A new workplace drug testing law went into effect this week that lowers the allowed workplace blood alcohol standard from zero-point-zero-four percent to zero-point-zero two percent. The move brings Iowa in line with federal law, which Sukup Manufacturing’s Rachel Geilenfeld says clears up the issues for employers. “There was some lack of clarity on whether the employer could take appropriate disciplinary action against those employees,” Geilenfeld says. The lack of clarity left the Sheffield-based company with just one option if they met the state standard but not the federal limit. “So essentially if they fell in that gap our only recourse was to send them home with pay,” according to Geilenfeld.

Geilenfeld presented data on how a worker is impacted under the two standards as she lobbied the Iowa Legislature to make the change. “And there is data that supports that at the zero-point-zero-two (0.02) blood alcohol content level somebody’s impairment is at a much lower level than zero-point-zero-four percent (0.04) including certain tasks they can perform,” Geilenfeld says.

The new law passed by wide margins in the Iowa House and Senate. Geilenfeld says an earlier attempt to approve the change failed under a divided legislature back in 2015.

(Radio Iowa)