Safety and productivity are essential aspects of managing a workplace. Companies achieve their targets through effective systems and a stable workforce. However, many factors can challenge this. The common issue that most employers face is alcohol or substance use. Thus, hiring the right people for the job is critical in attaining company goals. Nowadays, employers look beyond a job applicant’s skills and credentials in making hiring decisions. An important consideration in the pre-employment process is looking at the person’s alcohol behaviour. Thus, companies require an alcohol test for job applications to determine the applicant’s suitability for the job. An alcohol tests are even more crucial for high-risk roles such as mining, transportation, construction, and manufacturing. 

Most workplace accidents happen because of alcohol use. Likewise, companies spend millions of dollars in healthcare, insurance, or compensation expenses due to alcohol-related incidents. Therefore, implementing safety measures for controlling the harmful effects of alcohol at work can be critical for reducing company costs. Companies can manage preventable risks associated with alcohol or substance impairments through a workplace policy. The workplace policies include an alcohol test for job applications as the beginning of safety practices that new employees can expect. Moreover, nowadays, employers use workplace breathalysers to test for alcohol usage at work. The workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia are excellent devices that can help maintain a hazard or alcohol-free environment. 

What is an Alcohol Test for Job?

An alcohol test for job applications examines a person’s biological samples to determine their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). It is an essential requirement in pre-employment to determine if a person’s has alcohol use problems. An employee with an alcohol use disorder can poses safety hazards in the workplace. It is because alcohol use can impair the employee’s ability to make sound decisions and perform tasks safely. In particular, a high BAC level affects vision, hearing, speech, reasoning, and coordination. These impairments can drastically affect an employee’s ability to perform tasks like operating machinery or vehicles. Therefore, an alcohol test can help employers check if their employees are fit to work. 

The need for an alcohol test for job applications will depend on many factors. The top reasons for requiring an alcohol test are:

• If the job is safety-critical
• Mandated by State of federal laws
• Prevent reckless actions leading to accidents
• Protect employees’ well-being

Procedures for Getting an Alcohol Test for Job Applications

Employers must establish a comprehensive alcohol program before implementing an alcohol test for job applications. The workplace policy covers the objectives, safety procedures, and regulations regarding alcohol use. Moreover, identifying what unacceptable practices are can help how employees conduct themselves within the workplace. For example, having a zero-alcohol tolerance policy makes employees stay clear of alcohol before or during work hours. Employees can also moderate their consumption after work hours to report for work completely sober the next day. Many people use personal breathalysers like from Breathalysers Australia to keep their BAC level from reaching the legal limits (0.05%). Likewise, employers would use the workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia to check if their employees are fit to work. 

Alcohol Testing Procedures

The employer would typically ask applicants to perform an alcohol test for job applications to determine their eligibility. The standard test that workplaces use is a breath test through breathalysers. Workplace breathalysers are portable devices that utilise fuel cell sensor technology to determine the BAC level accurately. The workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia have enlarged fuel cell sensors to trace alcohol extensively from the lowest to high BAC ranges. It means that it can detect alcohol at a minimum BAC level. As an applicant, you must have a 0.00% BAC to pass the test and secure the job. You can expect this to happen during a pre-employment test:

• Employers would facilitate alcohol tests through breath tests or other methods.
• Waiting for the results. The workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia can return the BAC results in 10 to 15 seconds.
• You pass or fail the test depending on the BAC results.

Alcohol Test for Job: Testing Options

The employer can facilitate an alcohol test for job applications through several methods. First, workplaces can hire testing centres or laboratories to administer workplace testing. Various mediums can detect alcohol in the system, such as breath, urine, saliva, hair, and blood. A breath test is the least invasive method to detect alcohol within 12 to 24 hours, depending on the intake. Meanwhile, urine or saliva can trace alcohol for 24 hours from the last consumption. However, urine and saliva tests are more common for drug screening. Lastly, a blood sample test can detect alcohol for up to 6 hours, and it is the most invasive of all procedures. Although the most accurate, a blood test is only suitable for confirming preliminary drug and alcohol screening tests with positive results because it is very costly. 

Other Grounds for Testing

An alcohol test for job application is a part of a company’s overall procedure to ensure workplace safety. Company policies also include regular workplace testing to maintain a hazard-free environment. Other instances where an employer administers alcohol tests are:

• Random – An unannounced test intended to identify employees with current impairment or who may be abusing alcohol
• Post-incident – After an accident, determine if alcohol contributed to an accident or near-miss.
• Reasonable suspicion – Employers request a specific employee to take an alcohol test to confirm if alcohol is present. This is common for employees showing signs of intoxication. 
• Post-treatment – A returning employee from an accident or rehabilitation must pass an alcohol test to show fitness for work. 

Devices Available for Workplace and Other Use

Alcohol testing is an effective risk management strategy. It helps deter alcohol use, reduce accidents, improve productivity, and promote healthier practices. Moreover, an alcohol test for job applications helps employers make hiring decisions that will benefit the organisation. The BACtrack breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia are cost-efficient devices to help workplaces manage safety risks. It enables you to facilitate frequent alcohol screening without needing testing centres or laboratories. Alcohol breath tests let you check the BAC level conveniently. Additionally, operating a breathalyser is easy. The workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia have a one-button operation for quick and easy use. After pressing the power button, you may start testing right away. 

The BACtrack workplace breathalysers can give consistent BAC readings despite high-volume use. Their consistency and precision make them ideal in professional settings or high-compliance environments. You can get a reliable device for an alcohol test for job application at Breathalysers Australia. You may also use it for various reasons needing alcohol screening at any time. Likewise, Breathalysers Australia has a wide range of alcohol testers suitable for workplace or personal use. The BACtrack personal breathalysers have pro-grade accuracy, similar to what police officers use in a roadside breath test. So you can ascertain to keep the workplace alcohol-free with a BACtrack breathalyser. Similarly, ensure personal safety by using a breathalyser to keep your BAC level from reaching the legal limit.