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Virgin trains drugs and alcohol test

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eagerbeaver

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9 Jun 2012
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hi there,

can anyone tell me whether virgin do hair or urine tests for drugs and alcohol. is there any1 that works for virgin that can tell me a bit more about the tests/medical and what the procedure is ?

thanks
 
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GadgetMan

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Does it matter?

If you take or have taken legal medication then you ARE expected to DECLARE it at the time of the medical.

If you use illegal substances then I don't think you're wanted on the railway.



To answer your question anyway, I would expect they use a urine sample as that is what the railway generally does. otherwise how would they test a hair sample from someone who shaved their head (ignoring other hairy sources :lol:)
 

185

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Yep. Pee in the pot test, for all train companies, I believe.

Test is for 5 different substances. Got called in at random a few weeks ago ;)
 

9K43

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1 May 2010
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I booked on one morning at 02:00hrs to take the gas tanks from HM181 signal to Ellesmere Port.
Waiting for me was a woman who had come to do a random urine test.
She gave me the bottle and followed me into the bogs while I filled it.
This test worried me not at all, as anyone who comes to work on the railway smelling of drink or drugs is in the wrong job.
As you get older, you have to go for medicals at a certain age, first thing that happens is they take a sample for testing.
I recall a young second man who when promoted to driver was sacked for having smoked the weed some weeks before his medical.
His grandad who did 48 years as a driver was devestated at this happening to his grandson.
At this time we were all aware of what was required, on the railway, and he went down the road.
 

E&W Lucas

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hi there,

can anyone tell me whether virgin do hair or urine tests for drugs and alcohol. is there any1 that works for virgin that can tell me a bit more about the tests/medical and what the procedure is ?

thanks

If you are asking that question, it is because you are worried about how long something can be detected for. You should not be considering working in the rail industry, simple as that.
 

455driver

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Probably worried about how long some substances show up in the hair?

Oh for those that dont know its several years for several class A drugs in the hair but only a few months for the urine.

If you fail any of the D&D tests at any time then you will be sacked and get no support from the union or your work"mates".

We had a driver at a depot near us that failed the alcohol test by 1 point, sacked with no support whatsoever, no sympathy at all.
He was okay to drive the car home because the railway limit is much less than the road limit.

If you are worried about the test because you take "recreational" drugs then a railway career is not for you.
 

russmcp

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22 May 2011
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Probably worried about how long some substances show up in the hair?

Oh for those that dont know its several years for several class A drugs in the hair but only a few months for the urine.

If you fail any of the D&D tests at any time then you will be sacked and get no support from the union or your work"mates".

We had a driver at a depot near us that failed the alcohol test by 1 point, sacked with no support whatsoever, no sympathy at all.
He was okay to drive the car home because the railway limit is much less than the road limit.

If you are worried about the test because you take "recreational" drugs then a railway career is not for you.

Hair is 3/6 months, no longer and no where near several years
 

ralphchadkirk

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Hair is 3/6 months, no longer and no where near several years

It depends where you get the hair from. Head hair grows fast, so the window is about 3 months. Body (such as on your arms/legs) hair grows a lot slower and so the window can be as much as 12 months.
 

Mojo

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I had a railway D&A test back in 2008 and they took a hair sample and a urine sample. More recently I just had a urine sample.

I'm always a bit paranoid that being around people smoking 'special tobacco' would show up in my system! Unfortunately living in Birmingham at the time and having to travel by bus it wasn't that easy to avoid such people.
 

jadam35

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Probably worried about how long some substances show up in the hair?

Oh for those that dont know its several years for several class A drugs in the hair but only a few months for the urine.

If you fail any of the D&D tests at any time then you will be sacked and get no support from the union or your work"mates".

We had a driver at a depot near us that failed the alcohol test by 1 point, sacked with no support whatsoever, no sympathy at all.
He was okay to drive the car home because the railway limit is much less than the road limit.

If you are worried about the test because you take "recreational" drugs then a railway career is not for you.

When I last worked on the rail 10 years ago we had a driver who was told to go home when he went to sign on. The Manager could smell alcohol and was giving him the chance to go home sick. He refused and was once again told to go home sick. He refused and so was signed on for duty.
He was then summoned from the mess room for a random test which he obviously failed.
On his way home in his car he was pulled by the police and done once again. But it wasnt just luck with the police, he was watched getting into his car by rail staff who promptly informed them!
 

RJ

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hi there,

can anyone tell me whether virgin do hair or urine tests for drugs and alcohol. is there any1 that works for virgin that can tell me a bit more about the tests/medical and what the procedure is ?

thanks

Having been through their medical processes, I can't think of a single veritable reason you'd need to ask this question beforehand. If you declare all medication, which there is ample opportunity to do, there's nothing to worry about.
 

hluraven

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4 Apr 2012
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I had a railway D&A test back in 2008 and they took a hair sample and a urine sample. More recently I just had a urine sample.

I'm always a bit paranoid that being around people smoking 'special tobacco' would show up in my system! Unfortunately living in Birmingham at the time and having to travel by bus it wasn't that easy to avoid such people.

I had exactly that situation on one of my random tests, I declared (truthfully) that I had been in the presence of someone smoking marijuana, they said that that would never show up and I passed without issue. While the railway testing is sensitive, it really isn't so sensitive that anyone should have any worries unless they have taken something illegal in the not too distant past.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Having been through their medical processes, I can't think of a single veritable reason you'd need to ask this question beforehand. If you declare all medication, which there is ample opportunity to do, there's nothing to worry about.

Phobia/religious reasons? I would agree it sounds highly suspicious though!
 

eagerbeaver

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9 Jun 2012
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Thanks for response. If u have been around people that smoke its more likely to show up in a hair test.
 

Scotrail84

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Thanks for response. If u have been around people that smoke its more likely to show up in a hair test.

It may show up as passive smoking, at least that's what bupa nurse told me years ago when I was at a medical.
 

hluraven

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4 Apr 2012
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131
Thanks for response. If u have been around people that smoke its more likely to show up in a hair test.

Be honest when/if you are asked before the test about anything you take medically etc that you have been in the presence of people who smoke but that you don't yourself. That way, if trace amounts show up you will have already justified how, rather than if you are challenged after the fact.

That said, you may want to avoid being near these people if you want to be a driver, there really would be a zero tolerance even to passive smoke if you are tested when on duty.
 

richw

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Consider changing your social circles if it is going to effect your career. Depends which is more important to you, friends (whos illegal activity could jeopidise your career), or your career. I know the career would come first for me.
 

TDK

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Probably worried about how long some substances show up in the hair?

Oh for those that dont know its several years for several class A drugs in the hair but only a few months for the urine.

If you fail any of the D&D tests at any time then you will be sacked and get no support from the union or your work"mates".

We had a driver at a depot near us that failed the alcohol test by 1 point, sacked with no support whatsoever, no sympathy at all.
He was okay to drive the car home because the railway limit is much less than the road limit.

If you are worried about the test because you take "recreational" drugs then a railway career is not for you.

You are incorrect on both counts here. Most class A drugs will be detectable in unrine for up to 8 days, class C I belive "cannabis" can be detectable up to 6 weeks. Morphine is 5 days detectable in urine and cocaine about 3 days, as for your hair it depends on the substance.
 
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