Fatal Flaws in the Chain of Custody

The term “fatal” is not used all that often and for good reason. It implies something that is non-correctable or leads to an irreversible error. In the drug testing world, a fatal flaw refers to a non-correctable procedural error that leads to a canceled test or unacceptable results. Fatal flaws are rare in high quality laboratories with state-of-the-art testing equipment and carefully controlled procedures. However, fatal flaws are much more likely to occur in the workplace and are usually related to careless handling and improper documentation of the specimens. Collection and testing must be carried out in accordance with the Australian Standard, which includes fulfilling the chain of custody requirements.

The chain of custody in drug testing refers to the paper trail that documents each step of the collection, control, transfer, and analysis of a specimen. A correct process will document the process from the moment the specimen is collected to the final reporting. Everyone involved in the process has a vested interest in its accuracy. The employee wants assurances that the specimen is properly handled so there is no doubt about who supplied it and that the testing results reflect the truth. In the case of urine testing, employees are highly sensitive to the issues of invasion of privacy and feelings the employer is operating from a position of doubt and suspicion rather than trust. It is critical that the drug testing results be accurate and reliable.1

The employer makes critical decisions about human resources based on drug and alcohol testing results; therefore, accuracy is of the utmost importance to avoid false accusations and legal ramifications. Even the testing laboratory reputation is partially dependent on knowing the samples provided are accurately marked and the documentation is correct. Finally, the employer’s ability to maintain a substance free workplace depends on the accuracy of the chain of custody because workers cannot respect a faulty system, meaning it does not serve as a deterrent to workplace substance use.

Paying Attention to Details

A quality chain of custody relies on the collection site submitting accurate documentation and specimens that have been controlled at all points to remove the possibility of events like specimen contamination or a simple mix-up of names. Fatal flaws cannot be corrected and laboratory testing either cannot be completed or the results are not reliable, meaning the employer has wasted time and money. Even worse, the employee has been subjected to testing that cannot be used, creating ill will between the employee and employer.

Fatal flaws include:

Broken security seals on specimen bottles Missing security seals on specimen bottles Specimen bottle seal shows evidence of tampering Specimen ID number on the seal does not match the chain of custody form Indications of a time period during which the specimen was left unattended Printed name and signature of collector are missing on the form There is not enough urine collected (at least 30 mL) for accurate testing Paperwork is incomplete and has missing information Written statement by collector cannot be obtained to remedy a non-fatal flaw

A Best Practice

Attention to detail is important to avoid wasted effort, obtain accurate results, preserve the integrity of the drug testing procedures, and maintain good employer-employee relations. The saliva and urine chain of custody forms play an important role in ensuring that the specimen collected is valid and documented and that the results can be used for making good decisions concerning human resources. They represent a best practice in a workplace drug testing program as long as the Australian Standard’s AS/NZA 4308 chain of custody is followed.2

CMM Technology at cmm.com.au/ offers saliva and drug chain of custody forms that help employers protect the integrity of the drug and alcohol test program. Employers can also find professional consulting services in areas of policy development and program recommendations.

This article has been taken from : http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/fatal-flaws-in-the-chain-of-custody/

Is Honesty the Best Policy?

Honesty is so subjective. What was an accident to one person would be considered blatantly deliberate to someone else. What was so clear cut and simple to one individual seems fraught with complexities by their partner. There is never an answer to the honesty question on which we can all agree.

So, is honesty really the best policy?

Well, the truth is, we lie to each other all the time. During a short conversation, we can tell up to thirty lies, and that is just on a good day. So, most likely, honesty would be too shocking to our human experience to be anything but disastrous, anyway. Honesty often gets us into more trouble with more suspicion attached to our names than if we had just told a lie.

Well, whatever your situation, you do not have to worry about honesty with your workers anymore. CMM Technology and our drug test equipment are here to save the day. We guarantee the safety and accuracy of our drug test kits, our

breathalyser devices, and even our breathalyser recalibration service. We know that people lie. It’s not a problem to us. With us by your side, you have the answers given by science. You have the truth, no matter what.

