Drug abuse in the workplace puts employers at risk for higher insurance costs, increased accidents, more absenteeism and lower productivity. Hair testing is one method that helps mitigate these risks by screening out applicants and employees who use drugs.
Hair testing is the only drug testing method available that provides a 90-day drug use history window (urine drug testing has a 2-3 day window). When compared with urine testing, hair testing provides nearly twice the number of positives due to its longer detection time-frame. This makes hair testing an ideal solution for a number of drug testing programs.
While urine testing is well suited to detect recent drug use for post-accident or reasonable suspicion testing, a hair test is the most effective way to evaluate long-term patterns of use, making it an excellent option for a pre-employment or random testing program.
Hair testing requires a small sample of hair, about 100-120 strands of hair, that is collected under direct supervision without any invasion of privacy. The hair is cut as close to the scalp as possible, so only the strands of hair above the scalp are tested and not the actual hair follicle. The collector secures the hair sample in foil and completes chain-of-custody documentation in preparation for shipment to the testing laboratory. Since hair samples are obtained in full view of the collector, the process minimizes the likelihood of sample adulteration or specimen substitution.
Fast, Reliable Results
Our dependable turnaround times drive timely hiring decisions. Hair samples are sent by overnight delivery and are typically tested on the day they arrive at our laboratory. Negative results are often released within 24 hours. Non-negative screens undergo confirmatory testing and are typically released within an additional 24-72 hours.
Drugs Detected
- • Amphetamine/methamphetamine/ecstasy
- • Marijuana metabolite
- • Cocaine and metabolites
- • Opiates (codeine, morphine, 6-acetylmorphine)
- • Phencyclidine (PCP)
To set up a hair drug testing program, contact CleanFleet today, 503-479-6082.
Interesting Facts:
- • Nearly impossible to cheat
- • Extended 90 day testing window
- • Users can’t “clean-up” quickly
- • Users can’t use special shampoos to beat it
- • Second hand smoke does NOT cause a positive
- • Urine tests can pick up single use while hair tests look for multiple uses over time
Factors Which Affect Length of Lookback
- • Type of drugs used
- • Amount of drugs ingested
- • Potency of drug used
- • Metabolism
