Can hair testing falsely incriminate an employee?
A. Omega uses a “common sense” principle that gives test participants a fair shake. Omega utilizes a higher cut-off level than some labs for a positive reading, to determine a true positive and preclude any question of doubt. In order to screen positive, micro amounts of drugs must be present as opposed to ultra trace amounts. Q. How fast does head hair grow? A. Studies indicate that hair collected at the crown of the head grows on the average approximately 1.3 cm (or 1/2 inch) per month. This growth rate varies. Q. How much hair is needed? A. A standard screen with GC/MS confirmation requires 20 milligrams of hair or approximately 60 strands. Q. How does Hair Testing compare to urinalysis? A. There is a wider window of detection with hair analysis. Cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates and PCP are rapidly excreted and usually undetectable in urine 72 hours after use. The detection period for hair is limited only by the length of the hair sample and is approximately 90 days for a standard