Of course your department manager didn’t fly to Hawaii with his mistress while his wife was sick in the hospital. Naturally, your coworker didn’t cheat on her diet, her resolution to work out every day, and her commitment to lactose free foods all at the same time. Of course not. You don’t smell a thing. And you know that your brother didn’t give away your ticket to your favorite baseball team because he wanted to take a hot date, instead. Naturally. And nobody REALLY cheats on their drug testing when given it.

Just in case, however, any of those aren’t true, CMM Technology has you covered. Your employees will be tested for being fit for duty just as accurately as if they were hooked up to a lie detector…one that could actually read lies, that is. Oral fluid drug tests, urine drug test, and anything else you want to order. We’re here for you, just like your best friend. 

This article has been taken from : http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/2013/is-honesty-the-best-policy/

Good Looks Count

Good looks count. There is no other way to put this. When people see good looking people, they want to help them out. They want to make them feel special, and they want to aid them in any endeavor. Good looks signify health, agility, fertility/virility, friendliness, and any other good thing you can think of when you look at a handsome or beautiful individual.

Oh yes, good looks count.

Beautiful people make twenty to forty percent more than other people who are in the same job at the same level of employment with the exact same responsibilities. Beautiful people are paid more because they give off a better impression. It does not really matter how accurate this impression is, as long as it’s not marred by being too arrogant or obnoxiously rude. Outside of that, the impression that good looks give off make these beautiful people highly employable and marketable.

So, what does this have to do with drug test equipment? It’s because you never what kind of person someone unless you live with them, spend a lot of time with them, and even then you may not know them as well as you thought. We all have secrets, after all. Drug testing in Western Australia would not even be needed if everyone told the truth. However, humans tell an average of ten lies per three minutes of casual conversation, and that is without even being under stress, pressure or fear. In those circumstances, the numbers can increase exponentially.

Expect lies out of any people. Use employee drug testing.

Adulterant tests are built right in to our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6 because even when being tested, people still lie. It’s not a problem. CMM Technology and our high quality drug test equipment has you covered. Our products give you the best accuracy possible, and we are so proud of our reputation in the drug testing field.

Yes, good looks count. But, science still wins in the end.

Use our products any time you want to schedule a drug testing, and use our alcohol tests, or breathalyser devices as they are often called, any time at all. 

This article has been taken from : http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/good-looks-count/

From Tasks to Projects and Ideas

We all have a slight aversion to the word “work,” and we understand that “working” is something which may be necessary, but will not necessarily be enjoyable. We look at our days and we see a series of tasks and problems to be solved. Well, the successful people in the world enjoy working, and the words associated with it don’t have a negative connotation. We understand that working is fulfillment of abundant plans and plans for abundance, growth and greater fulfillment. There is an inherent need in every human to get it right and to get it better every time. We want to improve on our old ideas. However, if we are encouraged to do the same old job over and over again and are not allowed to see the fruits of our labors, it takes something away from the job. It hurts us in our depths of accomplishment somewhere.

The worst part is when we are asked to do something in which we have no belief and which we do not think any good can come from. That is a depressing thought, indeed, and yet it is often the war cry of employees who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol while on or near the worksite. They are miserable in their own lives and this is not enough for them. They cannot contain this misery, and therefore it is inevitably spread to their coworkers and to people above and below them in the company structure.

Help your workers through the use of screening tests, thus identifying drug or alcohol abusing employees. Then, you can eliminate them or change their work status how you choose, but the first step is in identifying them. If you know an employee who is under the influence of illicit substances, they will most likely not even try to do a good job, but try to get away with as much as possible. Your business is not being helped by them, but rather it is dragged down by these people. Make sure all of your people are fit for duty. Use saliva drug test and alcohol breathalyser devices. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/from-tasks-to-projects-and-ideas/

Feedback and the Money Maker

Failing companies which made famous turnarounds and became huge successes claim that their success came from one important factor: feedback. When you stop listening to what your customers want, you can quickly go out of business. Some of these companies were unsafe to work in, but feedback from the employees quickly handled these problems by addressing the factors which were the most unsafe. As much as none of us wishes to be criticized about our products or services or company or employees or anything else, feedback really is the money maker.

