Drug testing is a common practice in many industries. Requiring it helps keep employees safe and secure, especially in hands-on industries like manufacturing or construction. It also maintains responsibility and oversight for employers. There are many different types of drug tests used in the workplace. The most common are hair tests, fingernail tests, and urine tests. Learn more about each one in this guide below.
Hair Drug Tests
Hair tests are one of the most common types of drug tests because they can detect repeated use in a longer detection window than urine or fingernail tests. Hair tests can detect substance abuse within 90 days of prior use. As a result, this eliminates risk of adulteration or prolonged test avoidance. Once administered, hair tests use approximately 90 to 120 strands of scalp hair, body hair, or facial hair to detect substances like marijuana, cocaine, opioids, or methamphetamines.
Fingernail Drug Tests
Fingernail tests are another common procedure. There are many reasons why employers might opt for a fingernail test over urine or hair tests. In some circumstances, there may not be viable hair or urine samples available. If there isn’t a large enough hair or urine specimen to test, fingernails and toenails will suffice. Additionally, nail drug tests can further detect other substances that hair or urine tests cannot. Commonly, employers use fingernail tests to detect recent alcohol abuse. Finger and toenail tests can also detect cocaine, ketamine, oxycodone, and more.
Urine Drug Tests
Urine tests are another one of the different types of drug tests used in the workplace. As one of the most common forms of drug tests, it’s often conducted for pre-employment screenings, randomly selected screenings, or if circumstantial factors require one. Urine drug tests are considered the least invasive form of drug testing. They are also the most legally acceptable form of workplace drug monitoring. Although urinalyses test for drug metabolites in urine samples, these tests are most susceptible to adulteration and false positive results, making them somewhat unreliable compared to hair or fingernail tests.
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