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-- RETURN TO PRESSROOM -- NEWS RELEASEA Hair Closer to Workplace SafetyWorkplace Solutions Group to provide US industry with cutting edge drug testing, security services and employment controlsAkron, Ohio, June 5, 2000-Omega Laboratories, Inc., the first hair-testing lab in the eastern US, began operations today and joins SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc. to form Workplace Solutions Group, providing advanced controls against workplace drugs and crime. The first combined hair lab/security service in the nation, Workplace Solutions Group is a singular resource for pre-employment, safety and security. Omega performs high-tech hair and urine drug tests while SACS provides consultation and training in security management, background checks, industrial espionage and drug policies. The 20,000-square-foot facility can conduct 5,000 hair tests per week, averaging 24-hour turnaround, ideal for pre-employment checks. The group will add specialized companies as consultants. "Workplace Solutions represents new pre-employment assurance and answers increasing demands from corporate America. Advanced hair testing, combined with customized training and security, can help employers achieve a drug-free workplace," said Omega president John C. Vitullo, Ph.D. SACS president Timothy A. Dimoff claims 15 percent of American employees abuse substances while working, and 65 percent of workplace accidents are linked to substance abuse. "Substance abuse causes impaired judgment, lowered productivity, industrial accidents and criminal activity which can mean costly lawsuits. Employers lack manpower and expertise in combating problems," Dimoff says, and need strong hiring and employee performance controls in place. Hair surpasses urine in pre-employment screening preference. For every 1.5-inch of hair, employers can know a three-month drug history, compared with three days for urinalysis. Urine tests are easy to beat by donor abstention, dilution, substitution, or additives, unlike hair, which tests drugs within the shaft. Omega's cut-off levels are set higher than the norm to ensure true positives. "Hair represents the future of drug testing," says Omega lab director Thomas D. Donahue, Ph.D. Citing hair analysis as reliable testimony in court, "The employer or court can be assured of a valid, 'common sense' interpretation of drug use, patterns, and history," Donahue says. A February 15th USA Today article confirms Donahue's assessment. Boston's police department found 23 drug users on its force that urine testing missed. Recent Gallup polls reveal 97 percent of employees agreed with workplace drug testing, and studies show 98 percent of America's largest corporations utilize drug tests.
Collateral: www.omegalabs.net and www.sacsconsulting.com
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