Pubdate: Fri, 22 Jun 2012
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Meghan Potkins
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

OILPATCH DRUG TESTS PROMPT CONCERNS

Expert Questions Effectiveness

Alberta labour advocates say random drug testing in the oilpatch 
isn't the answer to making workers safer.

Criticism of the tests followed the announcement Wednesday that three 
major oil companies will begin random drug screening of workers as 
part of an industry pilot project this fall.

Oil giants Suncor Energy, Total E&P Canada and Canadian Natural 
Resources Ltd. have all signed onto the Drug and Alcohol Risk 
Reduction Pilot Project, due to begin this fall.

While most oil companies already use some form of screening, the 
project hopes to prove that random testing will significantly deter 
substance abuse in the workplace.

But according to some labour experts, random tests are not 
necessarily the best method for determining impairment.

"Drug tests, particularly pee tests, typically test for the presence 
of residue of previous or prior substance use, but that doesn't 
necessarily mean you are presently impaired," said Bob Barnetson, an 
Athabasca University professor.

"And if it is not an effective way to determine present impairment, 
then what purpose does it serve other than to invade the privacy of employees?"

Alberta Federation of Labour boss Gil McGowan said he worries the 
measures are too heavy-handed.

"It's rare for workers to be under the influence of in-toxicants in 
the workplace," McGowan said.

"This kind of testing is a gross overreaction. By their very nature, 
random tests are designed to sweep thousands of innocent workers into 
the net in the hopes of finding one or two under the influence."

But one of the top occupational drug testing services in the country 
says the new measures aren't all that drastic.

"This is certainly not anything new and drug and alcohol testing is 
very frequently done before anybody can get on site," said Peter 
Deines of Cannamm Occupational Testing Services.

Workers are tested routinely before accessing the site, whenever an 
employer has reasonable cause to be suspicious of substance abuse, 
and after any incidents, says Deines.

He said testing is not meant to be a witch hunt and that all tests 
allow for a small amount of drugs in an individual's system to 
account for passive, or indirect exposure, such as second-hand marijuana smoke.

"It's not a witch hunt. It's to determine the safety risk," he said.

News of the pilot project spread quickly in Alberta's bitumen capital.

A Fort McMurray DJ who posted a fake ad online offering tricks to 
cheat on drug tests told the Herald he was "shocked" by the number of 
responses the ad received.

Chris Byrne said the ad was viewed more than 50 times and he received 
a dozen e-mail responses in under a day.

"I just wanted to see what the reaction would be," said the Rock 97.8 
radio announcer. "I was shocked over the number of people who sent me 
an e-mail."

Byrne said responses to the ad ranged from curiosity over what was 
being offered to the logistics of how to obtain a "clean" urine sample.

But he added that most McMurrayites seem comfortable with the idea of 
random testing.

"People on site know that any incident that happens, they have to go 
for a drug test," said Byrne.

"I was kind of surprised at the number of people that weren't taking 
offence to the drug testing but were saying, 'Yeah, this should be 
done,' " said Byrne.

"It was more like, 'Let's try to make it safer.' "
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom