How to Take Help Without Weakening Your Muscles

Drug testing is all about giving you quality information about your employees so that you can make informed decisions about who to hire, who to retain, and who to let go.

Sometimes, one of your employees will have the “I can do it myself” mentality. They will seek to get the job done all on their own, because they believe that if they do it with help from someone else, that that means that they are weak or something.

Unfortunately, this mentality is the kind which can lead to being easily overwhelmed, not wishing to admit that they are wrong about the above assumption, and they may end up resorting to drugs or alcohol to help them feel more powerful and more in control of their lives.

Employee drug testing, like the administration of oral fluid drug tests or alcohol tests, shows us that often the individuals who need the most help are the ones who do not ask for any. Now, this is not just true in the workplace. It is true in every part of life, and we would do well to remember this before being stubborn about who does what when and how. You must be able to keep perspectives on how your life is run.

There will definitely be times when you cannot handle what you cannot handle. There is just no way around it. However, if someone else can give you help, information, or just moral support, then it can go a long way to easing you into new experiences and ground on which you are very uncertain. 

In your business, you will inevitably have to perform employee drug testing. We here at CMM Technology recommend that you use our breathalyser recalibration service, as well. We know that you probably have alcohol tests of your own, and we can recalibrate your alcohol breathalyser devices. In addition to this, we provide urine drug tests and  saliva drug tests, like our ToxSure saliva drug test. Do not worry about your employees being tested. Being fit for duty means taking help without weakening your muscles. Call us today at: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/how-to-take-help-without-weakening-your-muscles/

High School and the Mini Civilization

High school is necessary for many people to leave their childhood behind and to learn why they must interact with civilization out in the real world. In this close, somewhat protected environment of new adults, they create their own mini civilization and carry out important duties which they will be using out in the real world.

There is “keeping up with the Jones’.” There is student government. There are debates and well thought out arguments. There are competitions, both sporting and academic. There are business transactions, both legitimate bake sale ones and illegitimate drug deals.

Coming into high school from earlier schools and combining everything into this instantaneous universe, many kids feel isolated, cut off from the rest, in over their heads, and thoroughly overwhelmed. That is, by everything except the stoners. The druggies always make you feel welcome and at home with yourself. They always put a positive spin on things because they are high a great deal of the time they are in class.

Of course, no kid wants to choose to “zone out,” but the temptation is high when their stress levels and pressures from school and home are through the roof. Not every kid can handle the same thing at the same time. 

When compared to nothing BUT pressure, taking the edge off really does not seem that bad. Employee drug testing is necessary today, because the transition can be this clean. The knife can go in this smoothly.

Drug test equipment is not part of a vast scheme to “take away all the fun.” It’s part of a vast scheme to have living breathing humans in your office and on your jobsite, rather than mindless, unproductive zombies. That is a rare thing to find if you look at the majority of your lower level employees. If they are not ambitious college graduates, they may not be as clear on what their direction should be in life or at work. Oral fluid drug tests and urine drug test can reveal that this confusion is not just skin deep. They are still swimming in an ocean of gray, where everything is conveniently the same.

Join reality, and see just how different things can be. Call CMM Technology today: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/high-school-and-the-mini-civilization/

Happily Ever After

In the fairy tale world, there are so many things that seem beyond our touch. Sometimes, our relationships with other humans seem to be so mottled that even the “happily ever after” in the fairy tale universe seems to be out of our reach, too.

This is not the case, however. There are so many things which humans test each other on. They fall apart and come together in a wide variety of scenarios. The entire process is called interacting with other humans, but really it seems to be a kind of 17^th Century dance, if you think about it. 

Happily ever after can be achieved in this lifetime, and seems more possible if you look at it as this kind of dance which temporarily breaks humans apart and brings them back together. The movement of the bodies in these old dance steps really shows the flow of maturity and human intelligence in the society of Old England and the former days of France. 

Human interactions must continue in the modern day office and jobsite. As with all interactions, there are temporary spats, breaking apart, coming together, and reorganizing of everyone involved. 

The trick is to stabilize the workplace environment as much as possible, and that means leaving out employees who bring an undue amount of drama with them, particularly those who are dependent upon drugs or alcohol. Their influence is too far reaching and too destructive to be ignored. That is why CMM Technology is called upon to distribute drug test kits and alcohol breathalysers to businesses all over Australia. We aim to help you determine who among your staff is fit for duty, and who is not. Things like oral fluid drug tests, as well as urine drug tests, are aimed at helping you read your employees on a less personal, but more accurate, level. If anyone is abusing substances, the drug test equipment from CMM Technology will help you find out about it. Then, you can deal with this information however you see fit. 

The most important thing to remember about this is that you are in control. Truly, a happily ever after scenario: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/happily-ever-after/

Good Humor, Good Agenda

You may have seen that when you are in the presence of someone who is in a good humor your own mood lifts as well. That is a really powerful transfer of good humor, and not everyone recognizes the value in such mental and emotional habits. After all, if you cannot see the value in this, you are not as likely to project a positive, upbeat attitude yourself. You will need to invest more into the philosophy that people attract the good humor which they put out. Now, this is not science, because we all affect other people and we all have a positively or negatively inclined position to take from their opinions and attitudes. There really is no way around this truth. People react to each other. We are not, as it turns out, a group of robots who are trying to figure out our own programming and then how to program ourselves in tune with other robots.

It turns out, humans cannot help but react toward each other in different ways.

