Drug Screening and Engineering

guitarjamman · Feb 16, 2012

Have you ever had to take a drug test prior to employment? If so, how big was the company and what type of work did you do there?

I have since given up on my "cloudy" days but I always get a little upset when I see employers who state that an offer of employment is contingent upon a drug screen. Believe me, I understand the importance of being sober during working hours and if an employee appears to be under the influence of anything, they should be reprimanded appropriately.

But why does it matter if I want to get stoned on the weekend so I can decompress instead of drinking bourbon? They both have a similar effect on the body, yet one is completely shunned upon while the other is 100% acceptable. Believe it or not, I am not trying to start up a fighting war on whether pot should be legal, but all this pondering has raised the aforementioned question.

As for myself, I have only had to submit to a drug test once and that was working for a general contractor. The only reason I had to submit to it (as a field engineer) was because they had truck drivers within the company who were required - due to state law - to take a drug test. To be fair, the owner made everyone within the company submit to testing.

roadwreck · Feb 16, 2012

guitarjamman said:
I am not trying to start up a fighting war on whether pot should be legal

Well there's your problem. Seeing how pot is illegal then companies will test for it. If drinking bourbon were illegal then they'd probably test for that too.

snickerd3 · Feb 16, 2012

If I remember correctly, mine was even contingent on passing a physical. Although I had already started working before the physical occured. State government, environmental world. I've had to pass a physical every year since then too.

YMZ PE · Feb 16, 2012

I had to pass a drug test for my prior job (global private sector company, office engineer). I had to pass a physical for my current job but they didn't administer a drug test (local public agency, field engineer). Private firms should have the right to decide whether or not they want to screen prospective employees. If you disagree, you have the freedom to apply elsewhere or start your own firm.

Dexman PE PMP · Feb 16, 2012

My first job (field engineer for a large heavy highway general contractor) not only required a drug test to get hired, we had random tests scheduled every paycheck (weekly). The HR dept would bring in 2-3% of the workforce (mostly union construction guys) and test them before their paychecks would be released. Some guys would just walk away from their last paycheck because they knew they wouldn't pass when their name was drawn. Second job didn't have a test (office engineer for a small consulting firm). My current job (office engineer for construction division of govt agency) required a test.

As long as weed is illegal, I have no issues with getting tested for work. As a matter of fact, I am a huge supporter for testing EVERYONE who depends on the government for their money (employees, politicians, govt consultants, and even medicare/medicaid/welfare/foodstamps recipients).

Flyer_PE · Feb 16, 2012

I've been subject to random drug screening everywhere I've worked since graduating college. It's a fact of life working either directly for a utility or in any capacity that requires unescorted access to nuclear plants.

snickerd3 · Feb 16, 2012

Flyer_PE said:
I've been subject to random drug screening everywhere I've worked since graduating college. It's a fact of life working either directly for a utility or in any capacity that requires unescorted access to nuclear plants.

I would hope so!!

treyjay · Feb 16, 2012

guitarjamman said:
Have you ever had to take a drug test prior to employment? If so, how big was the company and what type of work did you do there?

I have since given up on my "cloudy" days but I always get a little upset when I see employers who state that an offer of employment is contingent upon a drug screen. Believe me, I understand the importance of being sober during working hours and if an employee appears to be under the influence of anything, they should be reprimanded appropriately.

But why does it matter if I want to get stoned on the weekend so I can decompress instead of drinking bourbon? They both have a similar effect on the body, yet one is completely shunned upon while the other is 100% acceptable. Believe it or not, I am not trying to start up a fighting war on whether pot should be legal, but all this pondering has raised the aforementioned question.

As for myself, I have only had to submit to a drug test once and that was working for a general contractor. The only reason I had to submit to it (as a field engineer) was because they had truck drivers within the company who were required - due to state law - to take a drug test. To be fair, the owner made everyone within the company submit to testing.

No offense jam man, but there are a lot of innocent mexican people giving up their lives so you can enjoy your drugs.

