Why Impairment Detection Should Be a Focus for Workplace Safety

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In today’s rapidly evolving drug scene, ensuring workplace safety is a paramount concern for employers. Traditional drug testing has long been a cornerstone of workplace safety protocols, aiming to prevent accidents and injuries by detecting substance use among employees. However, the limitations of this approach have become increasingly evident, particularly with the changing legal landscape surrounding cannabis and the emergence of hundreds of new substances. Impairment detection technology has risen rapidly as a more effective and immediate solution to maintaining a safe and productive work environment.

The Evolution of Workplace Drug Testing

For decades, workplace drug testing has relied heavily on urine, saliva, and hair samples to identify the presence of substances such as marijuana, cocaine, opiates, PCP and other controlled substances. The primary goal was to deter employees from using drugs and to identify those who did, thereby reducing the risk of impairment-related accidents.

However, this traditional approach has several inherent shortcomings:

1. Time Lag: Most drug tests take hours to receive preliminary results and a week to received lab confirmed results. This is far too long for a business to make use of the results in any sort of real-time fashion.

2. Legal Cannabis: With the legalization of cannabis in many states and countries, employees may legally use cannabis outside of work hours. However, traditional drug tests can still detect THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, long after its impairing effects have worn off, leading to potential legal and ethical issues, not to mention difficulties in hiring.

3. Variety of Substances: The ever-growing list of new psychoactive substances and prescription medications makes it challenging for traditional tests to keep up. Very few substances are detectable through standard drug tests, leaving dangerous gaps in safety protocols. Fentanyl is a great example of an exceptionally dangerous drug that is not included in standard chemical tests.

3. Cheating: Most chemical drug tests have easy to find and effective methods to cheat the results. As an example, fake urine and shampoo designed to strip the chemical markers of drugs from hair are readily available.

The Shift to Impairment Detection

Given these limitations, there is a pressing need for a more accurate and immediate method of assessing an employee’s ability to perform their duties safely. How, for example, does an employer in a cannabis legal state verify that an employee’s positive THC test was due to use during work hours, rather than safe and responsible use in their free time? This is where impairment detection technology comes into the picture.

What is Impairment Detection Technology?

Impairment detection technology focuses on evaluating an individual’s current cognitive and motor functions rather than looking for specific chemicals in their system. This approach measures actual impairment, ensuring that employees are fit for duty at the moment they start their work. Depending on the technology, it can be either entirely generalized with no indication of the cause or, as is the case with Gaize, the technology can help determine the cause of the impairment.

Benefits of Impairment Detection

1. Real-Time Assessment: Unlike traditional drug tests, impairment detection technology provides immediate feedback on an employee’s current state. This allows employers to make timely decisions about an employee’s fitness for duty. Most tests take just a few minutes to complete, in the case of Gaize, results are available just six minutes after the test is started.

2. Focus on Safety: By assessing impairment directly, employers can better ensure that employees are fit for duty and capable of performing their tasks safely, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. With increasing drug test positivity rates, Impairment Detection Technology can also bring a deterrent effect back to a drug free workplace policy.

3. Privacy and Fairness: Impairment detection respects employees' privacy by not capturing bodily fluids or intruding into their off-duty activities. It focuses solely on their ability to perform their job safely at the time of the assessment. Further for safe and legal cannabis users, Impairment Detection Technology is radically more fair than any chemical test because they look for current impairment, rather than prior use.

4. Comprehensive Coverage: This technology can detect impairment from a broad variety of sources, allowing employers to make better decisions in the moment than would be possible using chemical tests. With an average of two new drugs being introduced to the market per week, it’s impossible for any chemical test to keep pace. Even some of the most common drugs, like Fentanyl, Delta-8 THC, and Kratom are not included in standard drug tests. This leaves employers totally exposed to the negative effects of these substances.

Implementing Impairment Detection in the Workplace

Adopting impairment detection technology is typically not overly complex or time consuming. It involves a review of the existing Drug Free Workplace policy and the addition of simple language to allow for impairment screening. integrating various tools and methodologies into daily operations. Some of the leading methods include:

- Cognitive Testing: These tests evaluate reaction times, memory, attention, and other cognitive functions to detect impairment.

- Motor Skills Assessment: Tools that measure coordination, balance, and other motor skills can identify impairment that might not be apparent through cognitive tests alone.

- Wearable Technology: Devices such as smart glasses or wristbands can continuously monitor an employee’s physical and cognitive states, providing real-time data on potential impairment.

To speak specifically to Gaize, implementation is typically very quick and easy. Most of our customers have accomplished it in less than a week. Gaize provides sample policy language, legal support via our partners, and technical support to ensure that the system functions properly within a customer’s facility.

Please touch base with any specific questions related to deployment; we’d be glad to answer them.

In summary, the evolving landscape of substance use and the increasing complexity of modern workplaces necessitate a shift from traditional drug testing to impairment detection technology. By focusing on real-time assessment of an employee’s fitness for duty, employers can enhance workplace safety, ensure fairness, and adapt to the changing legal and social environment. At Gaize.ai, we are at the forefront of this transformation, providing innovative solutions that prioritize safety and performance in the workplace. Embracing impairment detection is not just a step forward. It’s a leap toward a safer and more fair future for all.