This means that if you have good humor on the worksite, you automatically have a better agenda than those who do not. It means that your focus is on positive, productive thinking, rather than failure or unproductive laziness.

Maintain this good humor in your employees through the use of employee drug testing. Screening tests, like our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6, are designed with inbuilt adulterant tests, and then our breathalyser devices are really high quality, as well. Keeping the good agenda of a positive attitude can only be obtained through employees who are clear headed and in their right minds. Drug testing and alcohol tests are necessary to determine who is clear minded and who is not as able to withstand the pull or influence of their abusive habits.

There is nothing quite like finding a technique that works in your company and then continuing to implement it in the future until it no longer holds out. It is a bit like riding a wave of success all the way out to the shore. 

 This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/good-humor-good-agenda/

Function versus Form

In the business world, the contest between function and form may appear to be ridiculous. After all, if it does not have function, then it is just clutter! However, many other people see the value in the aesthetic appeal and spiritual lifting from a high quality artistic piece.

While the battle, if you can call it that, between function and form seems to be fairly evenly scored, you will likely not find very many people who are not leaning toward one more than toward the other.

Function and form combined is obviously the best approach, or seemingly so to many people, and by this token, many companies focus on making their functional products more streamlined, beautiful and appealing, while other businesses are more focused on making their pieces have intrinsic productive value in addition to their beauty and aesthetic appeal.

CMM Technology, a high quality company distributing drug test equipment and breathalyser devices throughout Australia, recognizes that while drug test kits may not be very pretty in appearance, they perform a very useful and necessary functional purpose. Of all of our products, some are nicer looking than others, but the whole concept of drug testing in Western Australia can seem to be a bit distasteful from an aesthetic viewpoint.

Fortunately, we have a great deal of experience in this function, as well as appreciating form whenever we come across it in museums, sculpture, product design, or the style of clothing. However, we consider our urine drug tests and oral fluid drug tests to be more functional than good in form, and we really are not preferential toward other, similar products. You see, we know that our drug test kits work, and while others from competing companies may be more streamlined in appearance, they may not always be as functional. And when it comes to screening tests, are you not looking for functioning tests?

Onsite drug testing is available through our sister site, Mediscreen, but our primary function is the distribution of high quality drug test equipment. Form can be found in the way that you use the information once you receive it from your screening equipment. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/function-versus-form/

Fear of Your Inexperience

If you know about how to put a show together, then starting a job as a stagehand is not a difficult experience. However, if you have just begun a new job, then you know that you are inexperienced and need to learn new and better ways to dealing with things that you do not understand.

Now, in the case of a new job, everyone who works around you knows that you are inexperienced. They give you all kinds of slack so that you can learn the ropes without being too harshly criticized right away. In the end, though, you are expected to have learned the new steps and the latest basic processes for accomplishing your new task and company goals.

Of course, if you are not starting a new job, then you may not necessarily be understood to be new at something. At this point, you will be expected to fulfill the requirements of your desired goal without messing it up.

That is a lot of pressure to put on someone, and unless you ask for more instruction and information, the new tasks of adulthood can really be too much for you to handle at one time, which is why some adults resort to drinking or drugs in order to handle the additional pressures of their lives.

Of course, this is not constructive, but it does make you forget how little about the world around you that you really know. Now, if it helps, understand that everyone, no matter who they are, is easily confronted with situations about their lives which they would like to handle better. You are not alone in this. However, if you still believe that you are, remember that drugs or drinking is not the way to get to more knowledge and experience.

CMM Technology helps you to identify employees who are just along for the ride and those who actually wish to contribute something worthwhile to your company. Employee drug testing is essential for seeing who is fit for duty and who is not. Do not worry about fear of your inexperience. Try our alcohol tests, and know that we will provide you with all of the information you will need for your drug testing in Western Australia.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/fear-of-your-inexperience/

Building and Resting New Muscles

When you work out at a gym, you must necessarily focus on lighter weights until your muscles become attuned to that particular weight level. After that, you can work out with slightly heavier weights. The most important part of this is the form of the weight lifting. After you have slowly and with a great deal of control lifted the weight, you must be able to use the same amount of control putting it back in its original starting position.

After this control has been attained for a while at the current level, you can then see if similar control can be attained at a slightly higher level.

The point of the above short lesson on weight lifting is showing the process of muscle building. Now, muscle resting involves just as much work. When you work out and your muscles are sore afterward, it is necessary to allow them to rest so that old muscles fibers can be torn down and replaced by new muscles fibers.

When in the workplace, old, outdated behavior and attitudes need to be replaced by newer, healthier functions if the previous functions are not working as well. Of course, change is always subjective. Now, when an employee stirs up some trouble, you can imagine how easily their trouble can spread to other employees if they are not dealt with in an appropriate manner.

Employee drug testing allows people to work together knowing that they are safe from rampant and uncontrolled misbehavior from other people around them. It gives employees confidence in the environment in which they operate each day.

Alcohol breathalyser devices, oral fluid drug tests, and urine drug tests are all used in making the determination between the workers who are building the company up and the ones who are atrophying in their places. When building and resting muscles, you must have a set plan for working out and then resting afterward, but both parts are necessary.

Help your workers be more fit for duty by placing drug testing guidelines in your company, and by recalibrating your breathalysers with our breathalyser recalibration service. We’re looking for the strongest clients and the ones which need to become strong: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

Sharing the Positives of Employee Drug and Alcohol Testing

It is unfortunate that workplace drug and alcohol testing is often couched in negative terms because there are so many positive actions it initiates. Most policies begin with positive statements but then proceed to list a host of “don’ts” and disciplinary measures should an employee break the rules. What gets lost in the administration of drug and alcohol policies and random testing procedures is an appreciation for the benefits that accrue to workers, co-workers, and the business.

