ONE IN 10 WORKERS FAILED DRUGS TEST

More than one in 10 workers subjected to random drug testing this year
by a major construction firm was sacked after their tests proved positive.

Laing O'Rourke, the company which built the roof of the Scottish
Parliament debating chamber where a 12ft beam broke loose earlier this
year, dismissed 193 staff for testing positive for cannabis or cocaine.

The firm, which also built the control tower at Edinburgh Airport and
currently has the UKP30m contract to build a new office block to replace
Franborough House in Glasgow city centre, is just one of a growing
number of companies requiring staff to undergo random drug and alcohol
tests.

ScottishPower also tests its workers and uses the same company as
Laing O'Rourke - Medscreen - to arrange the collection and analysis of
urine samples.

Laing O'Rourke randomly tested 1500 staff this year: 124 were
subsequently sacked for using cannabis, 41 for cocaine and 28 for using both.

While some firms, such as Network Rail, are required by law to test
employees, others choose to do so because of health and safety concerns.