On Site Medical is now offering Gaize.ai technology to our on-site clinic customers and those using our on-demand dispatch services for drug and alcohol testing. Read on to see what all the hype is about.
For years, employers—especially those in safety-sensitive industries like construction, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics—have struggled with employee impairment testing. Determining whether an employee has recently used drugs is easy enough with traditional urine, blood or breath testing. But as marijuana becomes legal and more Americans rely on prescription drugs that can cause impairment, it becomes nearly impossible to determine if an employee is taking these substances responsibly during their off-time … or under the influence while on the job.
But new impairment detection devices are changing everything. Gaize.ai is one of them.
What are Gaize.ai Impairment Detection Devices?
Gaize.ai is a revolutionary impairment detection technology (IDT) that uses automated eye-tracking tests to identify real-time impairment. Regardless of the drug—cannabis, alcohol, opioids, stimulants or unknown synthetics or “designer drugs”—Gaize performs sophisticated ocular examinations that determine if someone is currently under the influence at the moment of testing.
The technology works by capturing high-precision data on eye movement patterns, pupil size and reaction, head movement and stability, and other neurological indicators. What makes this approach so powerful is that impairment from various substances creates distinctive, measurable changes in how our eyes function and respond to stimuli. These changes occur in real-time and disappear as impairment wears off; so essentially, employers can feel more confident in the results revealing whether or not employees are fit for duty at that moment, as opposed to tests that only reveal historical substance use.
How Gaize Works: The Science Behind Real-Time Impairment Detection
The Gaize system operates through a streamlined three-step process that delivers results in just six minutes. First, the technology automatically captures high-precision ocular data and video evidence through a simple, non-invasive test. The system monitors eye movements, pupil responses, and other neurological factors without requiring any bodily fluids or invasive procedures, making it far more hygienic and employee-friendly than traditional testing methods.
Next, advanced machine learning algorithms and statistical models automatically analyze the data in real-time. The system compares results against established baselines for impairment indicators, delivering ultra-accurate results with no expertise required from the operator. This automation ensures consistent, objective results regardless of who administers the test or where it’s conducted.
Finally, results are instantly stored and reported through an easy-to-understand interface accessible from any device. Every test includes downloadable impairment reports and human-interpretable video evidence for documentation and legal purposes. This comprehensive reporting system provides the objective evidence employers need to make informed decisions about employee fitness for duty, while also protecting worker rights and workplace safety.
Is Gaize Legal? Understanding Workplace Impairment Testing Laws
According to its website, Gaize is completely legal in all 50 states. The technology is based on well-established Law Enforcement Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) ocular tests that have been used by police officers for over 45 years and have withstood thousands of court cases.
That’s a confidence boost for employers who may be concerned about impairment testing programs standing up in court in the case of legal action by the employee. And because the testing does not require bodily fluids or biometric information, it eliminates privacy concerns that have traditionally surrounded workplace drug testing.
Beyond the data/results themselves, the video documentation captured via the Gaize systems can provide evidence to support employer decisions, defending against wrongful termination claims, and demonstrating that employers have taken reasonable steps to maintain workplace safety. Finally, the objective nature of the testing also helps protect against claims of bias or discrimination in impairment determinations.
Impairment Testing for Cannabis
As more states legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use, employers face increasingly complex legal challenges around workplace drug testing. Several laws now limit employment decisions based on traditional cannabis testing. California Assembly Bill 2188, for example, dictates that employers cannot discriminate against employees based on off-duty cannabis use, or based on tests showing only non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites.
What’s more, companies have learned the hard way that policies that penalize employees for legal activities conducted on their own time aren’t sustainable. In industries already plagued by skills gaps and labor crises, these policies put a major damper on hiring and retention, particularly in states where cannabis is legal. But up until now, the only choice has been to keep these rigid policies in place, or abandon cannabis testing altogether, potentially compromising workplace safety in some of the most dangerous environments.
Gaize technology aligns perfectly with these evolving legal and HR dilemmas because it gauges actual impairment in real-time, not previous use. It’s also a relief to employees who want to use cannabis products responsibly on their off time without fear of losing their jobs or facing legal repercussions.
How Accurate is Ocular Impairment Detection?
According to its website, Gaize is over 98% accurate in detecting impairment indicators, making it even more accurate than most traditional drug tests. It’s not just a corporate claim—the accuracy has been validated through rigorous clinical trials and testing across multiple substance categories, including cannabis impairment, alcohol intoxication, opioid impairment, stimulant effects, depressant drugs, and some psychedelics and dissociative substances.
It’s not an innovation born out of thin air: Gaize was built on a proven foundation of DRE testing methods, then enhanced by sophisticated machine learning algorithms that can detect subtle patterns human observers might miss. It’s something that trained drug recognition experts attempt to live up to in laboratory settings, but that can require years of training and experience and strong concentration (without the fatigue or bias that comes with human behavior). Gaize on the other hand is automatic, objective and proven.
For employers, that translates to more reliable information for making critical safety decisions, reduced legal liability, and greater confidence in their impairment detection programs.
