truck-icon-red-banner

Same day local dispatch

australia-icon-red-banner

Australian owned

Breathalysers

1-3 year warranty

breathalyser

Australia's industry specialist

Drug and Alcohol Breath Test Guidelines

drug-and-alcohol-breath-test

A drug and alcohol breath test can play a vital role in workplace safety and productivity. Usage of drugs and alcohol is possible and can be present in most sectors and industries. Employers would often provide drug and alcohol tests to their employees to counteract this. This method can help identify employees who may pose safety risks within workplaces. The law requires companies and employers to follow a set of guidelines and policies, to perform drug and alcohol tests. These policies allow workplace testing to remain fair and well-regulated for employers and employees. Furthermore, federal law also requires companies to implement safe and risk-free workplaces. This requirement makes drug and alcohol tests a top priority in specific workplaces and industries.

Drug and alcohol consumption can drastically increase the chances of accidents. This issue is mainly due to substances’ effects on our bodies. Alcohol and drug consumption can cause blurred vision, coordination problems, memory loss and slow reaction times. These impairments can drastically affect our ability to work (like operating machinery) and drive. Without a doubt, an employee with these impairments can significantly affect workplace safety. Moreover, high-risk industries like construction, transportation and healthcare would perform a drug and alcohol breath test to help prevent having potentially impaired employees. Employers nowadays take advantage of testing services and devices like the BACtrack workplace breathalyser from Breathalysers Australia to help provide safer workplaces.

Performing Drug and Alcohol Breath Test

Companies and employers have specific reasons why they need to perform a workplace drug and alcohol breath test. The two most common reasons are pre-employment testing and random workplace mass testing. These types of testing can drastically help improve overall workplace safety. Companies perform pre-employment testing on individuals they plan to hire. This method ensures companies that they are not hiring a high-risk individual. Drugs and alcohol can remain in our system for 24 up to 48 hours. Therefore, a negative test could mean that the individual does not have a problem with usage. Furthermore, a pre-employment test can help ensure that the workplace environment and productivity will not get affected. Moreover, this also decreases the likelihood of individuals bringing potentially disruptive habits into the workplace.

Companies that have a random drug and alcohol breath test now and then will most likely have a safe workplace. Random tests can help deter employees from ever having a bad habit. Employees who don’t know when the tests are will be less likely to try any substance, especially before work. BACtrack breathalysers can help provide random alcohol testing. Additionally, the other reasons for testing are:

  • Blanket testing: the company tests all employees in the workplace altogether.
  • ‘For cause’ or targeted testing: testing done under reasonable suspicion of a specific worker
  • Post-accident/incident testing: companies would test employees after an accident in the workplace.
  • Post-positive result testing: for employees who had a positive test. They should test negative before being able to return to work.

drug-and-alcohol-breath-test-

Drug and Alcohol Breath Test: Law Requirements

Companies that want to perform a drug and alcohol breath test on their employees must adhere to the testing guidelines. The law requires companies to follow a set of policies that helps keep drug and alcohol tests ethical and fair. Firstly, companies must be transparent with their drug and alcohol policies. This rule means that the company must provide complete details about the company drug and alcohol policies upon hiring. Furthermore, the employer and employee must have a signed formal agreement of the terms and conditions of the guidelines. Providing the company policies helps give the employee a clear picture of what they can and cannot. Moreover, these policies would also inform the employee of what could happen when breaking company rules.

The formal agreement should also cover the rights for the employer to test their employee randomly. Moreover, the contract should also state that the employer can provide a drug and alcohol breath test following incidents and accidents in the workplace. Furthermore, the agreement should also cover the rights for the employee not to get fired right away. The employee can acquire test results from an external testing service or ask for a retest. Moreover, the policies should also require companies to provide high-quality testing devices and services. For example, companies must use FDA approved devices like the BACtrack workplace breathalyser from Breathalysers Australia when performing alcohol tests.

Drug and Alcohol Breath Test: Accessibility

Nowadays, companies can take full advantage of Australia’s highly qualified testing services. Furthermore, to help with more convenient testing, these companies allow for on-site testing. An on-site testing service means that the testing company would provide tests within the workplace. This option will enable companies not to miss out on productivity. Employees would no longer need to take a day off to get tested. Moreover, on-site testing can help prevent the test results from being altered. These testing services can provide a highly reliable drug and alcohol breath test. Additionally, these services can allow companies to offer more regular and frequent tests.

Companies can also use highly accurate devices like the BACtrack workplace breathalyser to perform regular alcohol tests. Companies can now conveniently provide a drug and alcohol breath test with adequate services and devices within the workplace. BACtrack workplace devices use fuel cell sensors to measure the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) accurately. These sensors are sensitive only to ethyl alcohol, reducing the likelihood of false-positive results. This feature can benefit employers testing employees with diabetes or having a low-calorie diet. These are also the same sensors you would find in a police officer’s breathalyser.

drug-and-alcohol-breath-test.

Advantages of BACtrack Breathalysers

Breath tests are quick and easy. BACtrack devices have one-button operations, which allow for breath tests with just a press of a button. The warmup period (only a few seconds) begins immediately after turning on the device. Once the device is ready, all you must do is provide a strong, firm blow into the device’s mouthpiece. Moreover, it only takes BACtrack devices 10 to 15 seconds to process your results. This feature can drastically help companies and employers provide more quick and constant tests around the workplace. A drug and alcohol breath test can drastically help improve workplace safety and productivity. Therefore, companies should make sure to use the best testing services and devices, like BACtrack, for their workplace.

Advantages of Workplace Testing

Other than having improved safety and fewer workplace risks, workplace testing also has other advantages. For example, a drug and alcohol breath test can help an employee think twice before starting a bad habit. Preventing bad habits can help with things like absenteeism and workplace productivity. A slacking employee may cause more stress for your other employees due to increased workloads. Furthermore, these tests can also help reduce a company’s annual costs. Workplace testing can decrease annual costs like:

  • Healthcare insurance
  • Accident compensation
  • Damaged goods
  • Damaged machinery
0
    Shopping Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
      Calculate Shipping
      Shipping options will be updated during checkout.

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Is Device Size Important?

      Is Device Size Important?

      Is Device Size Important?

      Driving Restrictions? (P Platers, Zero Tolerance etc)

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Key Benefits

      Your Perfect Match

      Key Benefits

      drug-and-alcohol-breath-test

      Would you like extra mouthpieces?

      Your Perfect Match

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      You may be interested in…

      Thank you for registering your breathalyser.

      Our system will now automatically send you a notification when your calibration is due.

      Your Perfect Match

      Also Recommended

      Why upgrade?

      Are you Testing Employees?