs associated with the employment of drug users by instituting a drug-free workplace program. Here’s a look at some of the important elements of a drug-free workplace program and where you can turn for your drug testing needs.

Written Drug Policy

A written drug policy is important for establishing workplace drug and alcohol rules, as well as setting expectations for workers. Having a written policy in place is important if you ever have to take disciplinary action against a worker who is found to be under the substance of drugs or alcohol since it establishes that the worker knew full well in advance what was prohibited under the company’s drug and alcohol policy.

Employee and Supervisor Training

You should also institute a training program as part of a drug and alcohol policy in the workplace. For supervisors, you’ll want to train your staff to recognize the signs of workers under the influence of drugs or alcohol and know the appropriate administrative and disciplinary steps to take in order to deal with the problem.

Drug Testing

One of the most important parts of instituting a drug-free workplace program is having a drug testing policy in place. After all, you can’t hope to enforce a drug-free policy unless you are able to test for workers who are under the influence of illegal drugs and other prohibited substances.

HDS Safety & Compliance can meet all of your workplace drug testing needs. From pre-employment screenings to random drug tests, HDS offers the testing services necessary to have a successful drug-free workplace. We specialize in testing and reporting for the trucking and transportation industry, but our services are available for businesses of all sizes in any industry. Call us toll-free at (800) 800-7801 to learn more about our drug and alcohol testing services.

Motor carriers must follow regulations from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These guidelines ensure that truck drivers as well as others on the road are as safe as possible. Because there are so many different rules to follow, it can be difficult to keep track. HDS Safety Services is here to help motor carriers develop and maintain DOT-compliant safety programs.

Here are some of the basic areas of DOT compliance:

Hiring DOT-Compliant Drivers

When you hire drivers to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), you must ensure that they meet all federal requirements. You will need to keep a file that includes all records pertaining to each driver. This will include commercial driver’s license (CDL) information as well as a list of all driving violations or accidents that the driver was involved in. You will need to verify all incidents within the last three years with previous employers. 

The qualification file must also contain ongoing updates. One of these updates is the motor vehicle record for each driver, which motor carriers must update each year. CMV drivers must also undergo a physical by a licensed medical examiner every 24 months. HDS Safety Services can help you maintain detailed and compliant driver qualification files. 

Drug Testing

One of the most important components of motor carrier safety is drug and alcohol testing. DOT/FMCSA guidelines require you to test at specific times during the course of a driver’s employment. These include: pre-employment as well as randomly, after accidents, before returning to duty, or if there is reasonable suspicion (both drug and alcohol testing). We can help you make sure you know when to drug test your drivers and we operate one of the largest random testing consortiums in Arizona. 

Hours of Service

The DOT and FMCSA have strict rules for hours of service (HOS). These guidelines outline required rest periods and maximum driving time. Some of these regulations for property-carrying drivers include:

11-Hour Driving Limit:

A CMV driver may only drive for 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off-duty.

Required Rest Breaks:

A driver may not operate a CMV unless they have had a break of at least 30 minutes within the last eight hours.

Weekly Time On-Duty:

The limit for cumulative time on-duty is 60 hours for seven consecutive days or 70 hours for eight consecutive days. After this time period, a driver must have 34 consecutive hours off-duty before they can begin driving again. 

The easiest way to manage HOS compliance is by using an electronic logging device (ELD). HDS Safety Services offers ELD auditing to ensure that you are adhering to federal regulations. 

We Can Help Ensure DOT Compliance

Driver qualification, drug testing, and hours of services are only a few of the many rules and regulations that the DOT and FMCSA have implemented to ensure motor carrier safety. Managing these requirements is time-consuming and any mistake can lead to serious consequences. When you hire HDS Safety Services, we will do the hard work for you and will make sure you meet and exceed all DOT safety standards. 

Contact us today to learn more about our DOT and FMCSA compliance services.

Under DOT rules, employees are in violation of safety requirements when they have a positive drug or alcohol test or if they refuse to undergo testing. When this occurs, employees must be immediately removed from any safety-sensitive tasks. If employers fail to remove employees from safety-sensitive work after a violation, they may be fined up to $10,000 per day. After a violation, employees can choose to work outside the transportation industry, but before returning to any safety-sensitive functions within the transportation field, they must undergo the official return-to-duty process set by the DOT. Here is an overview of the requirements for returning to duty after a violation.

Clinical Evaluation

After a violation, a substance abuse professional—or SAP—must oversee the return-to-duty process. SAP will first conduct a clinical evaluation of the employee. After the evaluation, the SAP is required by the DOT to recommend a treatment or education plan. An outline of this plan is then provided to the employer by the SAP so that the company understands what the employee must complete before he or she can be cleared to return to work.

Treatment Completion

The employee must complete the program designed by the SAP. During the treatment process, the SAP will monitor the employee’s progress and ensure he or she is complying with all recommendations. Once the employee has made progress through the treatment plan, the SAP will schedule another appointment for a clinical evaluation. During this appointment, the SAP will determine if the employee has complied with the treatment plan and has made sufficient progress. He or she will advise the employer if the employee has complied with treatment or if the employee cannot be considered for return to duty.

