SlimJim1694
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In over ten years driving on a well known Kent TOC the only time they ever tested me was at the medical before I started.
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Drunk depot driver sentenced
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Mintona
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Yeah same. I’ve transferred companies twice so have been med screened three times, before beginning each employment, but never randomly in between.
D365
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Within the railway industry, office staff are generally subject to abiding by the exact same policies as safety critical workers.
LOM
Member
Yes indeed you do not need to tell me that. The point I was making is that for anyone directly employed by Network Rail a nurse can (and regularly does) just appear in their workplace at any time and request a sample.
Precisely this. You are responsible for your own and anyone else’s health and safety. If you believe someone is under the influence of D& (or) A you should be reporting it. How would you feel if they had an incident and someone died, knowing you could have done something? Might sound far fetched but true.
Random D&A tests are pretty rare, it has to be said. But tests also take place at annual medicals.
Safety critical staff members also face testing “for cause” following an operational incident and “on suspicion” at any time if someone suspects them to be under the influence.
Robertj21a
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Thanks. I'm fairly sure that anybody with a drink problem will know how to get through an annual medical.......
If, otherwise, the only true random check is so infrequent as to be calculated in 'many years' then I doubt it is a proper deterrent. Surely, a random check for drink or drugs should be at least annual ?
Llanigraham
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Then it isn't random!
Quite a few years ago, a guy from our place went for a medical booked for 13:00. He decided to go for lunch before this, the lunch included a pint.
He failed.
Robertj21a
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Companies aim to do a % of workforce each year, however due to the way the rosters work its entirely possible to miss these random screenings for years...even more so if you work at more than one location. I've had two randoms in 10 years though I would argue the second one wasn't quite "random" in the true sense of the meaning.
LOM
Member
Not quite the same but after a derailment in my neck of the woods a couple of years ago the driver tested positive for Cocaine in the post incident test. It then turned out he had previously tested positive for Cocaine in a random D&A at another TOC but been allowed to resign rather than been fired then went on to get another driving job. If it had not of been for the derailment (which was not his fault) no one would be any the wiser.
Llanigraham
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Robertj21a
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I guess only a pedant would attempt to misunderstand something so simple - I said 'at least' annual. No reason at all why you can't do random tests, at least annually, - as do a number of companies.
Grumpy Git
On Moderation
Him being allowed to resign may have done someone else (in management) a favour? They should be disciplined subsequently if that is the case.
I must admit I always wonder how one is expected to, er, 'perform' on demand for random checks. If a nurse rocked up in my office now for a random check I'd be happy to comply* but wouldn't be able to currently! So do they just hang around? Do you go and down a few bottles of water?
* Well I wouldn't as we don't do drug and alcohol screening but for sake of argument...
* Well I wouldn't as we don't do drug and alcohol screening but for sake of argument...
craigybagel
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I must admit I always wonder how one is expected to, er, 'perform' on demand for random checks. If a nurse rocked up in my office now for a random check I'd be happy to comply* but wouldn't be able to currently! So do they just hang around? Do you go and down a few bottles of water?
* Well I wouldn't as we don't do drug and alcohol screening but for sake of argument...
That issue has indeed come up and sometimes there is indeed a delay before the deed can be performed! It's not so bad for medicals as you can arrive with a full tank so to speak (and often they'll ask you if you want to do that part first) but if it's an unexpected one.....
Pakenhamtrain
Member
Down here not only does the operator do random testing but the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator does random testing as well. The ONRSR can effectively lock down a depot to do it as well.
I’m curious, when testing for drugs do they look for any trace of say cocaine or is there a maximum limit in the blood like alcohol? I'm pondering this as apparently we can all (innocently) pick up traces of cocaine from bank notes which can often be contaminated.
Random ‘Alcohol and Drug’ testing is part of railway employment and is both for passenger and worker safety. It can take a lot longer than most people think, for alcohol to leave the system. There are loads of people who have drunk a fair bit the night before but who drive on the roads the next morning. If the Police had the manpower, random alcohol testing in the morning would catch out loads.
Be also careful of cannabis. It stays in the bloodstream for a lot longer than alcohol. There was an incident at the University where I worked, when a Researcher was taken on to work on a project with Network Rail. His employment ended on the first day, when he failed a drugs test at Network Rail.He had had a joint, a week or so earlier , and it was still in his system.
Be also careful of cannabis. It stays in the bloodstream for a lot longer than alcohol. There was an incident at the University where I worked, when a Researcher was taken on to work on a project with Network Rail. His employment ended on the first day, when he failed a drugs test at Network Rail.He had had a joint, a week or so earlier , and it was still in his system.
O L Leigh
Established Member
I've been "randomed" twice in the past seven years. You don't get a lot of notice so it's quite an effective means of catching people who are abusing substances. I've also known of drivers who have failed these tests and not been seen again.
Random tests are only one part of the overall deterrent. If anyone turned to work smelling of booze they would be tested “on suspicion”. And of course refusal to take a test when asked is gross misconduct leading to summary dismissal.
I suppose for a full blown alcoholic it would be difficult to stop drinking for long enough even to get through a periodical medical.
krus_aragon
Established Member
And it's also the advice for ultrasounds during pregnancy
AgentGemini
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This. Have only ever had medical testing on joining and as part of investigation for a minor incident, but never randomly requested in a good few years.
I think there is a difference between trace elements (physical transfer) and trace elements (internal). Very very doubtful anything will show up in blood/urine unless you are Scarface or lick every banknote you come across.
I once attended a job interview which included a drug test (this was mentioned in the interview literature so it wasn't unexpected) - I won't say who the interview was for except to say that a failure would mean I wouldn't be offered a job.
What I wasn't expecting was for some of my underarm hair to be removed as part of the test. This not only shows what's in the system now but also over the past few months. They prefer to use hair on the head as it means you don't have to strip off during the interview but given I shave my head that wasn't an option!
What I wasn't expecting was for some of my underarm hair to be removed as part of the test. This not only shows what's in the system now but also over the past few months. They prefer to use hair on the head as it means you don't have to strip off during the interview but given I shave my head that wasn't an option!
matt_world2004
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There was a bus driver who tested positive for cocaine and it was proven at tribunal that it was his handling of cash that caused it
duffield
Established Member
I worked in an office on railway computer systems from when the drug/drink policy first started until 2019 and as far as I know, none of the approximately 400 staff were ever randomly tested; although the policy in theory applied to us (and we had to sign agreement to it when it started) it was never actually enforced.
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