Friday, January 05, 2007
LANL Plans Expanded Drug Tests
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 5, 2007
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) - Los Alamos National Laboratory is working on an expanded drug testing policy that includes random drug tests of employees and pre-employment drug screening for lab workers and contractors.
A Los Alamos spokesman, Steve Sandoval, said Friday that all lab policies, including the current substance abuse guidelines, have been under review since last year.
The review began before Los Alamos National Security LLC took over the lab's management in June from the University of California, which ran the lab for the DOE for decades, Sandoval said.
Drug tests also will be conducted in response to reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use and after serious incidents or accidents. Sandoval said those provisions exist now.
Lab director Michael Anastasio notified employees about the proposed new policy in a December meeting "to let people know this was coming and take it seriously," Sandoval said.
Employees also were notified in a memo from Doris Heim, the lab's associate director for business services.
Employees have until Feb. 5 to comment on the proposal.
Comments then will be reviewed and addressed if necessary, and the new policy will go into effect after that, Sandoval said.
He could not say how long that would take.
January 5, 2007
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) - Los Alamos National Laboratory is working on an expanded drug testing policy that includes random drug tests of employees and pre-employment drug screening for lab workers and contractors.
A Los Alamos spokesman, Steve Sandoval, said Friday that all lab policies, including the current substance abuse guidelines, have been under review since last year.
The review began before Los Alamos National Security LLC took over the lab's management in June from the University of California, which ran the lab for the DOE for decades, Sandoval said.
Drug tests also will be conducted in response to reasonable suspicion of illegal drug use and after serious incidents or accidents. Sandoval said those provisions exist now.
Lab director Michael Anastasio notified employees about the proposed new policy in a December meeting "to let people know this was coming and take it seriously," Sandoval said.
Employees also were notified in a memo from Doris Heim, the lab's associate director for business services.
Employees have until Feb. 5 to comment on the proposal.
Comments then will be reviewed and addressed if necessary, and the new policy will go into effect after that, Sandoval said.
He could not say how long that would take.