Drug and Alcohol Testing

If the SAP has said that the employee has complied with the treatment plan, the employer can arrange a return-to-duty drug or alcohol screening test. If the test is negative, the employer can return the employee to safety-sensitive duties.

 

The return-to-duty process is complex, but HDS Safety Services can facilitate return-to-duty testing as part of a broader drug and alcohol testing program for your business. Find out more about how we can help you comply with DOT requirements for workers and keep your workplace safe by calling (520) 622-0419.

September 12, 2018

Tolleson, AZ – Today, the Arizona Trucking Association (ATA) announced HDS Safety Services as its newest Endorsed Partner.

“Everything a trucking company does emphasizes safety and as an industry we are always looking to improve safety,” said ATA President and CEO Tony Bradley. “Because safety is so important, it is vital to have great partners to help with not only safety but safety compliance. That’s why ATA is proud to announce HDS Safety Services as an Endorsed Partner.”

HDS Companies have had a long-standing relationship with the Arizona Trucking Association and we expect this new partnership to benefit the Association and its members.

HDS Safety Services will offer a variety of safety services including:

  •  -Compliance Auditing Services
  •  -Compliance Consulting
  •  -Safety Training
  •  -Driver Qualifications
  •  -Electronic Logging Device Auditing

“HDS Safety Services is honored to be selected as an endorsed partner for the ATA,” said HDS Founder Doug Prall. “We believe that HDS Safety Services will help ATA members reduce carrier burden and allow them to focus on the other aspects of their business.”

To find out more about HDS Safety Services, please visit their website www.hdssafetyservices.com or call 877-206-1282. Be sure to let them know you are an ATA member.

About HDS:
In 1969, George Prall founded the Driver Dispatch Corporation to help companies find drivers who fit their specific needs. In 1985, George’s son, Doug Prall, founded Highway Distribution Services (HDS), which took over the service of helping carriers find drivers that fit their specific needs. Today, our company consists of over 200 drivers, four truck driving schools, a DOT regulations consulting division and a truck load carrier with over 150 trucks.

About ATA:
The Arizona Trucking Association is a non-profit trade association that serves as the primary voice of the trucking industry in Arizona.

When you’re trying to run a business, your team needs to be working in full force. Drug testing helps you screen your employees and your potential new hires, so you can maintain a positive working environment and a successful operation. Here’s why it’s tough to cheat when you take a drug test.

Monitored Screening
People try to cheat drug tests every day. Sometimes they didn’t know the test was coming, and sometimes they just didn’t want to give up drugs for long enough to pass. There are a few tricks out there that people use to try and cheat, but it’s not as easy as they make it sound. A common cheat is to use someone else’s urine when taking a urine test. All it takes to squash this possibility is to have a monitor screen the testing site. Then there can’t be any transfer of urine, so the results should be genuine.

Random Tests
Aspiring employees often expect to be drug tested when they apply for a job, so they might quit their drug use for just long enough that they pass the screen. Unfortunately, these people often go back to using drugs once the test is over. When you test your employees randomly, they must stay off drugs in order to keep their jobs. Random tests are effective because there is no way for the employee to know about them, so they can’t use any tricks.

Missed Opportunity
Cheating a professional drug test may even be tough on your psyche. If you fail a drug test, you might lose your shot at the job of your dreams. Sometimes this is enough to deter people from using.

Since they’re hard to cheat, professional drug tests make sure your team is clean, healthy, and focused. HDS Safety Services offers drug and alcohol testing programs in addition to compliance and safety training. Call us at 877-206-1282 or look at our website to learn more.

A drug problem can get in the way of each and every aspect of your life, and your job is no exception. Drug addiction can cause people to miss work or deliver assignments of subpar quality, and it can even have an effect on others in the office. Here is a quick look at the importance of employing a drug-free workforce.

Increased Productivity

There is nothing wrong with a relaxed work environment, but the ultimate purpose should always be productivity. When a portion of your workforce spends its time engaging in drug use, however, the business loses man-hours and productivity suffers. A drug-free workforce is much less likely to give in to distractions, hand in low-quality work, or engage in risky behaviors.

Decreased Absenteeism

Of the countless problems that surround drug use, many of them impact an individual’s work life. Users might show up late, leave early, or even fail to show up at all. Working with a diminished staff can be difficult, and it is not fair to the other workers who must pick up the slack. A successful workforce keeps up with the workload and effectively handles the tasks at hand; a drug-free workforce tends to be much more capable of showing up to work, arriving on time, and getting the job done.

Enhanced Morale

A workforce that is plagued with drugs can have a substantially negative effect on nonusers as well as the entire workplace atmosphere. Drugs may cause one worker to lose sight of the company’s mission and primary objective, which can drain enthusiasm from other workers. A drug-free workforce will build itself up rather than create setbacks and opportunities for distractions.

If you are interested in employing a drug-free workforce, please call HDS Safety and Compliance at (520) 622-0419. We are proud to offer safety and compliance solutions that can help you keep your business running efficiently. Feel free to visit our website if you would like to learn more about our services today.