Most news stories about illicit drugs or alcohol concern issues like drug cartels, substance use in high risk industries like mining, and on-the-job accidents involving someone under the influence of a substance. Just recently a news story reported that the police were concerned about reports received concerning FIFO and DIDO mine workers performing job duties with alcohol in their systems. The same article also noted an increase in the use of steroids and amphetamines in Moranbah.1 Happy-ending stories do not usually make the headlines. Yet there are many such stories, and they should be shared in the workplace.

Catalyst for Changing Lives

In 2008, the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) conducted a project in which the agency collected positive stories about drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation.2 Some of the stories involve people who tested positive for drugs at work and decided to seek treatment in order to keep their jobs. The truth is that drug and alcohol test can be the catalyst for changing people’s lives. Though an employer does substance testing to exercise due diligence in protecting the safety and health of employees, the people who choose to take the path to recovery, when it is discovered they are using illicit substances, turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Australia has chosen to emphasise harm minimisation programs. However, there is a different but compatible strategy called ‘new recovery’ that takes a more holistic approach to drug and alcohol addiction. The new recovery approach sees recovery as existing on a continuum of well-being and involving a continual process of change. Though there is ongoing discussion concerning the best approach for implementation of a complex, holistic rehabilitation process that may include pharmacotherapy, it is recognised that the ultimate goal is to return people to productive lives. William White, a new recovery advocate, said, “Recovering addicts repay their debt to the community through acts of restitution, by returning to productive roles in their families and workplaces, and by putting resources into the community rather than taking resources out of the community.”3

Employers are important partners in the national effort to minimise drug and alcohol use. The workplace represents a productive centre in people’s lives. Employers have an interest in maintaining a safe workplace and a productive workforce, and drug and alcohol policies and testing programs are critical to achieving those goals. However, instead of making the word “no” the keyword in the program, employers should use also say “yes” to sharing success stories.

Employee anonymity can, and should be, maintained, but the workforce will be greatly inspired by stories of success. Employers should review their employee drug and alcohol policy training programs and determine if they emphasise the positive aspects of a substance free workforce. If they do not, then it is time to add some affirmations.

CMM Technology (http://cmm.com.au/) facilitates a drug and alcohol free workplace by providing the testing technology employers need. Promoting a positive employee attitude towards the testing program depends on being able to obtain highly accurate results.

This Article has been taken from  http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/sharing-the-positives-of-employee-drug-and-alcohol-testing/

Small Businesses Attracting Big Substance Abusers

Not all businesses are large corporations. Though there are varying methods for delineating businesses by size, the Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a medium sized business as having 20-199 employees; a small business as having 0-19 employees; and a micro business as employing four or less people. Small businesses (including micro businesses) account for a major portion of the Australian economy, comprising 85 percent of the services industry, 6 percent of manufacturing, 6 percent of agriculture, forestry and fishing, and 3 percent of mining. In other words, small business is big business in Australia, accounting for over 99 percent of the number of all active businesses. In addition, almost half of employed Australians work in small businesses. Small businesses employ approximately 4.7 million out of 10 million people, and medium sized businesses employ another 2 million.1

These statistics are presented to show the importance of having a drug and alcohol policy and random testing program, without regard for business size. With over 7 million Australians employed in small to medium sized businesses, and many having no drug and alcohol testing program in place, there is likelihood that a large number of people are performing customer services, making products, and driving company vehicles under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Is it any wonder that substance abusers writing comments in forums are discussing getting jobs in small businesses because they will not have to pass a drug test during pre-employment or worry about getting caught by a drug test whilst employed?

A ‘Friend of a Friend’ on Drugs is Not Business Friendly

It is true. Substance abusers love small to medium sized businesses that do not have a drug and alcohol policy or testing program. The reasons small business owners fail to add these operational policies and procedures vary from “too expensive” to “not necessary.” That attitude increases the risk of a business experiencing lost productivity, poor employee decision making, higher accident rates, and increased liability exposure. Ironically, a small business is less able to absorb the mistakes that people under the influence are known to make, and the costs that accompany employee drug use, like increased health care premiums and legal fees. When an employee drives a company vehicle and gets in a serious wreck, it does not matter at that point if the company employs three people or three hundred people. Either way, the employer will be held fully or partially responsible, and especially if there is no drug and alcohol policy or testing program.

Many chronic substance abusers are innovative. Believing they cannot pass a pre-employment drug test at a large corporation, they look for jobs with small and medium sized companies that do not test for drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, there are still many such employers. The implication is clear: a large number of the heaviest drug and alcohol workers will be found in smaller businesses.

There are misconceptions about drug and alcohol testing that persist despite numerous government information campaigns. Employers believe they are opening themselves up for accusations of invading employee privacy rights or that testing is expensive. Small businesses tend to hire people through referrals, meaning there is a more personal association between the employer and employee. Employers may feel uncomfortable testing someone who is a ‘friend of a friend.”

