Hi All

We are looking to implement drugs and alcohol testing for our staff. What limits have you set within your policy? 35 is the legal limit but have any of you set it lower at zero?

Thanks 

As Blackburn31728 has already stated, the limits are down to you and your company's policies (the two should go together).  You could go for the legal limits, you could go zero tolerance or you could go somewhere in between - it often depends on what you're looking to achieve.

For drivers (or for other tasks which are either safety critical OR if a role includes "call out" duties), zero tolerance might be the best option.  For more "general" operations, the limit arguably doesn't need to be as low.

Either way, you should assess what you're hoping to achieve from the testing process (as well as what you intend to do if anyone fails !), and then set your limits accordingly. 

Originally Posted by: Blackburn31728

Your company you decide the limits, companies out there do have a zero limit policy ours is

Test

Level of Alcohol

Breath

35 micrograms per ml

Blood

80 milligrams per ml

Urine

107 milligrams per ml

Scotland 22mg/ml

Ireland Cat B 22mg/ml and professional/novice/learner 9mg/ml

Depends upon where your employees work

Agree with Rountuit, the earlier levels are from the drink/drive rules.  They vary across the country and of course other occupations have lower levels and some have none.  Setting anything other than the driving limits may make sorucing your sampleing kit a little more of a challenge.  Setting zero alcohol is fine, but remember that some instances the zero is not throguh recent alcohol consumption and certainly not an automatic adverse influence.  
having dealt with numerous drink/driver characters,  testing positive and a result of just over the limit a while after last consumption is not due to just the much quoted and extremely wrong quote of havinmg consumed a pint and a half.   My advise is that if you have an drug / alcohol test policy, include that no employees will have alcohol for any business purpose - so none of those alcoholic "sales rep" type lunches.  If it applies to the drivers / workers at the business end of the company, then it applies equally to all the other employees.