I’m David Bainbridge, a workplace drug and alcohol specialist, trainer, consultant and founder of the Better Testing pathway.
I've spent over a decade working in workplace drug and alcohol testing, training and substance misuse support. In all that time, one thing I know to be true is this.
Carrying out a test is often the easy part.
Knowing what to do before and after it is where your business can get into trouble.That's the part of the industry I'm trying to change.
Failure should not automatically mean fire.
What is the Better Testing pathway and why does it matter?
What do you do when one of your team fails a substance misuse test?
A non-negative (or "failed") result gives you information but it doesn't automatically tell you whether that person is impaired, why a substance is present or what should happen next.
That's why I developed the Better Testing approach, a support first pathway where failure doesn't have to mean fire.
For me, Better Testing starts long before anyone is asked to provide a sample. It's about having the right policies, procedures and support in place, making sure the people responsible understand what they're doing, and knowing how to respond when a result doesn't go the way you expected.
Safety comes first. But where it's appropriate, so should education, support and rehabilitation.
Good workplace drug and alcohol testing should protect the business and protect its people.
Services
My views and experiences on workplace drug testing, impairment, medical cannabis, policy and where I think the industry needs to change.
Short answers to real questions about workplace drug and alcohol testing, medical cannabis, non-negative results, impairment and workplace policy.
I talk about Better Testing, workplace substance misuse, impairment, medical cannabis and why a failed test shouldn't automatically mean fire.
A Bit About Me
I'm the founder of First Cohort Incorporated and the person behind the Better Testing approach.
I've worked in training for over 20 years and specialised in workplace substance misuse and health and safety for more than a decade.
Most of what I write and talk about comes from situations I've actually dealt with, conversations I've had with employers and employees, things I've seen work brilliantly and things that have been epic fails. All based in the real world and in real workplaces.
I don't claim every workplace drug and alcohol issue has a simple answer. Quite often, it doesn't.
That's why I think we need to break the secrecy and taboo around drugs and alcohol in the workplace and ask better questions. They are already there, whether it is aknowledged or not. It's time to manage it properly.
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