A new "hygienic fingerprint test" is claimed to enable construction firms to maintain social distancing when carrying out drug tests on personnel.
Cambridge, UK-based tech spin-out Intelligent Fingerprinting says its testing system enables easy sample collection in under a minute and removes the need for proximity during testing.
The company adds that the test supervisor and the person being tested can remain socially distant and, if required, wear face coverings at all times. The user takes the fingerprint drug screening cartridge from its sealed-foil wrapper, presses all ten fingerprints in succession onto the sample pad, and then slides the tamper-evident locking cover across to protect the sample from any interference. The user then steps away to allow the tester to collect the cartridge and insert it into Intelligent Fingerprinting’s DSR-Plus mobile reader for results analysis.
As construction sites get back to business, the company says it is incumbent on firms to protect their workforce by making every effort to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission by complying with social distancing guidelines where possible.
It adds that drug testing is an essential health and safety consideration for most construction firms and no less important during the pandemic.
According to Intelligent Fingerprinting, the traditional workplace drug testing methods used by many construction firms present challenges when it comes to enabling hygienic testing to be carried out while social distancing. Oral fluid tests require the collection of an individual’s saliva, while urine drug tests involve the handling of biohazardous samples.
The company says its fingerprint drug testing method works by collecting an employee’s fingerprint sweat samples onto a small drug screening cartridge, which is non-invasive and meets the Government’s key guidelines for supporting social distancing while at work, including enabling employees to self-administer their own fingerprint sample collection, allowing them to keep at least 2m away from the tester.
“Ensuring safe and hygienic drug testing is proving a complex challenge for the construction industry, particularly as Government guidelines recommend trying to keep a 2m distance from other people, minimising the amount of time you spend in close contact, and – if possible – wearing a face covering when in an enclosed space,” said Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Dr Paul Yates. “Fingerprint testing not only helps solve all these challenges, but the process is really simple, easy to operate and hygienic to use. The test supervisor and the person being tested can remain socially distant at all times.
The company says that fingerprint drug testing, with its 14-16 hour window of detection, is particularly applicable for fitness for duty workplace deployment. It adds that the system is easy to operate and enables construction firms to run testing programmes themselves in a safe location, removing the need to have external service providers coming on-site to carry out sample collections and testing.
