Is there a PTS drug and alcohol test near me? The transportation sector is one of the most critical industries that deal with moving people and products. It includes airlines, trucking, shipping, buses, and railroads. It also involves those that provide transportation infrastructure. In addition, working in transportation requires top skills and excellent physical conditions. It is one of the regulated sectors where illicit substances and alcohol are prohibited. For instance, workers under intoxication pose massive risks to safety. Therefore, being alert and sober is a top priority. Specifically, rail transport has strict health requirements or testing before you can join this industry. The Personal Track Safety (PTS) is a system for safe work practices to ensure the security of railway workers and the public. 

A PTS Medical is a mandatory health assessment for all rail workers and contractors. If you are eyeing a career in rail transport, you must first undergo a PTS drug and alcohol test. First, you have to complete a PTS Medical, drug and alcohol test before attending Personal Track Safety courses. There are different assessments based on the nature of the role. The Network Rail online database known as Sentinel, stores all medical, drug, and alcohol test results. In addition, the Sentinel also holds records of any training courses completed. So, if you want to start a career in rail transport, you can begin by looking for a “PTS drug and alcohol test near me.”

PTS Drug and Alcohol Test Near Me: The PTS Card

The PTS Card is a smartcard linked to the Sentinel database. The card enables you to work in the Network Rail train tracks and is valid for five years. You can access your medical certificates and other information through the card. In addition, you must have a valid PTS drug and alcohol test throughout your career. In line with this, a PTS drug and alcohol centre can upload the health assessment results directly to the Sentinel portal. Looking for a “PTS drug and alcohol test near me” can help you search for the most accessible facility. Having a PTS card ensures you have completed the necessary training and is physically fit. Similarly, it also assures that your colleagues are fit and able to work. Moreover, the PTS Certificate will have a green square on the card to indicate “new” status. 

Booking a PTS Drug and Alcohol Test Near Me: Appointment

How can I book a PTS drug and alcohol test near me? The medical assessment shows that you are physically able to perform the job safely. Operating the railway needs mental alertness, quick reaction and reasoning, and coordination. Therefore, a drug and alcohol test can show if impairing substances are in the body. In particular, alcohol is a depressant that reduces the normal capacity of the brain and the nervous system. It affects cognitive and motor functions, especially vision, hearing, speech, balance, coordination, and reflexes. Hence, the PTS test ensures that workers passed the health and safety criteria vital in performing in a safety-critical environment. It also put the minds of your co-workers and the general public at ease. Before going to the PTS appointment, the facility will ask you of the following:

• Sentinel Number – to upload the results to the portal
• National Insurance Number – to match the records with the Sentinel account
• Current Identification – Official document with photo (passport, driving license, etc.)
• List of prescribed or OTC medicines
• Corrective glasses (if regularly worn) – for distance vision. If you wear contact lenses, bring a spectacle with the equivalent prescription. 

Drug Tests

PTS drug and alcohol test near me, what kinds of test used? The high-risk rail transport industry operates on a zero-tolerance policy to drugs and alcohol. It means that no alcohol or illicit substances must be found in the body. Failure to pass the test may result in the cancellation of the PTS Certificate for five years. Additionally, the PTS Card will be cancelled, and you will undergo a disciplinary procedure. Meanwhile, the PTS drug and alcohol test consists of a urine drug test and and breath test for alcohol. The drug test can determine drug misuse through the urine sample. A laboratory analysis can identify what kinds of drugs are taken, if any. The detection window for urine drug tests is four days. However, if the laboratory can take a hair follicle test if further testing is needed. The drug test includes screening for:

• Amphetamines
• Benzodiazepines
• Cannabis
• Cocaine
• Methadone
• Opiates
• Propoxyphene
• MDMA (Ecstacy)

Tests Near Me

How do PTS drug and alcohol test near me screen for alcohol? The standard test for alcohol screening is a breath test. The laboratory uses a breathalyser device to measure the blood alcohol content (BAC) of a person. In particular, BAC is the amount of alcohol in the blood indicating the intoxication level. To illustrate, the more you consume alcohol, the higher your BAC. In addition, the type of alcoholic beverage plus your weight, age, gender, body mass, and metabolism influence the BAC. Breathalysers like BACtrack are efficient in estimating the BAC level through the sample breath. The BACtrack professional breathalysers use fuel cell sensor technology to measure the BAC accurately. They undergo on an electrochemical process to oxidise alcohol in the breath. The oxidisation produces electrical currents and translate it into BAC. 

How accurate and reliable are PTS drug and alcohol test near me? For alcohol breath test, fuel cell breathalysers are the industry’s standards. The fuel cell sensors remain consistent despite numerous applications before needing recalibration. Furthermore, they are only reactive with ethanol, thus, unlikely to produce false positives. So, if you have diabetes, acetone or other endogenous substances will not interfere with the results. The PTS drug and alcohol test follow a standard chain of custody procedure for sampling and collection. The process guarantees the validity of the test from collection, handling, and storage. Lastly, only a licensed professional can administer the test. 

PTS Drug and Alcohol Test and Beyond

What happens after I take a PTS drug and alcohol test near me? The sampling collection takes fifteen minutes at most. The laboratory will examine your samples and review the medical findings. It is essential that they follow the Network Rail standards in conducting medical assessments with another Occupational Health Technician. Once the review is complete, they will upload the results to Sentinel. If you fail the pre-employment test, you will be disqualified to continue with the training. If you are an employee, your PTS and Sentinal cards will be revoked. The best way to pass the test is by abstaining from alcohol a few days before the test. For reliable breath test, you can use the BACtrack breathalysers. Breathalysers Australia has a comprehensive selection of alcohol testers suitable for personal use. The BACtrack breathalysers have pro-grade accuracy, same technology used by hospitals and police officers.