Workplace drug testing comes under scrutiny
Health & Safety update - 17/6/2011
A Conservative MP has spoken of her concerns relating to drug
testing in the workplace.
Jackie Doyle-Price told the House of Commons this week that she
feared employers were using the drugs tests as 'judge and jury'.
Despite welcoming the rise of drug tests within the workplace, Ms
Doyle-Price raised concerns over the human rights aspect of the
testing.
“These tests can act as judge and jury and, as a consequence, we
need to ensure that the regulatory regime governing such tests and
practices is adequate and that both employers and employees
understand their rights and responsibilities with regard to such
tests, so that employees are not treated unfairly,” Ms Doyle-Price
explained.
The MP used an example of one of her constituents who was
threatened with dismissal after 31 years after he failed a heroin
test. However, the test was erroneous and the man was eventually
reinstated following a legal challenge.
Ms Doyle-Price warned that others facing a similar situation may
not be able to launch a campaign and thus could face losing their
jobs for no reason. She added, “It is to protect the rights of
employees that I am bringing these issues to the attention of the
House.”
The MP called for particular attention to be given to the
collection process of drug testing samples taken from employees.
Employment Relations Minister, Edward Davey, said, “I am happy to
ask the United Kingdom Accreditation Service to work alongside the
HSE to improve the HSE’s guidance on drug misuse at work and to
expand the guidance coverage to include the complete drugs testing
life cycle from the collection of a sample to its testing.”