NCJ Number
222190
Journal
Forensic Science International Volume: 174 Issue: 2-3 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 99-102
Date Published
January 2008
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article outlines Finnish guidelines for workplace drug testing, based on the Nation's Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life, the Occupational Health Care Act, and the Decree on Workplace Drug Testing.
Abstract
The guidelines begin by defining the situations when workplace drug testing is allowed, covering all stages up to the point where a certificate of the drug testing results is submitted to the employer. An employer is entitled to ask a job applicant or employee to present a drug-test certificate, which provides only the general information regarding the fact that a drug test has been conducted and whether the employee's health is sufficient for him/her to perform the occupational tasks at issue. The employee can be required to present a drug-test certificate when the job involved pertains to the safety or health of others. The employee can also be required to present a drug-test certificate if he/she is suspected of working under the influence of drugs or is suspected of being dependent on drugs. As a prerequisite to drug testing, the company must have an anti-drug program, including a written drug-testing policy. Employees must be consulted on the policy before it is approved. The company's occupational health care unit must also be consulted in the preparation of the anti-drug program, and the program must include information about treatment. Almost all employees in Finland are covered by the occupational health care system; therefore, the occupational health care system plays a key role in workplace drug testing. Training in workplace drug testing is provided for personnel working in occupational health care. 1 table and 13 references