Substance abuse poses significant safety risks in the workplace. Alcohol, illegal drugs, and inappropriately prescribed medications can harm workplace health and safety. It results in serious injuries, high costs, and low output. Therefore, businesses implement new safety measures through preventative programs to manage safety hazards. Pre-employment drug and alcohol testing is used to maintain the workplace safe and healthy. Many organisations have pre-employment drug testing procedures to detect employee use of illegal substances. Furthermore, drug testing in Australia necessitates careful planning. Clear drug and alcohol policies are essential for addressing safety risks. However, what will happen after failing a pre-employment drug test in Australia?
The misuse of drugs and alcohol has drastic effects on health and safety. It can severely impair the senses, reasoning, and motor functions necessary for performing tasks safely. In particular, intoxication makes operating a vehicle or machinery difficult and may lead to poor decision-making. The workplace can lower accident rates and promote healthier practices through pre-employment drug testing. It is one of the techniques for employers to avoid employees with substance abuse. However, failing a pre-employment drug test in Australia might result in the termination of a job application or attending a rehabilitation program if employers give applicants another chance to reapply. Additionally, breath testing utilising a breathalyser is standard in pre-employment testing to measure alcohol abuse of job applicants. BACtrack workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia can help employers identify the alcohol consumption of applicants.
Failing a Pre-employment Drug Test in Australia: Importance
Illicit drug use and excessive alcohol intake can have short and long-term consequences for one’s health and safety. It interferes with body functions such as vision, hearing, speech, judgement, and movement. In the workplace, it poses significant hazards. In particular, safety-critical jobs rely on workers’ healthy physical conditions to perform tasks safely and effectively. Applicants failing a pre-employment drug test in Australia and continue using alcohol and illicit drugs may find it hard to look for a job. Hence, a pre-employment drug and alcohol screening helps employers identify if a prospective employee will not cause any harm in the workplace and to other employees. Furthermore, a pre-employment screening test is beneficial for the following reasons:
- Identify early on if the person has a substance abuse
- Introduce the new hire to a safe and healthy work culture
- Save healthcare costs from potential injury claims
- Improve workplace safety
- Reduced absenteeism due to substance impairment
- Minimise liabilities
Failing a Pre-employment Drug Test in Australia: What to Do
Employers conduct pre-employment alcohol and drug tests to assess if job candidates have substance abuse. Impaired applicants will lead to poor work performance and increase the risks of accidents or serious injuries. For employers who want an accurate device that provides a fast result for alcohol testing, a breathalyser like the BACtrack from Breathalysers Australia will help them determine the exact amount of alcohol through job applicants’ exhaled breath. Breathalysers Australia is the leader in providing accurate breathalysers worldwide. Furthermore, for applicants who are failing a pre-employment drug test in Australia, they may take the following recourse for their job application:
- Confirmation: A follow-up advanced urine or blood test will confirm the initial screening.
- Review: A medical officer assesses the samples and the chain of custody to authenticate the results. The MRO, for example, may contact you with questions concerning prescription medicines that may affect the outcome. The MRO will send the final result to the company after the evaluation. The company will then contact you to determine if you passed or failed the test.
- Retest: After the employer or MRI has notified you, you can request a retest of the specimen sample. The lab will retest the split specimen sample or a portion of the original sample. You must also make this request within 72 hours. In most circumstances, the applicant covers the cost of the retest.
Failing a Pre-employment Drug Test in Australia: Policies and Agreements
Companies screen employees for drugs and alcohol for various purposes, including accuracy in hiring decisions and adherence to government rules. A breath test is also one of the most effective methods for alcohol testing. Breath testing using a reliable breathalyser like the BACtrack will help in avoiding potential applicants with alcohol abuse. Breathalysers Australia has various workplace breathalysers that employers can use in pre-employment testing and even in random testing in the workplace. Applicants using illicit drugs and alcohol misuse may endanger other employees’ safety, resulting in accidents and absence. Therefore, before hiring, the employer must clearly state the company’s policies and have the employee sign consent. Furthermore, the guidelines should also cover the provisions for employees failing a pre-employment drug test in Australia. The employers must assess any possible risks in the workplace, and any drugs and alcohol screening policy should include the following:
- Goals of the policy
- Definition
- Scope of the policy
- Responsibilities
- Managing drugs and alcohol
- Disciplinary actions for positive results
- How employers administer the test and what type of test to use
- Training and Support
Test Methods for Alcohol and Drug Testing
Drug and alcohol testing is mandatory in pre-employment testing in Australia for safety-regulated industries. For alcohol testing alone, employers can use a breathalyser like BACtrack breathalysers from Breathalysers Australia to effectively determine the exact measurement of alcohol use of applicants during a pre-employment test. Moreover, more private companies implement pre-employment drug and alcohol testing to avoid occupational risks effectively. However, for job applicants failing a pre-employment drug test in Australia, employers may require them for confirmatory testing. The following test methods perform the following functions:
- Breath test: A breathalyser device, such as BACtrack, detects and monitors Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). A positive BAC result indicates that the individual has recently consumed alcohol. Furthermore, the BAC reflects the level of intoxication. The higher the BAC level, the more severe the impairment.
- Urine test: Urine analysis is the fundamental process for drug screening. A urine test can detect various illegal chemicals in a sample. The procedure is far less invasive than a blood test. Similarly, a standard urine test can detect drug use for up to 48 hours and up to 72 hours for advanced tests.
- Saliva test: A saliva or mouth swab test can detect drugs for 5 to 48 hours. It is an efficient alternative for a urine test.
- Blood test: The blood test is the most accurate. However, because of its high cost and invasive nature, it is better suited as a confirmatory test for a preliminary failed drug or alcohol result.
Alcohol Testers at Breathalysers Australia
Breathalysers Australia has a wide selection of alcohol breath testers for personal and professional use. Most BACtrack breathalysers use fuel cell sensor technology to measure the BAC accurately. Fuel cell breathalysers are the same technology law enforcement employs for roadside screening. Furthermore, the best strategy to prevent failing a pre-employment drug test in Australia is to avoid taking impairing substances that may harm one’s health and safety. Lastly, a breathalyser like BACtrack from Breathalysers Australia is a cost-efficient device that individuals and businesses can use to avoid alcohol and drug abuse. You may visit the Breathalysers Australia website to view all the workplace breathalysers for employment use and personal breath testing kits for personal use.