No Safe Haven

All businesses need to establish a detailed drug and alcohol policy that clearly explains the workplace policy on substance use and explains when and why testing would take place. Clearly explaining how usage of drugs or alcohol will impair work performance provides legal defensibility should a tested employee file a complaint. It really does not matter if a business is small or large or an office or mine because occupational safety and health are workplace issues affecting all workers.2 Pre-employment testing is an effective step for stemming the flow of substance abusers to smaller businesses. Random testing reinforces the policy and represents the exercise of due diligence in keeping the workplace substance free.

Small and medium sized employers do not want drug and alcohol users to view their business as a safe haven. There are very affordable tests and testing services that can be adapted to any business setting and budget. CMM Technology at http://cmm.com.au/ works with small, medium, and large businesses, providing high quality drug and alcohol testing technology. There is simply no reason to put a company at risk of damage due to any employee using drugs and alcohol in the workplace.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/small-businesses-attracting-big-substance-abusers/

Making Sure Random Testing is Really Random

Random drug and alcohol testing of workers in safety critical positions is an appropriate workplace strategy. Random testing is one type of testing strategy, with the others being pre-employment, post workplace accident or injury, for-cause, and post-rehabilitation. Though safety critical positions are the first focus, some employers also randomly test other employees to ensure that illicit substances and alcohol are not being used in the workplace. The decision as to which workers should be included in the drug and alcohol testing program depends on the risks inherent in the type of business and industry and the particular work performed. However, no matter how many departments or how widespread testing is applied, a random testing program must be truly random to minimise the possibility of bias charges or legal claims of discrimination.

In other words, a random drug and alcohol testing program needs to be truly random. The word ‘random’ is defined as making something happen without a conscious decision where there are equal chances for an occurrence. In the workplace, the random testing program means that each member of an identified population has an equal chance of being selected for drug and alcohol testing. A population may be all workers, certain departments or divisions, or particular job titles. For example, the NSW Police Force Drug and Alcohol Policy states that random drug and alcohol testing applies only to police officers.1 Whatever population is chosen, the employer should be prepared to defend its choice of groups or job titles based on characteristics like workplace safety or health.

Non-Biased Selection Protects Employers

Random drug and alcohol testing is an effective strategy with its element of surprise. Just recently, it was revealed that ten council workers employed in safety sensitive roles in Wellington, New Zealand were terminated between 2008 and 2013 for repeatedly failing drug tests. Nine of the employees were caught as a result of random testing for drugs and alcohol. The safety sensitive positions were in operations, and the employees were involved machinery or had interaction with the public. The workers were only terminated after failing second or more tests, despite completing a substance rehabilitation programme.2

One of the first points that will be contested should a worker get a true positive test result is the randomness of the test. If the person seems to continually come up in the random selection whilst others are never tested, the randomness will undoubtedly be questioned. Ideally, employers will use a third party vendor supplied computer-generated selection process to ensure employee numbers are selected in a non-biased manner. One of the advantages of using a vendor is that the selection results are maintained by both the vendor and the employer and are accessible should there be claims of discriminatory practices. All employers need to document the random selection process used. If the random selection is managed in-house, there should be more than one person serving as a witness during selection and test results saved.

The Same Chances Over and Over Again

Interestingly, a person will have a statistical probability of their employee ID being drawn, and the number can come up more than once. What makes the selection random is the fact the person has the same probability of being chosen as anyone else during any given selection process.

To ensure a random drug and alcohol program is effective, a testing schedule should not be posted. The employer needs to inform new hires, and current employees through workforce training programs, that random drug and alcohol testing will be conducted and the procedures used to carry out the testing. However, there should be a very small amount of time between the notification a person receives and the actual testing. Minimising the time between notification and testing makes it difficult for an employee to take adulterants or find ways to delay testing.

Employers can get immediate on-site results using testing equipment that meets Australian Standards, like the OralineSaliva and Lion Alcoblow. In the highest risk industries, urine testing is used, but a number of employers use urine testing mostly for re-testing to confirm positive results.

Random drug and alcohol testing programs need to be truly random to be an effective strategy for maintaining a substance free workplace. CMM Technology (http://cmm.com.au/) has a wide selection of products for onsite testing and sample collection.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/making-sure-random-testing-is-really-random/

The Broad Reach of Drug and Alcohol Policies and Procedures

Businesses develop a myriad of goals that range from increasing diversity in the workforce to achieving profit goals. These goals are achieved through the implementation of supporting policies and procedures and the dedicated effort of a talented workforce. It takes a myriad of policies and procedures to address the goals, and some are limited in scope and target particular people or departments. For example, the credit and collections policy and procedures are designed to help the company achieve an accounts receivable collection goal. However, there are also policies and procedures that are more pervasive, in that they contribute to the workplace culture and the company-wide goals, as opposed to department goals. Drug and alcohol policies and procedures fit this category because they impact the entire organisation and its stakeholders and are not limited to a particular department or function.

Drug and alcohol policies and procedures are critical to workplace safety and health, and that impacts everyone in the organisation. They are proof of a commitment to the welfare of all stakeholders. Stakeholders are defined as people who are affected by or can have an effect on a business effort or who have a strong interest in the effort, even if not directly connected to it or the company. What can be overlooked in terms of the benefits conveyed by drug and alcohol policies and procedures is that stakeholders include employees, the Board of Directors, customers, investors, competitors, funding organisations, and the general public. Though non-customers do not conduct business with the company, they are put at risk in a number of ways when employees use drugs and alcohol, thus turning people outside the circle of business operations into stakeholders also.