We will repeat that.

Feedback really is the money maker.

It gives you insights into what your clients or customers want and they will help guide your future company actions so that you can eventually become better and stronger and more influential. However, as influential as you become, there is still a necessity to receive feedback.

Feedback is your bread and butter. Feedback is what puts food on your table and on the tables of all of your employees. If you don’t like receiving feedback, then you may not be a good fit for being in business at all. If you cannot take criticism or critique or insights without taking it personally, then you have a problem that cannot be fixed easily.

Fortunately, most people in business have received several lifetimes worth of criticism and are so used to it that they barely notice it, if at all. Unfortunately, employees who abuse alcohol and drugs are far more likely to take things personally and affect the reputation of your business in a negative fashion.

Allow your employees to openly criticize your business policies, but still maintain effective evaluation techniques, like employee drug testing, in order to properly determine who is remaining sober while on the job. It’s great that this is reduced down to an exact science, because that eliminates the necessity for opinions and subjective perspectives. Let our drug test equipment do all the work for you. Buy our Lifeloc FC10 personal breathalyser device or any of our other screening tests as part of your company policies.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/feedback-a

nd-the-money-maker/

Fail Harder, Fail Better

When someone calls something an “epic fail,” it means that the failure was on more than one level, that it had far reaching consequences, and that it probably was quite humorous, as well. Of course, some people have a highly pessimistic view of things. They believe that “the higher you climb, the further you have to fall.”

This is not true. Achieving great heights in your life involves gradually, over time, reprocessing your brain cells and neural pathways until your thinking itself becomes changed. Yes, the way your brain functions can be altered. It is done by consistently and repeatedly thinking the same thing in the same way over and over again. As you succeed or “climb higher,” your brain’s neural pathways begin to form new channels and new habits, thus helping you to succeed in more ways and better in the future.

In short, even if you climb really high in your lifetime and achieve a great deal, you are looking at only a short distance to fall, if you fall at all. You see, your experience and wisdom and attention keep you very near the level of success you are at now. It all ties together and it forms a sort of secure mountain upon which to climb to new heights.

People who do not fail better, but fail worse are those who abuse substances, like drug or alcohol and other forms of self abuse. They are self destructing. They are giving up on themselves and feeding on their own flesh.

Employee drug testing is important to keep this energy out of your company. If someone is abusing drugs or drink while on the worksite, they are putting the lives and the livelihoods of their coworkers in danger. They are holding the safety and peace of mind of other people in their unsteady hands. This is a dangerous situation and must be eliminated. Drug testing in Western Australia is significantly improved by the drug test equipment available through CMM Technology. We find that drug testing is extremely valuable if you have the right equipment. Also, try our recalibration service. For more information, or to order our products.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/fail-harder-fail-better/ 

Facing Your Fear

What are you afraid of? It can be anything. You can be afraid of losing a love interest before you’ve even become serious with them. You can be afraid of losing a spouse when they get bored of you. You can be afraid of hating your job so much that you’re not sure if you care if you’re ever fired. You can be afraid of physical pain. Perhaps you are afraid of people seeing the real you, no matter what that might be.

Facing your fear is usually different from the actual fear itself. Facing your fear usually involves an action which brings you close to your fear without actually coming in contact with it very often or at all. If you are afraid of losing your job, then blowing up in anger at your boss will show you that your job is really more secure than you thought at first…although you probably don’t want to make a habit of blowing at them to make sure it’s still safe. Also, facing your fear often really does make your fear go away.

