Middleboro, MA, January 7, 2022 -- Safer Places Inc., a firm providing pre-employment screening, tenant screening and security consulting, today announced the launch of a transportation division. With this division, Safer Places will provide additional resources for public and private sector companies in the recruitment and hiring of drivers.

“With the current supply chain issues, finding qualified drivers is paramount for many organizations. As much as companies want to hire drivers, a bad hire has an even bigger impact on an organization,” said David Sawyer, president of Safer Places, Inc. “With this special division, we can customize a background check—including drug testing and social media screening/monitoring—that provides companies the needed data to make an informed hire.”

The new transportation division is also better able to assist companies with government contracts. The federal government now requires that opioids be included in US Department of Transportation (DOT) mandated drug tests. In recognition of this requirement and the expanded drug use during Covid-19, Safer Places, Inc. has expanded customized drug testing services. Previous tests (DOT. or other) already included heroin, but didn’t include semi-synthetic opioids such as hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone, more commonly known as Vicodin, OxyContin, Lortab, Norco, Percocet and Dilaudid—those are now included.

“Driving a truck is both physically demanding and mentally taxing. Many drivers work long hours and are away from their families for extended time,” commented Sawyer. “Better drug testing can avert disaster and also help an individual get the help they need before trauma occurs.”

Safer Places also offers a host of other background check services. Those services include social media screening and monitoring services in deference to the greater concern in the business community regarding the social media posting practices of job applicants and current employees.

According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 70 percent of all employers use social media to screen their candidates. Additionally, of those employers, more than 50 percent said they found something that made the employer not hire the candidate (other studies on this topic put this percentage closer to 69 percent).

“Most employers review job candidates’ online profiles and postings to make sure there is no hate speech, bullying or any other type of objectionable behavior. This approach can create a slew of legal issues and put your company at risk of violating EEOC protected class information as well as FCRA rules,” said David Sawyer, president of Safer Places, Inc. “That’s why more and more employers outsource social media screening to companies like Safer Places, Inc. With our enhanced social media screening and monitoring services, we screen candidates and employees and provide a report that redacts extraneous information such as religious affiliation, sexual orientation, military status, and other information that should not and cannot be considered when making a hiring decision. By shielding an employer from information they would see if they did this on their own, they are less likely to encounter a lawsuit for discriminatory practices against a protected class.”

For more information about Safer Places’ transportation division—including customized screening and drug testing--visit www.saferplacesinc.com or call 508-947-0600.

About Safer Places, Inc:
Safer Places, Inc. is a full-service firm that provides pre-employment screening, security consulting, tenant screening, and additional verification services for schools, private and public companies, property managers, property owners and anyone seeking to research an individual’s background.

Since the events of September 11, 2001, the importance of background checks has taken on increased prominence, and Safer Places, Inc. has undertaken a number of educational initiatives for the public, including a monthly videocast and SAFERupdates. SAFER provides ongoing information for those looking to learn more about background verifications, drug testing and other related topics in a series of short, live videocasts, recordings of which can be found on Safer Places, Inc.’s YouTube channel.

Elements of a background check can include Social Security trace, criminal history search, education verification, checking with sex offender registries, drug testing, driving record/license verification, employment verification/references, terrorist watch lists, and credentials verification/history. Increasingly, companies are using background checks as a condition of continued employment, particularly when an individual is being considered for a new position or promotion.

Safer Places, Inc. maintains offices at 25 Wareham Street, Suites 2-26, Middleboro, MA 02346. Its principals are board certified in security management, holding the CPP (Certified Protection Professionals) designation from ASIS International and they maintain memberships in a number of organizations including the Professional Background Screeners Association (PBSA) and ASIS International. For additional information, please visit https://www.saferplacesinc.com or call (508) 947-0600.