Reaching Out to the Community

Workers impaired by substance use or abuse are more likely to have vehicle accidents, make consumer product production errors, put family members at risk of harm, and overburden the national legal and health care systems. These are harms occurring outside the business and in the general community. Businesses that earn a reputation for tolerating substance abuse, have no drug and alcohol policies, or have a high rate of incidences involving employee drug and alcohol abuse will harm their brand image in the marketplace. In other words, drugs and alcohol have a reach that extends far beyond the employees. That reach extends out into the community, making substance abuse a business, social, legal and economic issue.

As such, drug and alcohol policies must contribute to organisational goals in the broadest and not narrowest sense. Employers owe a responsibility to workers and to the public to provide the safest workplace possible, which means taking all reasonable steps to ensure risks are controlled as much as possible. A failure to develop a drug and alcohol policy or to perform random employee drug testing is a failure to implement reasonable steps to develop the safest possible workplace.1 This perspective is different from the perspective that views drug and alcohol polices and testing as optional.

Stakeholder Interests

Large corporations acknowledge that safety is a matter of stakeholder interests. Mobil Refining Australia defines safety as a core value of the organisation and a “shared value that shapes decision-making all the time, at every level, in everything we do.”2 The company seeks to prevent incidents from happening that could harm the refinery personnel, contractors, and the local community. Mobil Refining sees safety as an issue workers must take personal responsibility for and the safety policy stresses, “to all employees, contractors, and others working on its behalf their responsibility and accountability for safe performance on the job and encourage(s) safe behaviour off the job.”

Note that workers are asked to exhibit safe behaviour on and off the job. The Drug and Alcohol Policies are in place to send a clear message that the company sees substance abuse as a safety issue that can threaten the safety of “employees, others involved in its operations, customers and the public,” or in other words, all stakeholders.

Drug and alcohol policies protect businesses and the people they serve and interact with on a daily basis. CMM Technology at cmm.com.au offers consulting services in areas of drug and alcohol policy development for testing practices as a component of risk management systems. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/the-broad-reach-of-drug-and-alcohol-policies-and-procedures/

Consequences of Using Synthetic Cannabis

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The dangers of synthetic cannabis have been known for quite a while. In fact, there is a synthetic drug saliva test now available that can detect this substance. The illicit drug manufacturers are quite crafty in their attempts to produce drugs able to escape detection from conventional drug tests, but quality drug testing services have proven they are up to the challenge of detecting this particular synthetic drug. However, what cannot be known until time passes are all the long-term effects on the human body after repeatedly using synthetic cannabis. However, that is changing because medical researchers recently reported they linked synthetic marijuana use to acute kidney injury.

The branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and management of kidney disease is called nephrology. It was University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama (USA) nephrologists who recently reported in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology that drugs like Kronic (also known as K2 and SPICE) have been linked to acute kidney injury. In the past, there were documented cases of acute coronary syndrome associated with synthetic marijuana use, but doctors have not associated the drug with kidney injury before now. If the patients had continued to use the substance, they would have likely had permanent kidney damage due to the death of kidney cells. The word “linked” instead of “caused” is used because it may be the unknown additives in synthetic marijuana that caused the kidney injury, rather than the cannabinoid.1

Profoundly and Extremely Dangerous

For employers, it does not matter if it is the cannabinoid or the additive compounds that are causing kidney damage. All that matters is, 1) a worker under the influence of a cannabinoid presents workplace safety issues due to temporary mental and physical impairment, and 2) the health impacts of substance abuse will cause productivity declines and increased medical expenses. It is important for employers to take advantage of medical science advances that now enable workplace saliva drug testing for synthetic marijuana like Kronic.

Anyone believing that cannabinoid use does not signify a serious drug problem is mistaken. Just recently, Newcastle psychiatrist Dr. Allan White was quoted as saying that cannabis products are “profoundly and extremely dangerous.” He should know because the medical professional has been treating synthetic cannabis patients for years. His patients have substance induced medical problems like respiratory disease, depression, and psychosis.”2

Employers need to be aware of all the known dangers associated with synthetic cannabis use. A 2012 Australian study of Kronic users indicated that 78 percent of people surveyed were employed and 70 percent of those surveyed had used Kronic 10 or more times. Another point employers need to keep in mind is that Kronic use is not limited to the very young. The study subjects were 18 to 64 years old and 25 percent were 35 years old or older. It can be ingested using a waterpipe or bong, joint, or pipe, but it is also eaten, making it simple to use in the workplace. Reported side effects include decreased motor coordination, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, confusion, dissociation, panic, headache, nausea, vomiting, in addition to depression and psychosis, all of which can seriously affect job performance.

Informed Employers

There is one more reason to drug test for synthetic cannabis. It reinforces the fact the employer stays current on substance abuse issues and will not tolerate use of any substance that impairs the ability of workers to do their jobs. In the Australian study just mentioned, 76 percent of the people believed Kronic was less likely to be detected by workplace drug testing and 8 percent tried Kronic because they were looking for a substance that would enable them to evade workplace drug testing.

As more is learned about the consequences of using synthetic cannabis, the more it is understood that workplace testing for this substance is important for maintaining workplace safety. CMM Technology (http://cmm.com.au/) offers synthetic cannabis testing services that can be easily incorporated into standard drug and alcohol testing procedures.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/consequences-of-using-synthetic-cannabis/

Three Strikes Company Policy

Every company policy is different. Every set of rules is specific to those who set them up and what they were trying to accomplish with them. When it comes to drug testing, specifically employee drug testing, it can be questionable as to which type of policy to set up.

