Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing reduces workplace incidents and improves staff safety in the workplace. Alcohol consumption and the use of illicit drugs will likely cause workplace safety hazards. In addition, some industries have a zero-tolerance policy in the workplace, and they require drug and alcohol screening, such as: 

• Aviation
• Transportation
• Mining
• Construction
• Medical professionals

Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing facilities aim to assist and support businesses to maintain a safe workplace by providing a compassionate and high standard manner of testing. Drug screening and alcohol testing are performed when a specimen such as urine, blood, oral fluids or breath sample is collected and analysed. The testing process and analysis of the sample is quick and easy. Moreover, it takes only a few seconds up to a few minutes for the test to detect the presence of drugs and alcohol.

There are various Detection Windows for different kinds of samples. For example, urinalysis sampling can detect drug usage for several days after use. Furthermore, the presence of certain illicit drugs and alcohol suggests that the substance identified has been used relatively recently. Moreover, nowadays, businesses prohibit the use of drugs and alcohol in workplaces. The results of drug screening and alcohol testing can determine whether an employee can work safely or not.

The main goals of the drug screening and alcohol testing include:

• improve safety and the health of the employees in the workplace
• increase the general productivity of the employees
• reduce product and service issues

Types of Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing

• Instant Urine Drug Testing: Instant drug screening and alcohol testings services should be compliant with the law and have a quick turnaround time for results.

• Laboratory Urine Drug Testing: Laboratory urinalysis is where a trained staff of the Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing company collects the specimens for testing. Lab testing has a turnaround time of 1 day. Furthermore, if the provided specimen results in negative for all drugs, the testing facility will issue a final report given to the client. If the test results return positive for any drugs, the lab will do another testing to confirm.

• Oral Fluids Test: Saliva or Oral Fluids is done to detect drug use and is performed in compliance with the law. This type of testing is straightforward and highly discreet, with results analysed and given out within minutes.

Other Testing Methods

Alcohol Breath Testing

Most Drug screening and alcohol testing companies will have their staff perform alcohol breath testing in compliance with AS3457:1997. They will use a calibrated, hand-held alcohol breath tester or a Breathalyser. When a breath sample shows that the presence of alcohol is above 0.00% BAC, then a second breath sample may be required after 20 minutes. Employees or drivers can get into trouble if the second breath sample shows a positive result. Employers and police officers perform this kind of testing in workplaces or on roads to maintain workplace and roadside safety respectively.

Doing an alcohol breath test is quick and easy compared to any other type of test. In particular, BACtrack breathalysers analyse the breath sample provided and shows highly accurate BAC level results within 15 seconds. Furthermore, BACtrack workplace breathalysers are typically used by companies when conducting workplace testing. Moreover, the fuel cell sensors of BACtrack devices are susceptible to ethanol only and do not react to other substances. These sensors are less likely to provide you with false-positive results. Drug screening and alcohol testing procedures are easier now thanks to highly innovative devices. 

Breathalysers Australia

The BACtrack workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia are an excellent choice if you want to start workplace alcohol testing. Furthermore, Breathalysers AU provides genuine BACtrack breathalysers that offer personal and workplace units. The BACtrack Professional Model, like the S80 Pro Gen 2, is perfect for conducting alcohol breath tests in the workplace. Moreover, the S80 Pro Gen 2 breathalyser unit also uses fuel cell sensors for highly accurate test results. Professional Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing facilities are NATA accredited and comply with testing laws like the AS/NZS 4308:2008 Procedures and standards for specimen collection and detection.

Drug screening and alcohol testing are crucial in improving the general safety of the workplace. A workplace drug and alcohol policy and reliable testing equipment are essential in upholding confidence in workplace testing. If a breathalyser is required for workplace testing or personal use, you should consider looking at products available at Breathalysers Australia. If your goal is to maintain or monitor sobriety, a breath test with a BACtrack breathalyser Pro model can be an effective method. Breathalysers Australia offers varying alcohol breath testers for personal use or workplace testing. The personal models of the BACtrack breathalysers include compact keychain breathalyser units, breathalyser units that work well alongside smartphones, and professional breathalysers that are up to par with law enforcement breathalysers. These BACtrack Professional breathalysers use fuel cell sensor technology, have FDA-approval, and comply with the DOT. BACtrack breathalysers are highly beneficial for reducing alcohol-related incidents.

Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing: When to Conduct Tests

The company may conduct a drug screening and alcohol testing as part of their workplace drug and alcohol policy. Companies can perform these tests randomly or at a specific time. Companies typically perform random testing so that the employees do not have time to prepare for the test. This is to identify drug use or alcohol consumption in the workplace. Some people think that a tiny amount of alcohol or drugs will not cause harm or affect one’s job performance. However, it still poses vast health and safety risks in the workplace. 

A scheduled Drug screening and Alcohol testing is a mandatory procedure to identify if staff have recently used drugs or consumed alcohol. Some companies require pre-employment drug testing before getting a job offer. The company needs to know whether the aspiring applicant has a history of substance abuse. A company may also require a post-incident drug test when a workplace accident occurs. This method can determine if drug use or alcohol consumption is a factor. 

Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing: Workplace Policies

Drug screening and alcohol testing detect substances present in a person’s system. Nowadays, companies are creating and establishing workplace drug and alcohol policies to reduce workplace accidents and improve workplace safety. The Work Health and Safety Act encourages all businesses to keep their workplace and employees safe and healthy. The drug and alcohol workplace program will help carry out drug and alcohol tests effectively with the best interests of the workplace and workers in mind. 

The policy should include terms, procedures, and repercussions for when someone breaches the policy to uphold workplace safety. The policy should be clear, and the company and staff should agree on the workplace policy. When executed correctly, drug screening and alcohol testing can improve health, productivity, and the overall output of the business.