- “For Health & Safety we know we need to drug test in the construction industry, and if there is a more dignified alternative to urine testing, then we are obviously delighted to use it!” – Martin Cragg, Health & Safety Director
- Concrete specialist MPB structures latest to adopt test that simply uses fingerprint sweat to determine in minutes if a worker has recently ingested opiates, methamphetamine, cocaine or cannabis
Concrete frame specialist MPB Structures is the latest construction leader to adopt fingerprint drug testing for random on-site drug testing to promote site safety. The company is now using the innovative Intelligent Fingerprinting system that only requires fingerprint sweat samples, which can be collected while social distancing. The test can be carried out in-house by the company’s four safety managers, with results for opiates, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis all available within minutes. MPB is the latest in a series of leading construction companies to switch to fingerprint drug testing, including housebuilder Keepmoat Homes, SDC Builders and Chasetown Civil.
With a turnover of £120M, MPB is one of the country’s top 10 concrete frame contractors and works on major rail, road and air infrastructure projects across the country from its Midlands-based headquarters. The company has a policy to randomly test 10% of its 1000 workers from sites across the UK to ensure that its workforce is fit to work. The Intelligent Fingerprinting solution delivers results on-site within minutes, and replaces MPB’s previous urine drug test method that was provided by an external testing company.
Martin Cragg, Health & Safety Director at MPB Structures said: “At MPB we work in a high-risk industry and are committed to a programmeme of active drug testing to reinforce our drug usage policy. Our goal is to ensure that workers aren’t under the influence of drugs that can affect their awareness and cause injury to themselves, colleagues or the public. We previously used urine cups to test that, at the time, were the best available option for us. However, no one likes having to pee in a cup or test someone else’s urine!
“The new fingerprint method is far more hygienic and convenient for everyone involved and has been well-received by both our workers and in-house testers. Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug testing solution is simpler all around and makes a necessary task significantly easier – especially as we don’t have to tape off and segregate toilet cubicles etc or remove workers from a site to provide a sample. Also, due to the nature of our business and need for on-site testing, we are reassured that the Intelligent Fingerprinting system is robust and eliminates the embarrassment we all previously endured with the urine cup method.”
Philip Hand, Executive Chairman at Intelligent Fingerprinting added: “It’s great to see momentum building in the construction sector, particularly as major site operators recognise the stand-out benefits of fingerprint drug testing. Convenient and non-invasive sample collection using our patented Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening Cartridge means that drug testing can be conducted almost anywhere, and the process is far more hygienic than traditional urine- or saliva-based methods. It is fantastic to see the UK construction sector being so innovative and committed to Health and Safety while also, as proven in many of our customer examples, standing to make significant efficiency gains through using Intelligent Fingerprinting over more traditional drug testing methods.”
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 company has distributors across the globe, including the USA.
Founded in 2007, Intelligent Fingerprinting is a spin-out company from the University of East Anglia (UEA). The company is based in Cambridge, England and employs around 40 people.
About MPB Structures
MPB Structures is one of the UK’s leading premier concrete frame specialists. A market leader that has built its reputation on an innovative proactive approach to construction. With 1000 workers, the company has sites across the UK with offices in Manchester, Corby, Birmingham and London. Customers include Sir Robert McAlpine, Vinci, George Downing Construction, ENGIE, Galliford Try, Berkeley Group, MACE and Winvic.