Some businesses have a zero tolerance policy on positive alcohol test or drug testing results. Some businesses allow one or even two strikes before firing. The third strike is generally it. It is very rare that you would find a company willing to have more than two free strikes before the employee is fired on the next strike.

Why do so many companies vary on this policy? Is the three strikes policy the best one? Does it give employees a chance to straighten up their act and get everything together?

Sometimes, rather large companies implement an employee assistance program (EAP) in order to help their employees with any problems which may arise, such as emotional problems with a spouse or a drinking problem which just won’t go away. This is definitely an added benefit to the worker and would be well used with a three strikes policy, as long as the employee is receiving help for their problem.

Sometimes, the case is rather more substantial. If someone in charge of thousands of gallons of petroleum products or other valuable assets begins lying about where they have been or what they have been doing, then failing a drug test or alcohol test would look really bad, and they would most likely be fired right away.

The truth is, different companies use different strike policies because they all have different requirements for their business to operate.

Now, when CMM Technology delivers your products to you, you have many different ways that you can implement your drug testing program. Our drug test kits and our breathalyser devices are available, as is our breathalyser recalibration service. We believe in our products.

Do not worry too much about your company policy, but see to it that you follow strictly whatever guidelines you set for your employees. And call CMM Technology today to order more drug test equipment: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/three-strikes-company-policy/

The Trust Game at Work

Every day, in thousands of offices across the world and on millions of worksites everywhere, the trust game is being played.

In a literal sense, the trust game involves someone standing on a small stool and falling backward into the other’s arms. However, in a more figurative sense, the trust game is transacted thousands of times throughout the day between people who give and take, work and benefit, pay and earn their living wages.

There are so many things to bring this process about. When humans come together in a group, they naturally organize themselves so that the top dogs and natural leaders at the head of the group, the most competent are right below them, and on down to the measly, whining, little underlings who, coincidentally, always find life to be really unfair.

In the trust game, employees rely upon each other and look to the behavior of each other in order to get stuff done around the jobsite. When someone sends a letter off to their secretary to be rewritten, they trust that she is doing a competent job, rather than sitting at her desk painting her nails. When a company executive gives some important documents to a delivery boy to take across town, they trust that the papers will get there safe and sound. The trust game is everywhere. Even people who are not the trusting sort HAVE to trust the people with whom they work…or else they would not end up having a job.

This trust is broken when drugs or alcohol are brought onto the worksite. When employees cannot be trusted to control themselves around each other, the trust game takes a nasty turn. Employee drug testing reveals very bad results, the company double checks the saliva drug test or urine drug test, rereads the alcohol breathalyser device, and determines if the employee is still fit for duty.

Our ToxSure saliva drug test is a really popular product which we carry, and we are also proud of our breathalyser recalibration service. There are a lot of options for returning to the trust game at CMM Technology. For more information, call us today: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/the-trust-game-at-work/

Saving Every Last Dollar

Every time you spend a dollar, it is money in your pocket which can no longer grow. It is now out in the world and you cannot build it up and grow it and reproduce it through investing activity or anything else.

Saving every last dollar can seem like unimpressive financial behavior to some. In their minds, money should be grown really fast in less than safe investments or it should be spent really fast, but either way it should move in a fast direction. Unfortunately, money may flow easily but it does not necessarily flow in the direction we want it to unless we put walls up and channel through certain streams.

Money has a way of moving toward safe locations where it can easily be retained. In the same respect, quality employees tend to move toward places where they will be valued and respected and where their skills will have the most impact on their society. Indeed, the highest quality employees can pretty much pick where they want to work, and they gravitate toward the most secure of all worlds, which includes companies which utilize drug testing. Alcohol tests and drug testing are part of the basic requirements in companies which provide a safe, secure environment for their employees, and employee drug testing is part of the culture which attracts these high quality workers. These guys are more than fit for duty. They are fit for anything.

Drug testing in Western Australia is improved by companies like CMM Technology and they offer a great deal of assurance based upon the accuracy of the drug tests kits and breathalyser devices they provide. CMM Technology only distributes our products to other companies, and our sister site, Mediscreen, actually provides on-sitedrug testing if it is so required.

Saving every last dollar is feasible when you can save every last high quality employee you have. Do this by creating a safe atmosphere and creative working environment through the use of drug test equipment and our breathalyserrecalibration service. CMM Technology is here to help and serve. If you know anything about drug testing, you will love what you see in us: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/saving-every-last-dollar/

Innocuous Drugs

Illicit drugs really sound bad. Anything with the word “illicit” in it sounds pretty bad, actually. In fact, sometimes people do not fully understand just how bad both legal and illicit drugs really are until they are addicted to them. Of course, it’s a bad situation all around, but not very many people understand how easily the knife slices through them until they are actually bleeding, so to speak.

That is how it is with drugs. You often do not understand how much you are affected by them until after you have been taking them for a while. Then, your body becomes used to the chemical change inside of it. You adapt. Your body always adapts to both positive and destructive forces within it.

After that, your positive medications are not as effective, and your illicit drugs do not bring you quite as much of a high. That is a really dangerous position for many people to be in, because they then read this as the drug not working or the problem being bigger than it actually is. Hence, they abuse more drugs, good or bad, until…of course…their body becomes used to and adapted to that as well.

Drugs, from many different viewpoints, can seem innocuous. You only really feel how powerful and influential they are after you have become addicted to them and all of a sudden don’t have them, anymore. You feel the pull so strongly that you will do anything to get it taken care of. That is when the abuse really starts on a permanent, steady basis.

