News Release

CONTACTS
Mike Toney, Mobile Medical Corporation

412.835.8358 mtoney@mobmed.com

Michele Rothert, Esteta Communications

412.322.0281 mr@estetacommunications.com

MMC Chosen to Administer Substance Abuse Program,

Promote Safety at Ohio Construction Sites

· Union Construction Industry Partnership (UCIP) awards contract to MMC to administer the
Construction Industry Substance Abuse Program (CISAP).

· Action supports executive order from Ohio Governor that all contractors on state construction
projects must implement a drug-free workplace program.

PITTSBURGH, PA, and CLEVELAND, OH (January 28, 2003) – Mobile Medical Corporation (MMC) has been awarded a contract by the Union Construction Industry Partnership (UCIP), a joint labor-management cooperative based in Cleveland, to administer its substance abuse program.

Known as the Construction Industry Substance Abuse Program (CISAP), the initiative is designed to improve workplace safety, support drug-free construction sites and comply with new, stringent government regulations.

A leading provider of industrial medical services nationwide, MMC will work closely with UCIP members to administer day-to-day CISAP operations and promote a drug-free environment at construction sites throughout Ohio. UCIP members include more than 10,000 contractors, supervisors, and tradespersons consisting of bricklayers, cement masons, glazers, ironworkers, plasterers, sheet metal workers, taperers, tile layers, and other s.

MMC will support both a governmental mandate and UCIP goals. In September 2002, Ohio Governor Bob Taft enacted an executive order requiring all contractors on state construction projects to implement a drug-free workplace program. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation also presented a $200,000 grant to UCIP to promote construction education and training and prevent accidents and injuries attributable to substance abuse.
“Powerful legislation and an intensified focus on safety and drug-free performance will help us reach thousands of workers, supervisors and contractors,” said Cynthia J. Latsko, president, MMC, who is considered an authority on collective bargaining and developing labor-management programs.

“Since January 2001, we have worked with UCIP to promote workplace safety by providing on-site substance-abuse testing services for workers. The recent workplace safety grant and executive order will help us roll up our sleeves and do more. They show high-level support for combating substance abuse—the kind of muscle that makes a real difference in industry.”
Demand for labor-management programs has increased in recent years, consistent with an industrywide focus on safety and new state regulatory mandates. Since 1991, MMC has developed labor-management cooperative programs in regions of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and is now expanding to Maryland. MMC services involve pre-employment, renewal and random drug testing, post-incident and accident testing, and rehabilitation when results are positive.

“We want to create a pool of workers who pre-qualify as drug-free and who are ready and able to perform effectively on the job,” Latsko said. “Workers who pass a pre-employment drug test receive a Drug Free Card, which is recognized by employers in many areas as a valid proof of testing and a requirement for service.”

“In Cleveland and all across Ohio, we are committed to developing and maintaining a drug-free environment and believe substance abuse testing is essential to our cause,” said John Porada, executive vice president, Construction Employers Association. “MMC was selected because of their past involvement and knowledge of UCIP procedures. Also, their computer technology to maintain database records was updated to meet UCIP requirements, and numerous drug testing locations were already established.”

“Substance abuse is an unseen cause of work-related accidents,” Porada continued. “A recent federal study found that 28 percent of respondents in the construction industry identified themselves as substance abusers.”

Research shows that workplace injuries stemming from substance abuse cost American businesses more than $100 billion per year.
Based in Cleveland, OH, the Union Construction Industry Partnership (UCIP) is a joint venture of the Construction Employers Association, the Mechanical Contractors Association of Cleveland, the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America, the Sheetmetal and Air Conditioning National Association and 12 trade unions associated with the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council in northern and northeastern Ohio. UCIP goals include promoting the union construction industry, creating safe workplace practices, increasing EEO and apprenticeship opportunities and providing a forum for dialogue between labor and management.

Based in Bethel Park near Pittsburgh, PA, with offices in Cleveland, OH, Mobile Medical Corporation is a leading company in the occupational health field nationwide. Founded in 1991, MMC provides on-site industrial medical services including physical exams, nursing services, substance-abuse testing and labor management cooperative programs. MMC is the first company to provide multi-site, integrated testing with 24-hour results via the Internet and remains committed to setting new standards for expertise and service.
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THE HIGH COST OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

---- IMPACT IN THE WORKPLACE ----

Fact Sheet -- November 2002

· Substance abuse costs American businesses more than $100 billion per year.

· Substance abuse represents 50% of all absenteeism, 36% of employee theft, 34% of manufacturing defects, 50% of loss of productivity.

· Employer drug testing has increased 250 percent since 1997.

· Some 73% of all drug users are employed. Some 90 percent of alcoholics work.

· Drug abusers are 2.5 times more likely to use 8 or more sick days per year, 3.6 times more likely to be involved in accidents, 5 times more likely to file a workers compensation claim, 3 times more likely to be late for work, 2.2 times more likely to require early dismissal, and 3 times more likely to abuse the normal level of sick benefits.

· Some 13 million Americans admit to being drug users.

· Substance abusers utilize medical benefits 300 percent more often.

· Abusers ranked by substance include: alcohol--32 million, marijuana--10 million,

cocaine—1.7 million and heroine—1 million.

· Some 90 percent of employers feel drug testing is effective. US Navy spends $20 million on drug testing annually and saves more than $168 million. US Department of Transportation mandates 7 million tests yearly for transportation employees.

Info Sources: American Association of Clinical Chemistry, American Management Association, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gallop, Harris, Marsh & McLennen, National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, Occupational Safety and Health Services, Partnership for a Drug Free America, US Department of Human Services, US Department of Labor, US Department of the Navy, US Department of Transportation, US Drug Enforcement Administration—as reported at http://www.freestatepreemp.com