Flyer_PE · Feb 16, 2012

snickerd3 said:
Flyer_PE said:

I've been subject to random drug screening everywhere I've worked since graduating college. It's a fact of life working either directly for a utility or in any capacity that requires unescorted access to nuclear plants.

Click to expand...

I would hope so!!

Believe it or not, it was a fairly novel thing in 1990. The NRC invoked the fitness for duty (FFD) rules a couple of months before I started. There were stories back then of the occasional liquid lunch and funny smoke wafting out from under the reactor head before they installed it during initial construction. Out of a staff of 1000, we had three people get canned for drug violations in the eight years I was there.

chaosiscash · Feb 16, 2012

My job is kinda like Flyer's. I have two physicals a year and around six "random" drug tests. Doesn't bother me a bit, I get paid on the hour.

willsee · Feb 17, 2012

Yes
MEP Consulting

Supe · Feb 17, 2012

Hire on drug screen as part of a physical (very large EPC firm). On site, randoms performed weekly/monthly for a while, then they moved to daily randoms. They even started testing for that synthetic pot after a while. All randoms included a BAC, too - .04 max per the utility's rules. On the nuke sites they do the same, but you can't blow anything now due to the FFD as Flyer mentioned.

Road Guy · Feb 17, 2012

I haven't had to take a drug test since I was in the army. We just have a thing that if you get in a wreck or a ticket in a company vehicle you have to take a drug/alcohol test within 24 hours and your on unpaid leave until you do...

I worked at a place where the cad guys would go down to the parking deck during lunch and smoke weed, I think both of those guys cut grass for a living these day...

guitarjamman · Feb 22, 2012

treyjay, I do not take offense but I want to make it known that I do not support drug use - I am a firm believer in "to each their own" though. I am not better or worse than someone who decides to use drugs, but it is amazing to watch my own transformation as I age and watch my interests come and go. I have seen too many people fall to drugs and let their lives turn to garbage, as well as the news stories regarding drug cartels and their impacts on local communities. Sad to say the least.

RIP - VTEnviro · Mar 7, 2012

Where I used to work, we'd get a six pack on Friday around 4:30 or so, each have one, and shoot the breeze until 5. The boss was fine with it. When it started creeping earlier and earlier though, he got annoyed.

Once place I worked for in college I was the office boy for a contractor. When the crews would get back at the end of the day, the Bud Light came out by the suitcase. Some of those guys would hit it pretty hard too. Boss didn't care.

pbrme · Mar 7, 2012

guitarjamman said:
Have you ever had to take a drug test prior to employment? If so, how big was the company and what type of work did you do there?

Yes, and company wide random policy, large mechanical contractor (project engineer, designer). Second yes, (Mechanical engineer). Current position, yes (Mechanical engineer).

Dark Knight · Mar 8, 2012

I took a drug test when hired for a job in the Federal world, then for two large utilities. Before that I worked for the gov of the country I am from and drug test was random but they were able to do that without previous notice. The Health and Safety guy would storm in a project at any time, close the gates and everybody had to give an urine sample to be tested. I was not required, as I was a supervisor, but always voluntary did it.

More than once saw guys jumping the fence to avoid the test. Lost one of the electricians in my crew after his third positive. It was a shame. Heck of an electrician, hard worker, and reliable but used to go wild every week-end. The things he told me he did, and the ones he did not tell me. That third time he told me what happened after coming to me crying because he knew he was going to be fired. Nothing I can do for him. He was done.

kahmodo · Jan 24, 2013

What type of drug screening was required by your companies?

Dexman PE PMP · Jan 24, 2013

I had to go to a nearby clinic where I had to pee in a cup. The contents were then divided up into a couple different vials and sent off to a lab. We had to wait a couple weeks for the results to come back before I could start.

snickerd3 · Jan 24, 2013

pee in a cup, full blood work up, physical, hearing test, vision test, pulmonary test, chest xray (every 3rd yr)...repeat every yr

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