Real-Time Workplace Impairment Testing: Game-Changing Benefits
The speed of Gaize testing represents one of its most significant advantages over traditional drug testing methods. While conventional drug testing can take hours or days to return results, Gaize delivers answers in just 6 minutes—that’s 99% faster than lab-based chemical testing. This dramatic improvement in testing speed allows employers to make immediate fit-for-duty decisions that can save disruption—and lives.
How Much Does Gaize Impairment Testing Cost?
Amazing news for On Site Medical customers: Gaize impairment testing is included free for those who have on-site clinics. Those using our dispatched testing services will pay the same fee as our traditional drug tests—$50 per test, with a $70 dispatch fee for services scheduled for less than five employees.
In general, Gaize is about 90% cheaper than lab-based testing—based on all the expenses associated with traditional drug testing (testing and lab fees, paying employees while waiting for results, administrative overhead and more). That’s not even considering the cost of losing good employees who are not impaired, but whose positive drug tests reveal legal, recreational/medical drug use while off-duty.
Can Gaize Test for Alcohol and Multi-Substance Impairment?
While originally designed for cannabis detection, Gaize has expanded its capabilities to identify impairment from a wider range of substances, including alcohol. In fact, Gaize’s alcohol detection capabilities can be even more sensitive than traditional breathalyzer tests. This is especially pertinent for employees on high-risk job sites—for whom even low levels of impairment (below the legal limit) could be dangerous.
The system also excels at detecting impairment from prescription medications, which presents a unique challenge for employers. Many employees take legally prescribed medications that might affect job performance, but traditional drug testing cannot distinguish between therapeutic use and abuse, or between medications that cause impairment and those that don’t. Gaize technology can identify functional impairment from prescription drugs, allowing employers to provide appropriate accommodations rather than disciplinary action while still maintaining workplace safety standards.
Additionally, Gaize can detect poly-drug impairment, which occurs when multiple substances are involved and is increasingly common in workplace incidents. This comprehensive detection capability ensures that employers can identify all forms of substance-related impairment that might affect workplace safety, regardless of the specific substances involved or how they interact with each other.
Traditional Drug Testing vs. Gaize: Choosing the Right Solution
On Site Medical offers both traditional on-demand drug testing and Gaize impairment detection technology because different situations call for different testing approaches. Understanding when to use each method helps employers build comprehensive testing programs that address all their workplace safety and legal compliance needs.
For example, employers facing Department of Transportation regulations may be required to use specific types of tests (usually urinalyses), labs and documentation. It’s also preferred for post-accident investigations requiring forensic evidence of substance use, pre-employment screening programs designed to identify patterns of substance abuse, and legal compliance in specific industries where regulatory bodies require traditional testing methods.
However, Gaize technology excels in situations where current impairment status is more important than historical substance use. This includes reasonable suspicion testing when supervisors need immediate answers about an employee’s current fitness for duty, random testing programs where instant results prevent disruption to operations and return-to-duty assessments after employees complete treatment programs.
Impairment Detection Technology (IDT): The Future of Workplace Safety
Industry experts increasingly recognize that impairment detection technology (IDT) represents the future of workplace safety. In fact, one study found that 82% of employers using IDT reported “improved workplace safety after technology adoption”.
And it’s not just the safety. When employers can more accurately detect current impairment—without penalizing employees who have used legal substances, within their rights, off the job—workplace trust and culture improves.
Finally, objective evidence that supports employment decisions helps protect employers from legal challenges while ensuring fair treatment of employees. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Industrial Medicine and Impairment Detection: Perfect Partnership
As an industrial medicine provider with nearly two decades of experience, On Site Medical understands that workplace safety requires comprehensive, practical solutions that address real-world challenges—and that these challenges are constantly evolving. Gaize technology is a perfect example of how our offerings shift to better support the current industrial medicine and occupational health landscape. Furthermore, Gaize’s benefits are heavily aligned with our philosophy: deliver solutions that support both employee safety, health and happiness AND the employer’s bottom line, thus minimizing the impact of workplace injuries and safety risks.
In fact, Gaize technology helps minimize the impact of injuries because it prevents them from occurring in the first place—a key element of our approach to on-site care.
The medical professionals who staff our on-site clinics can also use Gaize—conducting and interpreting tests—as part of their regular duties, ensuring seamless integration with your existing safety protocols. We provide comprehensive reporting and documentation support that integrates with your current record-keeping systems, making it easy to track testing results and maintain compliance. Best of all? It’s included for free in your clinic contract.
Alternatively, employers can request immediate or future drug-testing services, including with Gaize, through our online service scheduling tool. Our professional dispatch team ensures that all testing is conducted properly and results are interpreted correctly.
Finally, we can support policy development, helping you create impairment detection policies that comply with applicable laws and regulations while supporting your specific safety objectives.
Contact On Site Medical Today
Don’t let outdated testing methods compromise your workplace safety or employee relations. Contact us today to learn more about our Gaize drug testing offerings, plus our other industrial medicine services. Contact us today.