UK manufacturer to make collaborative working safer with new fingerprint drug test
- Corrugated cardboard manufacturer purchases in-house fingerprint drug testing system for its three sites in Leicestershire, Preston and Larkhall
- In-house system supports random, post-accident, or under suspicion testing for Board24
- Will also be used to test company car drivers to promote safety beyond immediate workspace
Board24, one of the largest UK manufacturers of corrugated packaging, sheet board and boxes, is rolling out an in-house drug testing system that works by analysing fingerprint sweat to detect drug use, in a bid to proactively improve company safety. The portable test from UK company Intelligent Fingerprinting is non-invasive, fast and cost-effective. In-house testing carried out by Board24’s employees across its three sites is set to deliver drug screening results for cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine and opiates in only ten minutes, with sample collection taking seconds.
All 425 employees to be randomly tested in first year
Alex Morris, Board24, said: “Our new company-wide drug policy using Intelligent Fingerprinting will show employees and customers that Board24 is safety-conscious and proactively working to ensure a safe workplace for all. We’ve purchased an Intelligent Fingerprinting drug screening system for each of our three sites, and have an internal goal to complete 12 months of random tests in the first year. Introduced at the start of February, our new drug policy is to randomly test across the business – ranging from employees on the manufacturing production floor to fork-lift drivers, as well as all company car drivers. We want to show that we’re committed to improving safety right across the business, not just on-site but also for our extended workplace.”
Teamwork on the manufacturing floor
“Teamwork is key during our manufacturing process where employees work with partners around big, industrial machinery,” Alex Morris continued. “In this environment you need your designated partner to be ‘on the ball’ as you rely on them to work safely with potentially dangerous corrugators, casemakers or fork-lifts. With broader drug use now more prevalent than five years ago, we don’t want any staff to be in a position where they are relying on a colleague who is under the influence of drugs. It’s our responsibility as an employer to ensure that staff are fit for duty.”
The simplest and easiest drug testing method on the market
“We found out about the fingerprint drug testing method from our HR advisor. After considering what drug testing options were available, Intelligent Fingerprinting’s innovative approach was both the simplest and easiest method on the market. With a unit at each site, and various Board24 employees trained to use the system, the Intelligent Fingerprinting drug test will, for the first time, enable us to test as part of our random drug test policy whenever we feel the need, under suspicion or post-accident quickly and easily – in our warehouse for example, we could test a driver of a fork lift truck immediately,” added Alex Morris.
Company car drivers to be drug tested
Dr Paul Yates of Intelligent Fingerprinting adds: “Adoption of fingerprint drug testing is growing in the UK workplace as organisations realise just how easy and cost-effective it is to use. Board24 also plans to use fingerprint drug testing to promote safety in the wider enterprise – particularly for those driving company cars. I’m really pleased that Board24 has also considered the benefits of using our system to test its company car drivers. Because the company owns the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening Readers, the costs are only incremental, and it’s a great way of promoting employee and public safety for company representatives on a wider basis.”
Fingerprint-based drug testing – how it works
Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug testing system features a small, tamper-evident Drug Screening Cartridge onto which ten fingerprint sweat samples are collected, in a process which takes less than a minute. The Intelligent Fingerprinting portable analysis unit then reads the Cartridge and provides a positive or negative result on-screen for all drugs in the test in ten minutes.
About Intelligent Fingerprinting
Intelligent Fingerprinting’s portable Drug Screening System works by analysing fingerprint sweat. It is non-invasive, fast and cost-effective, with sample collection taking seconds and simultaneous screening for multiple drug groups in ten minutes. A laboratory confirmation service is also available. The system has applications within many sectors and customers include employers in safety-critical industries such as construction, transport and logistics firms, drug treatment and family safeguarding organisations, as well as UK coroners.
The Intelligent Fingerprinting VSS-GP COVID-19 Saliva Test uses lateral flow technology to detect the SARS-CoV-2 antigen, including the Omicron variant. Unlike existing COVID-19 tests that require unpleasant, invasive nose and throat swabs, the VSS-GP COVID-19 Saliva Test uses a simple swab to collect a saliva sample just from the inside of the cheek.
Intelligent Fingerprinting has distributors across the globe, including the USA. Founded in 2007, it is a spin-out company from the University of East Anglia (UEA). The company is based in Cambridge, England and employs around 40 people. www.intelligentfingerprinting.com
About Board24
Board24 is the largest sheet feeder in the UK, supplying corrugated recyclable and sustainable sheet & case board to the specification desired across three locations in England and Scotland. The company has been manufacturing corrugated sheetboard for over 30 years and expanded its product offering in 2009 when Cases24 – the supplier of volume glued cases to the trade – became part of the business. www.board24.co.uk
