The state of Florida was the first state to offer business employers a percentage discount on workers’ compensation premiums if they comply and become drug-free workplaces. This requires companies to conduct pre-employment, post-accident and suspicion testing of their employees. But recently, Orange County officials took a detailed look on how employers in the local community are dealing with drug use in the workplace. The effectiveness of companies to implement these policies was somehow doubted. The Orange County Coalition for a Drug-Free Community collaborated with the University of Central Florida’s School of Social Work to identify the extent to which employers implement these anti-drug use policies. The community’s awareness was favorably high but most company practices were consequently low, according to Bill Brooks, the co-chair of the coalition’s business committee. The question lies in a survey of Orange County businesses, whether these companies only call themselves ‘drug-free’ or really adhere to standards that certify them as drug-free workplaces in the state of California. And at present, there are still plenty of companies that do not even have a drug-free workplace policy.
Another concern for small business enterprises is the economic instability. Brooks indicated that companies tend to cutback on important factors such as drug-free policies. Some state-certified drug-free workplaces that take measures to sustain pre-employment and post-incident testing might cutback on areas more flexible for them such as random drug testing. Nevertheless, the survey made by the coalition also indicated that companies acknowledge the positive effect of drug-free workplaces on company productivity and safety. One option for these companies is to use test kits such as those available from Testcountry. Drug test kits from Testcountry.com provide reliable results and are proven safe by government standards.
Some of the drug testing centers in the Orange County region includes the following:
• Central Drug System
16560 Harbor Blvd., Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Phone: (714) 534-1609
• Apex Drug Testing
18 Technology Dr Ste 145, Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: (949) 727-1297
• Complete Drug and DNA Testing
26062 Merit Cir, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Phone: (949) 582-2738
• OHS Health Safety
1835 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Phone: (949) 764-9301
• Professional Testing Systems
12373 Lewis St., Garden Grove, CA 92840
Phone: (714) 748-4760
• Advantage Testing Services
201 S Anita Dr., Orange, CA 92868
Phone: (714) 771-4404