When implementing drug testing, you will need good drug test equipment and a breathalyser recalibration service. Whether it is for employee drug testing or screening tests administered in a different environment, CMM Technology can deliver all of your equipment needs. For instance, our ToxSure saliva drug test is really popular and effective. All of our other products are designed to fit whatever situation you find yourself needing drug test for. We have a great distribution service throughout Australia, and many businesses order our products to test their employees. Make sure everyone with whom you work is fit for duty. Call CMM Technology today: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/innocuous-drugs/ 

Grooming Yourself

You have all heard of the phrase “so and so is being groomed for this new position in the company.” It has to do with preparing someone to fill a high quality position in a business. Well, you do not have to wait to be groomed to fill one of those positions. You do groom yourself to fill it, just in case.

First, find out if there is someone already in that position. Even if it is someone you dislike, learn from them, hang around them, copy them, and ask them questions about how they (in that position) interact with the company. After all, if you can learn from someone who already has the job you want, it will better prepare you for that role.

Next, start acting and dressing like them. It is very important that you do not neglect your current job. However, the responsibilities of doing your current job well and taking on some work or ideas for your new job is what being groomed is all about. If you cannot handle the pressure of doing both, then you may not be able to handle the pressure of the newer, more powerful position.

Lastly, understand that you must be better at the new job than anyone who currently is filling the position. This means that you may continue to have your old job status and title while you are doing extra work for the company related to or directly involved with the new position. Don’t be shy. Tell your bosses that you are vying for that position and any advice they can give to you to aid you in your progress is welcome. Then, take their advice. Be teachable. Learn well.

CMM Technology provides drug test equipment to businesses all over Australia. We know that employees sometimes downgrade, rather than upgrade. Our drug test kits and breathalyser devices are some of the best you can find in this country. We are providing it for you here, online, with all of the product information listed both on our website and by phone if you choose to call us. With us, you are upgrading to a higher quality company: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/grooming-yourself/ 

Forever Nineteen

When you find someone who acts childishly, you can compare with them a four year old or a two year old, depending upon which you are more likely to choose to denote immaturity, and you can speak as if the other person is really not acting as if they ever really grew up.

Forever nineteen refers to the way in which people who used to deal in business sometimes deal today. The age of the teenager has been extended from one or two years to a whopping six to eight years time. Now, we see the age of adolescence extending far into someone’s twenties, lasting sometimes up to twenty years in total. There are many thirty four year olds who act as if they were sixteen, and so on.

The age of adolescence extends within a person when their emotional age does not equal their external age. If this is the case, internally someone may be twelve, but externally they may be forty-two. As they grow older, you will find that this person cannot function at their external age, and often reverts back to behavior which mimics their internal age. This is what drug addiction and alcoholism can do.

Do you see how dangerous that is?

Avoid such precarious situations in your business place by utilizing good old fashioned drug testing with the screening tests provided by CMM Technology. We give you great value for your purchase, and we recommend our ToxSure saliva drug test, which is very popular among businesses throughout Australia. For your alcohol tests, we recommend purchasing Lifeloc FC10 breathalysers and using our breathalyser recalibration service. Try our drug test equipment and make sure you identify employees who are forever nineteen. You want your workplace to be reliable and safe, don’t you? This is definitely the place to start.

Help your workers to not be exposed to immature, incompetent, and less than worthy coworkers and increase our business production by using our service. For more information on all of the products we supply, we recommend that you visit our website or that you give us a call today: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/forever-nineteen/

Easy Steps in Your Job

Sometimes, your job is one big conglomerated mess of expenses, forms, letters, applications, and client meetings. This, however, is not the best thing about your work. It is that you can put your ultra complex mind to work. You see, since humans are able to come up with such great complexities, they often fund their simple lives with very complex ideas, thoughts, and often a lot more drama than they should be using.

Whatever the case, it is essential that you only use complicated thought in complex situations, rather than bringing more detail and complexity to a simple scenario.

Now, at CMM Technology, we share your need to get a lot done in a small amount of time. We know all about getting all of the little details taken care of, and that they are all very different. We know that your life would be simpler if you didn’t have these issues to deal with, but we also know how much humans crave to use the creativity and complexity of their own brains.

Without this sense of using more capacity in our thoughts, we are often not happy or fully satisfied with our lives. In nature, it is our primal instinct to use every bit of abundant function which we can get out of an object or a relationship with a person.

When you are finally ready to begin using simple thought, then a nice, streamlined, simple life is the best choice you have. In order to have one, though, you still need activity and thought processes available for your naturally complicated thinking.

Breathalyser devices are not only sold by us, but we also provide a top quality breathalyser recalibration service. Alcohol consumption is death to a career, as is drug abuse. Our quality urine drug tests and our highly innovative saliva drug test are both examples of how we can help your jobsite become simpler, not more complicated. There are enough complex things about business to tend to without going overboard on where you get your drug test equipment. Just call CMM Technology today: (+61) 1300 79 70 30.

This Article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/easy-steps-in-your-job/

Building Your Repertoire

When it comes to your professional repertoire of skills and maintenance experience, you may have to have a lot on your list before you appear a formidable team player in the potential employer.

Sometimes, it is more than just technical experience. Many organizations are looking for a combination of technical skills and experience working with and above people. After all, only half of your job will be technical. The other half will be working as a team player, as a leader, and as a follower. If you are a professional people person in addition to being a professional computer analyst, say, then you are far more valuable than your nonsocial competitor.

