Town expands drug, alcohol testing
By Cathryn Keefe O’Hare/Danvers Herald
Danvers -
Danvers is going beyond the strictures of federal law by requiring any employee directly involved in public safety to submit to random drug and alcohol testing.
Exempted are police and fire department employees, who are in contract negotiations now. Town Manager Wayne Marquis could not comment beyond that, except to say police for the past dozen years or more have been subject to periodic testing, although it is not random.
Federal law requires employees who drive large vehicles (except fire trucks) requiring a commercial driver’s license to submit to random testing, Marquis said this week. That covers about 60 employees in all, most in the Department of Public Works and the Electric Division.
The town decided to expand the test requirement to anyone whose job involves technical skills or in other ways might affect the public safety if the employee were impaired by drugs or alcohol. All members of Unit A of the Association of Federal, State, Municipal Employees; Unit C of AFSME; and the Danvers Independent Employee Group are now subject to the test, said Larry Wood, the town’s human resources director.
That covers line workers, drivers of pick-up trucks (below the requisite weight above), engineering staff members, mechanics, custodians, meter readers, plumbers, water plant employees, and others.
Members of the Recreation Division will be tested, since they are responsible for the safety of children, Marquis said.
Anyone who uses a town vehicle or uses his or her own vehicle for which the town pays a stipend when used for town work will be subject to the testing.
The 10 department heads, nine division managers and the town manager will also be subject to the test.
“They discussed it and decided that in many cases they are directly involved in overseeing emergency operations,” Marquis said. “Those folks came back and said we’re all on the same team.”
“This is certainly one of the very few communities that has management personnel involved,” said Human Resources Director Wood.
In all, about 150 town employees will be subject to the testing.
Wood said training of personnel by an outside vendor has been taking place, and it will be completed when the supervisors set a date. All the names will be put in the database, and the computer will select them randomly.
Some people could be tested multiple times in one year, or not at all, Wood said, since it is up to the computer.
The federal law requires that 25 percent of the people be tested for alcohol a year and 50 percent be tested for illegal substances, Wood said. The pool will be increased by about 80 people when the expansion is completed. A certain number will be asked to go to the Advantage Drug Testing mobile unit, which is usually set up at the high school enough times a year to meet the federal percentage requirements, Wood said.
The cost for alcohol testing for 37 people or more is nothing, Marquis said. The drug testing is $65 per person now, but will fall to $45 per person because of a discount for volume.
“We do not have a problem,” said Marquis. “We have hardworking, conscientious employees. This is a statement; this is an assurance that we are willing to make to our public.”
In place now is an Employee Assistance Program to help any employee identified as having a problem with drugs or alcohol, said Wood. Depending upon the circumstances, that individual might be asked to use sick leave while attending and would need an OK to return to work. He or she would then be subject to more random testing until it is determined not necessary any longer.
If the individual continues to have an issue, he or she could face discipline and even termination, Wood said.
By Cathryn Keefe O’Hare/Danvers Herald
Danvers -
Danvers is going beyond the strictures of federal law by requiring any employee directly involved in public safety to submit to random drug and alcohol testing.
Exempted are police and fire department employees, who are in contract negotiations now. Town Manager Wayne Marquis could not comment beyond that, except to say police for the past dozen years or more have been subject to periodic testing, although it is not random.
Federal law requires employees who drive large vehicles (except fire trucks) requiring a commercial driver’s license to submit to random testing, Marquis said this week. That covers about 60 employees in all, most in the Department of Public Works and the Electric Division.
The town decided to expand the test requirement to anyone whose job involves technical skills or in other ways might affect the public safety if the employee were impaired by drugs or alcohol. All members of Unit A of the Association of Federal, State, Municipal Employees; Unit C of AFSME; and the Danvers Independent Employee Group are now subject to the test, said Larry Wood, the town’s human resources director.
That covers line workers, drivers of pick-up trucks (below the requisite weight above), engineering staff members, mechanics, custodians, meter readers, plumbers, water plant employees, and others.
Members of the Recreation Division will be tested, since they are responsible for the safety of children, Marquis said.
Anyone who uses a town vehicle or uses his or her own vehicle for which the town pays a stipend when used for town work will be subject to the testing.
The 10 department heads, nine division managers and the town manager will also be subject to the test.
“They discussed it and decided that in many cases they are directly involved in overseeing emergency operations,” Marquis said. “Those folks came back and said we’re all on the same team.”
“This is certainly one of the very few communities that has management personnel involved,” said Human Resources Director Wood.
In all, about 150 town employees will be subject to the testing.
Wood said training of personnel by an outside vendor has been taking place, and it will be completed when the supervisors set a date. All the names will be put in the database, and the computer will select them randomly.
Some people could be tested multiple times in one year, or not at all, Wood said, since it is up to the computer.
The federal law requires that 25 percent of the people be tested for alcohol a year and 50 percent be tested for illegal substances, Wood said. The pool will be increased by about 80 people when the expansion is completed. A certain number will be asked to go to the Advantage Drug Testing mobile unit, which is usually set up at the high school enough times a year to meet the federal percentage requirements, Wood said.
The cost for alcohol testing for 37 people or more is nothing, Marquis said. The drug testing is $65 per person now, but will fall to $45 per person because of a discount for volume.
“We do not have a problem,” said Marquis. “We have hardworking, conscientious employees. This is a statement; this is an assurance that we are willing to make to our public.”
In place now is an Employee Assistance Program to help any employee identified as having a problem with drugs or alcohol, said Wood. Depending upon the circumstances, that individual might be asked to use sick leave while attending and would need an OK to return to work. He or she would then be subject to more random testing until it is determined not necessary any longer.
If the individual continues to have an issue, he or she could face discipline and even termination, Wood said.
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