People underestimate how much they will adapt to changes in the future. They don’t understand just how much they will become accustomed to their new kitchen or to their worst nightmare, such as an amputating injury. It is remarkable how resilient people are, especially to drugs. Drug abuse and alcohol abuse really add up in the body over time, but the body is surprisingly resilient to these intrusions from your addictions.

Employee drug testing is necessary, not because people cannot handle abusing drugs, but because they can handle them all too well. Drug test kits and alcohol test are not significant because they prevent self abuse on the worksite, but because they speak loudest when they name names of people who are bringing dangerous and destructive actions onto the worksite.

CMM Technology isn’t here just to sell you drug test equipment. We are part of an idea, a concept, which describes workplace safety in terms of tangible results. Facing your fears? No problem. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/facing-your-fear/

Emotionless Clearing of the Mind

Clearing the mind involves being willing to let go of your emotions and thoughts and even some of your opinion…not permanently, but just for the time of the clearing. This is incredibly difficult to achieve, especially for women, because the brain is always working and processing information, and women’s brains have extra connections between the right and left sides of the brain, so they think more continually than most men. Mental clarity can still be achieved, though, and it’s a powerful way to let the brain rest and to clean out old thinking and old habits which are no longer useful for your current and ever evolving lifestyle. Your mind must be able to rest and to clear out all of the extraneous details. Being emotionless and cultivated a position of complete emotionless thinking helps with this process so much that it is inextricably tied with clarity. Emotions cloud the mind and they push around priorities until things are not as fully functional as they were when priorities were straight and the mind was clear.

Unfortunately, emotions come in full force to the lives of drug addicts and alcoholics. They are unable to cope with their own lives, and therefore they are unable to control their own property and relationships with family and friends. This degenerates into affecting their work behavior and professionalism, and the whole system falters even more when their newfound ineptitude compounds and turns into a liability for the company at which they work.

We’re talking about your company.

They can no longer manage money as well, and their friendships have taken a hit. The result is that their needs at their job increase while their contribution to their workplace decreases.

We’re talking about your workplace.

There is no way around this. You must protect your assets and determine which employees to keep by using drug testing. Screening tests, like our Lifeloc FC10, will help in making a decision. It will also be a way to monitor the progress of your workers. Help your entire workforce to stay emotionless. Employee drug testing is the answer to a lot of problems or potential problems. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/emotionless-clearing-of-the-mind/

Drug Testing in a Freelancer World

As shop fronts are no longer necessary in order to provide goods or services, we find that freelancers can easily make as much if not more than their stable employed counterparts. In fact, freelancers allow completion between companies to become much more manageable. In many ways, freelancers offer competitive pricing and are generally much cheaper than an in-house employee, because they only provide what is needed and nothing more.

So, how do you implement drug testing in a freelancer world?

Many people complain about the automation of the industrial revolution and the dehumanization of the technological age. However, technology has enabled freelancers to work again, much as yeomen did in the Bronze Age. They are judged by their technical skills, not how many hours they have logged. They are independent contractors…and their income is directly tied to their reputation.

If their reputation is not worthy of consideration, then they will not be able to provide for themselves and will end up catering to the poorer class of citizen, who cannot afford proper goods.

As you see, civilization develops according to the best for everyone. People are still able to specialize in a unique trade which benefits the whole community. There is still value in reputation. There is still worth in what you are doing as a member of the social structure. And, furthermore, even centuries in the past people were losing jobs over showing up to work while under the influence of alcohol and so on.

Urine drug test and saliva drug tests are meant to help you see who is under the influence and who isn’t. After all, someone’s testimony is not needed now that we have scientific advances. Alcohol tests are easily implemented when the company needs documentation on who was inebriated, even if it’s clear to everyone that they are drunk off their bums. Documentation which scientifically attained and verified is necessary to the integrity of the drug testing system. Any business which utilizes screening tests does so understanding that documenting the results will help relieve them of legal liability.

