Employers typically perform alcohol and drug tests within their workplaces. Nowadays, it is normal for workplaces to have tests regularly or scheduled. Alcohol and drug usage can drastically affect consumers’ safety and everyone around them. When in moderation, alcohol can help people relax and relieve their stress. In some cases, a euphoric sensation is even possible with alcohol consumption. However, when people get carried away, there is a possibility of consuming too much. Furthermore, alcohol and drugs can drastically affect a person’s ability to normally function and dull their senses. These substances can cause coordination, balance, reaction time, and memory impairments, all of which are necessary for when we’re working. Moreover, having these impairments can drastically affect our safety in work, especially if our work requires heavy machinery. Employers can use an alcohol swab drug test to prevent these impairments.
There are plenty of ways to test for alcohol and drugs in the system. Employers and law enforcers rely heavily on accurate tests to help them maintain safer workplaces and roads, respectively. The impairments that substances can bring about can drastically affect workplace and roadside safety. Moreover, it is because these impairments can increase the likelihood of accidents. Besides an alcohol swab drug test, an employer can perform other accurate tests to help with workplace safety:
- Alcohol Breath Test (via BACtrack workplace breathalysers)
- Urine test (for both alcohol and drugs)
- Blood test (for both alcohol and drugs)
- Sweat test
Alcohol Swab Drug Test: Who does them?
An alcohol swab drug test and other testing procedures are regularly done in safety-critical industries. Transportation, construction, healthcare, and mining industries would have tests regularly. Tests are required because substance-induced impairments can drastically affect the safety of everyone in the workplace. Furthermore, the law requires employers to maximise their risk reduction procedures to help with employee and customer protection. Moreover, doing these tests can also benefit the company by cutting costs. Effective tests can help cut the costs of accident compensation and asset damage. An accident-free workplace can also mean that employees’ productivity will most likely improve. Additionally, having no delays due to accidents can improve overall revenue. Another form of testing companies would rely on is a breath test. Nowadays, companies rely on devices like the BACtrack workplace breathalyser from Breathalysers Australia to provide workplace testing.
There is a possibility that police officers and other law enforcers might also perform an alcohol swab drug test. To help maintain road safety, law enforcers would typically pull over drivers driving dangerously or recklessly. Police officers would then provide these drivers with a series of tests to check for substance or alcohol usage. Additionally, if tests are positive, police officers may detain the driver and charge them with a DUI. Furthermore, police officers may take a driver into the police station to run more tests. Swab tests only test for usage but cannot accurately identify the drug used. Most portable swab tests cannot determine precisely how much a driver had to drink.
Alcohol Swab Drug Test: Accuracy
A mobile alcohol swab drug test is about 97.5% accurate compared to a laboratory swab test. However, swab tests cannot determine the drug used, or the amount drank. Companies or law enforcers can only rely on these tests to check for possible usage. They may need further tests once testing positive. A typical swab testing procedure is that the employee would most likely need to provide a urine or blood sample when the swab turns out positive. Furthermore, urine sampling can detect the specific drug used and alcohol consumed. Companies also commonly perform beath tests with devices like the BACtrack workplace breathalysers. These devices can accurately test for alcohol present in your system. Breathalysers are alcohol testing devices that can estimate your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).
An alcohol swab drug test in roadside or workplace screenings can check for the presence of:
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Cannabis/Marijuana)
- Cocaine
- Methamphetamine
- Opioids
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
Alcohol Swab Drug Test: Testing Services
There are plenty of certified testing services available that can help provide companies with tests. Furthermore, these services also offer on-site testing to add more convenient testing methods. On-site testing is when the testing services perform the testing in the workplace. This option allows companies to maintain their productivity. Moreover, employees no longer need to take a day off to get tested. However, most alcohol and drug testing companies do not use an alcohol swab drug test nowadays. Testing services mainly offer breath tests, urine tests and sometimes blood tests. Additionally, to cut costs, companies can provide their swab tests. These tests can help companies know if they need to hire testing services.
Company Testing Policies
The law requires companies to follow strict rules and regulations when providing tests. Firstly, the company should make sure that they provide complete information about workplace drug and alcohol policies to their employees upon hiring. Furthermore, it is vital that both the employee and employer sign a formal agreement. The employee must also give consent to be tested. Company testing policies and procedures should always remain transparent. Moreover, the employer should also provide adequate information about their tests. The employee should know whether they will be taking an alcohol swab drug test or just a breath test. It is also essential for employers to ensure that they are using a certified testing service. The use of a BACtrack workplace breathalyser is also possible once the employee has agreed to the terms.
There are plenty of reasons for companies to provide an alcohol swab drug test and other tests:
- Blanket testing: testing all employees
- ‘For cause’ or targeted testing: testing an employee when you have reasonable doubt and evidence.
- Pre-employment testing: to check for alcohol or drug usage before hiring an employee
- Post-accident/incident testing: tests to check if alcohol or other substances were involved in the workplace accident.
- Post-positive result testing: testing an employee who has tested positive when returning for work.
Why Use BACtrack Workplace Breathalysers
Breath tests are quick and highly reliable. Companies and even law enforcers rely heavily on breath tests to maintain safety. Portable breathalysers are what police officers mainly use to check for alcohol content in an individual. Companies can take advantage of the convenience of a BACtrack workplace breathalyser. BACtrack devices only take 10 to 15 seconds to process your BAC. This feature can allow for more frequent alcohol testing in the workplace. Furthermore, more frequent alcohol tests in the workplace can help deter employees from bad habits before or after work. The one-button operations of the BACtrack breathalyser make it easy for anyone to perform a breath test instantly. Without a doubt, an alcohol swab drug test, breath test or urine test can play a vital role in company productivity and safety. You can purchase BACtrack workplace and personal breathalysers online through the Breathalysers Australia website.
