The need for alcohol training in businesses has drastically increased over the years. It is mainly because of the prevalence of workplace alcohol-related incidents. Attaining a breath alcohol training certification helps maintain the safety and integrity of the employees within the company. More and more companies nowadays need certified breath alcohol technicians. This requirement helps with performing workplace testing legally with their nationally accredited breath alcohol training certification. In addition, highly effective devices like the BACtrack workplace breathalysers at Breathalysers Australia greatly help breath alcohol technicians with their procedures.
What is a Breath Alcohol Training Certification?
A breath alcohol training certification is proof that an individual is certified and legally trained to be able to collect and process breath alcohol samples using a breathalyser. To be able to acquire such certification, one must first complete and pass the HLTPAT005 “Collect specimens for drugs of abuse testing” training course. Moreover, the HLTPAT005 is a nationally accredited training course specifically for drug and alcohol testing. It includes all guidelines in compliance with Australian Standards regarding drug and alcohol testing in the workplace.
The course completion requirements include basic information, qualification training, and proficiency demonstrations. This breath alcohol training certification plays a pivotal role in workplace safety and proficiency.
Australian Standards
Australian Standard for breath alcohol training certification
AS 3547:2019 “Breath Alcohol Testing Devices” – The objective of this Australian Standard is to specify the requirements for the performance, testing and marking of breath alcohol testing devices. Uses of the Standard are for (but are not limited to):
- Personal alcohol breath testing
- Workplace alcohol screening – such as for pre-employment, post-incident/ accident, random, blanket, or targeted “for cause” alcohol breath testing
- Medical purposes
Australian Standard for drugs
AS/NZS 4308:2008 – procedures for specimen collection and the detection and quantitation of drugs in urine. This standard contains specific cut off levels for the identification of the following classes:
- Amphetamines
- THC (Cannabis)
- Benzodiazepine Class
- Cocaine/Metabolite
- Opiates
AS/NZS 4760:2019 – procedures for specimen collection and the detection and quantitation of drugs in oral fluid. This standard contains specific cut off levels for the identification of the following classes:
- Amphetamines
- THC (Cannabis)
- Cocaine/Metabolite
- Opiates
What is Included in the HLTPAT005 Breath Alcohol Training Certification?
As stated, in order to attain a breath alcohol training certification, one must first be able to complete the HLTPAT005 “Collect specimens for drugs of abuse testing” training course. Therefore, it is best for individuals wanting to be a breath alcohol technician in the workplace to know what to expect in the training course. Moreover, having this certification is ideal for managers, supervisors, site medical staff, and personnel responsible for drug and alcohol testing/ screening in the workplace.
In getting a breath alcohol training certification from the HLTPAT005 training course, the would-be technician will learn how to perform drug and alcohol testing for workplace employees. The testing process and procedures will follow Australian drug and alcohol collection standards. Furthermore, the objective of the training course is to provide individuals with the practical skills of workplace guidelines. The individual can most likely expect to learn the following in an HLTPAT005 training course:
- Identification of the type of testing
- Training in handling client care
- Performing collection procedures
- Labelling and storage protocols
- Proper documentation process
What Can You Expect Once You Have a Breath Alcohol Training Certification
Certified personnel with a breath alcohol training certification should know the specific steps and procedures in completing the testing process. This process includes handling testing problems/ errors and detailed information on a collector’s responsibilities. All play a vital role in terms of accurate testing results and keeping the technician safe from legal action. Consequently, there could be angry employees willing to go to court to justify the loss of their job after testing positive. In addition, having a breath alcohol training certification along with a very accurate device such as a workplace breathalyser from Breathalysers Australia would most likely prevent the company from losing such cases. Thus, protecting the certified breath alcohol technician in the process.
A technician with a breath alcohol training certification should be able to know the following topics:
- Breath Alcohol testing
- Breath Sample Analysis
- Integrity of Samples
- Documentation Requirements
- Duty of Care (informed consent, disclosure agreement, privacy and confidentiality)
- Record Management
- Workplace Health and Safety (WHS)
- Chain of Custody Process
- Storage and Transport Requirements
- Chemistry
- Workplace Interaction (non-compliant clients and problem-solving skills)
BACtrack Workplace Breathalysers at Breathalysers Australia
Aside from a breath alcohol training certification, sample collectors must also have the proper equipment to make the accuracy of their testing foolproof. A breathalyser is what breath alcohol technicians use for conducting breath tests in the workplace. Breathalysers Australia has multiple BACtrack workplace breathalysers to choose from. These breathalysers are highly accurate with their professional-grade fuel cell sensors. Moreover, back-to-back workplace breath alcohol testing is not an issue with these devices. Their one-button operation feature that can process Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) results in just 10 to 15 seconds. Furthermore, these devices also have low power requirements, allowing for up to 1,500 tests with just a single pair of AA batteries. Thus, the workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia are ideal for high-volume and safety-critical requirements. Frequent and highly accurate breath alcohol testing in the workplace is made effortless and efficient with BACtrack workplace breathalysers at Breathalysers Australia.
Breathalysers Australia recommends one or more of these workplace breathalysers for sample collectors with a breath alcohol training certification:
- The BACtrack Mobile Gen2 – the ideal breathalyser for remote workplace alcohol testing to achieve high levels of accuracy and compliance.
- The BACtrack S80 Pro Gen2 – the best breathalyser for commercial environments requiring an accurate, consistent, and robust breath testing device.
- The Alcovisor Mercury Touchscreen – the most suitable breathalyser for high throughput, high compliance workplace environments.
Conclusion
Companies and business owners alike hesitate to invest a little bit of money for an employee with a breath alcohol training certification and buy a workplace breathalyser. However, in looking closer into the issue at hand, the advantages of having both greatly outweigh its little to no disadvantages. Moreover, the company would most likely save more money preventing workplace-related injuries with more frequent testing available. Thus, it reduces absentee rates and keeps its workers healthy by preventing bad habits from accumulating. Furthermore, having certified breath alcohol technicians in the workplace will play a crucial role for employees in avoiding alcohol use. It would significantly increase their productivity, comfort and security within the workplace. Thus, with all these in mind, a breath alcohol training certification and a BACtrack workplace breathalyser at Breathalysers Australia would prove to be an invaluable investment for any company.
