American Society Of Safety Engineers Recommend Pre-Employment Testing
DES PLAINES, IL (April 20, 2005) — In its continuing efforts to increase workplace safety, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) today released a white paper on its web site titled " Pre-Employment Testing and Investigation for Security-Sensitive and Other Positions" containing recommendations on pre-employment testing and job applicant investigations.
"This white paper assists ASSE members and other professionals in making the right hiring decisions as the need for background checks rapidly increases," ASSE Council on Practices and Standards (CoPS) Vice President Jim Smith, of Boca Raton , FL , said today. The CoPS' Risk Management/Insurance (RM/I) Practice Specialty developed the white paper that can be found at http://www.asse.org/drisk_WhitePaper.htm.
Many jobs, by law, require the proper testing and investigation of applicants, however, for positions in which extensive testing is not mandatory, there are risk management ramifications when appropriate testing or investigations are not conducted. Organizations that do not adequately screen their applicants can incur losses because of possible poor employee performance, fraud, injuries, judgments and damages, and other costs.
For instance, the federal government designates positions in different levels of "sensitive" positions, each of which has different requirements for background checking. A Personnel Security Investigation (PSI) may be required. A PSI consists of several inquiries and are outlined in the white paper including a national agency check (NAC); a local agency check (LAC); a financial check; field interviews of references to include coworkers, employers, personal friends, educators, neighbors and other appropriate individuals; checks of records held by employers, courts and rental offices; and a subject interview.
Some of the best practices outlined in the white paper that employers can use to limit their risk when hiring include job applications, reference checks, DNA and fingerprint checks, credit checks, substance abuse screening, psychological screening, medical screening and criminal background checks.
"Knowing what is required or allowed by law is the first step to minimizing liability. Making a determination regarding best practices, and implementing those best practices where allowed by law, is another key step," ASSE RM/I Practice Specialty Administrator Steve NyBlom, of Los Angeles , said.
Additionally, employers should be familiar with laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 USC §12101), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ( www.eeoc.gov ), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 USC §1681 et seq.), and, the Federal Trade Commission ( www.ftc.gov ) that protect the rights of applicants.
Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. ASSE has 30,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members who manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor and education. CoPS provides technical insight and expertise to the ASSE membership and addresses the practice of the safety profession, its specific disciplines and the standards of practice that impact its members and the general public. The CoPS white paper can be found at http://www.asse.org/drisk_WhitePaper.htm .
Source: ASSE