A recent DriverCheck survey has found many employers in the Oil Sands are preparing for a decision expected soon in an outstanding arbitration case on random alcohol and drug testing in Alberta.

In a poll of about 400 DriverCheck clients operating in Alberta, approximately 44 percent of respondents identifying themselves as owner companies say they intend to implement a random testing program in the future, with over half of those companies planning to do so within 3 months to a year.

A newly certified testing facility in Edmonton could potentially improve DriverCheck’s turnaround times on negative lab-based test results for our clients in Alberta.

Gamma-Dynacare, DriverCheck’s designated drug testing laboratory, received certification this month from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide toxicology screening services at its laboratory in Edmonton, and the laboratory is now listed on the U.S. Federal Register as an HHS-Certified Instrumented Initial Testing Facility.

U.S. President Barack Obama has signed a bill that will require a formal rulemaking process be followed in order for sleep apnea screening to become mandatory for American commercial vehicle drivers. The bill was prompted by the U.S. trucking industry’s fears that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would issue a guidance rather than go through an extensive formal rulemaking process.

In recognition of National Trucking Week, DriverCheck is thanking Canada’s drivers and their employers for their significant contribution to our country.

With your drivers at the wheel, international trade is rolling. The most recently published statistics show that our country’s carriers transported about 225 billion tonne-kilometres of freight in 2011. That accounts for over half of all trade between Canada and the U.S. and 43 percent of all trade between Canada and the world.

DriverCheck Inc. is proud to announce the launch of its new website designed to reflect the company’s new service offerings and keep clients informed of industry developments and insights.

“One of the goals is to educate our clients,” says Connor Page, DriverCheck’s Business Development Manager.

A precedent-setting Supreme Court of Canada decision has reinforced previous rulings that random drug or alcohol testing may be allowed in certain workplaces where there is evidence of enhanced safety risks, such as evidence of a general problem with substance abuse in the workplace.

A new testing facility planned for Edmonton, Alberta in the fall of 2012 has the potential to improve turnaround times on lab-based tests for DriverCheck clients in the region.

Gamma-Dynacare Medical Laboratories says the facility will provide toxicology screening services to the oil and gas sector and other industries in Western Canada. However, the new laboratory does not currently offer confirmation testing services. Confirmation tests will continue to be sent to DriverCheck’s designated laboratory in London, Ontario.

Several DriverCheck clients are starting to inquire about the prevalence of K2/Spice in Canada, and whether certified laboratories have the ability to test for synthetic cannabis (currently, no lab in Canada can perform this test).

K2 or Spice is a mix of herbs, spices or shredded plant material that is often sprayed with a synthetic compound chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Research shows Alberta oil companies are on the right track with a new pilot project that requires employees be randomly tested for drugs and alcohol.

Recently, three Alberta-based oil companies announced they would be adopting the practice on a trial basis, and while union representatives claim it’s ineffective, the trucking industry has actually found the opposite to be true. Random testing is a proven way to deter substance misuse and abuse in the workplace.

DriverCheck would like to congratulate Casey from PERI Scaffold Services in Edmonton on being the lucky winner of a brand new Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback FLD at this year’s Oil Sands Trade Show and Conference.

As a major sponsor of the giveaway, DriverCheck had the honour of presenting the prize at the Suncor Community Leisure Centre in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Our sales manager, Kris Phippen, decided to have some fun with it.