What do you do when a freelancer is not under this system? Look at their reputation, just as we have been doing for thousands of years. Reputation counts. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/drug-testing-in-a-freelancer-world/

Drug Test Equipment and Your Immediate Projections

Company projections have to do with how you think your business will behave in the immediate future. Of course, projections are not always accurate or have used enough data. In addition to that, projections can always be doctored. So, in order to get accurate data about what the immediate future holds, you must look at things like client relationships, employee reputations, and personal and business goals of everyone on the team. There must be an understanding of what the company stands for and what type of work is integral to the operation of the business.

Drug test equipment can provide a lot of solid numbers for you.

For example, drug testing and alcohol screening tests can give you data on which of your employees is abusing substances, how many times (if your company has a multiple strike policy) they have done so, and what department they are in. I am not afraid of having to do or say whatever is necessary. You can find out what responsibilities they bear and who they are continual contact with. This would represent those who may be affected by their abusive behavior or those who may know about it and are helping to cover that fact up. Obviously, this is not about forming an inquisition, but rather being aware of the personal and interactive dynamics of potentially harmful employees within your company.

The main concern here is safety, both physical and psychological. Nobody wants to be around someone who is constantly overwhelmed by things, and nobody want to be around people who are not in control of themselves, either. Drug test kits are available from us to help you with your evaluative methods. Employee drug testing is effective, and combined with alcohol breathalyser devices, it is even more effective. Oral fluid drug tests and urine drug test are available. Solutions are listed throughout our site. What about your immediate projections? Get some accurate numbers with our screening tests. Get some real results when using us for your drug test equipment supplier. We’re here to make sure that you have all of the equipment you need for this process.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/drug-test-equipment-and-your-immediate-projections/

Don’t Care About the Cost

Cost assessment and value change are part of the exchange of money for goods and services, and the invariable fluctuations which the value of money versus goods goes through. Businesses care about the cost a great deal when they make careful, considerate decisions based upon many different factors.

However, some companies don’t care about the cost. Why is this?

In some cases, the object in question can be considered priceless, in which there IS an assessment of cost, just not seemingly so. In other cases, the object is simply so insignificant that it is factored into the regular cash flow of the company, and therefore is almost categorized under miscellaneous. But what happens to everything in between?

The truth is, cost is important but secondary still to how one manages the money which one has. Buying solely based upon cost without looking at quality or the endurance of the material of the object assumes that the cheapest item is the one most worth getting. However, fine clothing wears and lasts better than low quality clothing, so a time consideration must be made on how long the intended purchase is meant to be used.

In terms of employee drug testing, buying higher quality drug test equipment is, of course, always recommended. At CMM Technology, we provide drug test kits and alcohol breathalyser devices at both a reasonable price and high quality. We are not making history here. We are just giving the best we can for the best price we can. We also provide a recalibration service for any breathalyser devices you may already have. You don’t have to care about the cost too much with us. We want to distribute screening tests which are durable, easy to use, and accurate. That way, it doesn’t matter how long you have them. They will serve you well.

CMM Technology is supposed to help you with your business. I am confident with time span. We are meant to help your company implement its employee drug testing program in the most effective way possible. Our products can help you do that. If you are looking for a place to start, check out some of our popular items, like our ToxSure saliva drug test.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/don%E2%80%99t-care-about-the-cost/

Discriminate Against Your Books

Being the “bookish” type does not automatically make you better than others, although it certainly does improve your reputation among most people. Books give off a certain energy, they reeducate an individual, and they impart so much information that it is hardly surprising that people who read books often are respected and looked up to.

However, there are times when you really have to be picky. If you really are an avid reader, then you must be picky at another level, too. You must discriminate against your books. You must demand that they are well written and authoritative and comprehensive and truly informative. Books which are poorly researched or which are just written for the money are pretty clear. They are stock full of filler material, key concepts are repeated about ten times too often throughout the book, and you come away from it feeling as if you have not really spent your time wisely.