Part of having people skills is the ability to manage others in a way that they do not feel truly manipulated and that gives you the reputation of being solid and trustworthy with them. Obviously, if you cannot accomplish this, then why would anyone have reason to hire you, unless of course your job entails being stuck in a back office away from all the other humans in the office building. However, you would still have to receive instruction and you would perhaps be over other people, so that would definitely be a factor in determining your true job qualifications.

At CMM Technology, we understand that people who abuse substances while or around the workplace probably lack these skills and probably are more likely to be stressed out by other people than the more socially adept. For this reason, we know how important drug testing can be to a valuable employer. Screening tests determining whether a worker is fit for duty are very important, and you should be able to rely upon them as you would your most trusted personnel. Our ToxSure saliva drug test is top rate, and we would also recommend our Lifeloc FC10 alcohol breathalyzer devices when you are searching for proper drug test equipment and alcohol tests.

Build your repertoire as a boss by using tools like drug testing to show what matters to you: things like safety and employee reliability and the valuation of everyone’s job. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/building-your-repertoire/

Big Game Hunting

Let us say that you and your business are looking to acquire a large account. You meet with the impressive client, you try to appear smart and well educated, you hope your credentials and experience are enough, and you savour the taste of the new revenue even before you get it.

Who says that big game hunters only exist in the wild?

When impressing a new client, of course a great deal matters as to appearance, spirit of the business, your own nature, and what you will be doing with their money once you get it. When thinking about the big chunks of business, remember to never forget the tiny little details. All it takes is one drunken secretary or one high associate to blow the deal. You really need employee drug testing, and you need it now.

To make sure everyone is fit for duty, we recommend both drug tests kits and alcohol tests. Without one or the other, you can really find yourself in some hot water if a lower level…or even an executive…shows up to the meeting a trifle sloshed or not quite in their right mind.

These clients are important and they deserve your respect, not some accidental, unintentional disrespect from an unruly employee. This is where the rubber meets the road, as they say. There must be a clear chain of consequences for workers who are abusing drugs or alcohol while on or near the jobsite. There must be a chance for those who want to do well. There must be hope for your company, without sabotage from workers who cannot keep themselves together.

And these consequences we mentioned above: they must be real. Use your drug test kits from us here at CMM Technology to understand what is going on with your employees. You have the upper hand, not them. You are in control of the situation, not random people who are under the influence of substance abuse. We recommend our line of Lifeloc FC10 alcohol breathalyser devices, too coupled with our high quality breathalyzer recalibration service. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/big-game-hunting/

Being A Leader Over Tempers

When you are working over people, you not only have a responsibility to yourself, you also have a responsibility to easily and quickly guide others into their places and functions in the business. This must be done in a timely manner, using your intuition, and not allowing your emotions to govern you thoughts or actions. As with any other tool, emotions really need to be used as a measuring device, and not as a weapon.

Of course, your subordinates are far more likely to be trouble for you if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Now, this may not really be a problem for you if they do not show their full tempers, but being a leader over bad tempers is not the easiest job in the world, and they can, in the end, wear you down emotionally. So, of course, it is much nicer to have workers who have professional focus, and not ones who are there to be watched over like a parent watching a child at play.

There must be drive. There must be ambition. And, there must be tons of focus.

All of these are killed off by substance abuse. It is one of the top reasons why dreams never become fulfilled in your lifetime. Drugs and alcohol distort perception and the ability to cope with problems so much that they begin creating problems everywhere. In essence, it is this ability to cope which makes you a leader and their inability to cope which brings out their tempers. Being a leader over bad tempers is a responsibility not to be taken lightly, because the work must be done by someone. 

It is just as much their right to a job as it is your right to lead them. However, watch out for those who fail their alcohol or drug test. It is obviously not just a matter of the quality of the drug test kits. It is also a matter of whether they are fit for duty or not. You must test for AOD and you must correctly prescribe actions to take if the screening tests reveal something unsavory. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/being-a-leader-over-tempers/

Before That Big Raise

When you are edging closer to that big raise, often you will find yourself slacking off just a tad. This is not because you are jumping to conclusions, nor because the raise would never be based upon your most recent work contributions. This is because you are anticipating what you will be doing with your new money, and often this simply means a decrease in your workload. Your anticipation is better at this time and your expectations are higher.

Isn’t it great to know that something like a raise, which will seem small and meaningless within six months time as you adjust to your new salary, causes you such anticipation and joy beforehand?

In order to keep the benefits of receiving your raise and to make this feeling last longer, be sure to plan to NOT increase your standard of living when you get it. Think of yourself as a secret agent man who is getting a hefty salary but who no one else knows is rich. That can really make you see the mentality that you can have about this which will be far more helpful than you may realize. Not expecting too much from yourself or those around you is a great way to set realistic goals and actually accomplish them.

Breathalyzer recalibration services test and recalibrate alcohol breathalyser devices for you to continue using your drug test kits and alcohol tests at your place of business. It is really important to keep focused on building up the security of your business, as well. It is not good enough to simply work below your means when it comes to running a business. You must build up a larger and larger cushion from which to draw if there is an emergency or a need to spread out the company more.

When you are protecting your saved company assets, there may be nothing more important than the trustworthiness of your employees. You must be able to count on them and they must be fit for duty. For this reason, we here at CMM Technology highly recommend ordering your drug test equipment from us. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/before-that-big-raise/