Books are powerful and they carry a lot of weight in your education (and not just because books are notoriously heavy). However, books which are written just so that someone can be quoted as an author of some popular bathroom reading material really shouldn’t make the cut.

Read often, but read well. Sometimes, a good book will feel as if you have just eaten something very solid and very real when you finish it. It will feel full to your soul, if that’s not too esoteric.

On the other hand, drug abuse is the other way to feel full but actually be very empty. When your employees educate themselves so that their jobs have more meaning, you have a good staff. But when your workers spend their time escaping from the job, then employee drug testing is in order. Perhaps if they are so eager to escape from their responsibilities and their workload, you should comply and relieve them of these duties altogether. Whatever your decision, being fit for duty is required in every company, and urine drug tests and alcohol test can really help you in determining who is fit for work and who isn’t. Set some standards and perhaps recommend a book or two. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/discriminate-against-your-books/

Designer Drugs and the Latest Trend

Designer drugs are supposedly abused for recreational use. Teens and younger adults are the primary users of designer drugs, though anyone can obtain access to them at any time. Designer drugs, like the fake marijuana or Speed, can begin as a designer drug and then morph into a drug category of its own, or they can simply be sparsely used enough to stay designer and be replaced by the next self abusive fad which comes along.

Those of us who wish to decrease the use of designer drugs in the marketplace often understand how impossible this dream really is. The war on drugs, which is not just a national pride motion, but a worldwide movement now, is bent on eliminating all types of drug abuse.

The truth is, when humans lack the proper emotional intelligence to deal with their own lives, it is almost necessary to resort to something to reduce the psychological pain. It is really hard and it really makes a difference what you choose, but the fact is that drugs aren’t going away any time soon.

We can, however, eliminate them from our businesses. The professional worksite does not have to be susceptible to this marketplace which transacts on the streets, behind closed doors, and in secret meeting places. We can manage our own workers and thus reduce the need to use employee drug testing at all, but this need never really goes away. Just like washing our faces and hands every morning, it is necessary to regularly clean out our businesses over time.

And, when we do this, it has to be a thorough job.

Obviously, science has given us greater detection abilities in the past forty years, and today we are able to use these methods to determine if our employees are in any way under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the worksite.

To see if your workers are fit for duty, use our saliva drug tests, urine drug test, and alcohol breathalyser devices. These bring you accurate and solid information about your employees which you can add to their performance reviews and get a thoroughly transparent view of your company. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/designer-drugs-and-the-latest-trend/

Cutting Old Friend from Your Life

Many rhymes and poetic ballads are centered around the value and worth of old friends. The difference between new friends and old is often quoted, and there are many times when the verse turns sentimental or memorial to an old friend of the author. Whatever old friends mean to you, they can be some of the most influential people in your life. You want to preserve your friendship, no matter what, and you can almost feel empty without these old dear friends in your life.

By the same token, if you have old friends who have fallen by the wayside and have turned to drugs and alcohol, you can be influenced into doing what they are doing in order to preserve the friendship.

Remember that anyone who forces you to abuse yourself in order to remain friends with them is no friend.

They may have been your friend once, but they cannot have both you and your addiction as the cost of friendship with you now. They are a different person at this point, and you should cut them out of your life, though this will be painful to do. One of the most painful things you may ever do is follow through in protecting yourself from your former friend who is now a different person, with different morals and different values.

Drug testing is meant to be protective and guarding in nature. Though screening tests cannot prevent workers from abusing substances, they can identify who is doing so and who is remaining responsible to their business of employment. If an old friend tests positive multiple times on employee alcohol test, you really may be safer by putting some distance between the two of you. However, there is no argument whatsoever that it will be painful as all get out. There is no other way to separate yourself from their newfound abuse, though.

Onsite drug testing is a great way to implement your new drug test kits and alcohol tests from CMM Technology. Save time and money by using your new drug test equipment in your place of business. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/cutting-old-friend-from-your-life/