Employees with illicit drugs and alcohol abuse problems are a severe issue in workplace health and safety. Employees under the influence of drugs and alcohol can cause many detrimental effects on any company or business. When under the effects of drugs or alcohol in the workplace, an employee can cause serious injuries or casualties, have poor work performance and strain professional relationships. Furthermore, it can cost the employer money due to the loss of productivity, increased employee absenteeism, increased healthcare costs, and direct medical costs. Companies and businesses are legally responsible for providing all employees with a safe working environment. That is why many employers and employees ask, “why and where to get a drug test for work?”

Why and Where to Get a Drug Test for Work: Pre-Employment Drug and Alcohol Screening 

Why and where to get a drug test for work? Various drug testing companies in Australia can provide you with drug and alcohol testing services. Employers typically do drug and alcohol screening as part of the pre-employment hiring process. It is part of a medical assessment to test your hearing, sight, and existing injuries. Passing the drug and alcohol tests can be crucial to passing the employment process. As an aspiring job candidate, you should ensure sobriety before undergoing the pre-employment medical assessment. You can purchase drug test kits and personal breathalysers as a would-be employee. Thus, it will allow you to test yourself for drugs and alcohol beforehand. Breathalysers Australia offers a selection of BACtrack workplace and personal breathalysers for both employers and employees. In addition, pre-employment drug and alcohol screening is a vital part of the overall workplace drug and alcohol policy.

A pre-employment drug and alcohol test can:

• Identify if a job applicant has a prior or current substance abuse problem.
• Screen out applicants that have a high chance of compromising workplace safety.
• Reduce workplace accidents and incidents
• Establish that drugs or alcohol consumption is prohibited when working for the company. 

Why and Where to Get a Drug Test for Work: Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy and Procedure

A drug and alcohol policy is crucial for maintaining a healthy and safe working environment for everybody in the workplace. This policy should include a comprehensive procedure wherein drug and alcohol testing are part of the company’s protocols. It is important to note that the primary reason for employers to conduct workplace drug and alcohol testing is to check the health status of their workers at any given time. All information and procedures included in the policy should be clear and concise. Also, employers should set all company expectations during pre-employment regarding workplace health and safety. Consequently, all employees should understand and agree to the policy set by the company. Therefore, it is one reason why employees should consider asking “where to get a drug test for work” before applying for a job.

A comprehensive workplace drug and alcohol policy should:

• Clearly outline how the company aims to handle drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace
• Be easy to understand
• Have its procedures open to all employees
• Apply to everyone in the workplace (no selective treatment)
• Have high confidentiality (test results are not open to the public, and only select appointed personnel can handle the documentation)

What are the different types of testing used in the workplace?

• Pre-employment – Testing aspiring job applicants before hiring them.
• Pre-deployment – Testing before employees are sent on a business trip. 
• Blanket testing – Testing all employees in a single work event 
• Random testing – Randomly selecting a group of employees 
• Post-incident – Conducting a test after a workplace accident or potential work accident 
• ‘For cause’ testing – When the employer has justified belief about an employee’s behaviour, they can conduct a drug and alcohol test. 
• Self-testing – Providing workers with access to the means to test themselves to ensure that they attend work safely. You can provide them with a BACtrack personal breathalyser for conducting alcohol breath tests themselves.
• Return to work – If an employee has previously returned a positive test, they must undergo a drug and alcohol test that should come out negative before they can return to work. 

Why and Where to Get a Drug Test for Work: Types of Tests Available

People have asked where to get a drug test for work in Australia and also how this is done? The typical drug tests currently used in Australia use urine and saliva samples. On the other hand, breath tests are the most viable method for alcohol testing. There are Australian standards that have been created specifically for these tests. These standards outline the procedures for sample collection. 

Urinalysis

Urinalysis or urine tests can detect drug use for most drug types up to three days before the test. However, disadvantages of this test: 

• May not detect recent drug use in the past 2-4 hours
• Urine samples can be contaminated or substituted 

Oral Fluid (Saliva)

Saliva testing is a less invasive form of drug testing compared to urinalysis. The disadvantage of oral testing is its limited ability to detect cannabis. 

Breath Tests

Breath tests are the least invasive of the testing methods. With the use of breathalysers, employees would only need to provide a breath sample to the mouthpiece of the device. High-quality devices, like the BACtrack breathalysers at Breathalysers Australia, can accurately measure an individual’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) within seconds.

BACtrack Breathalysers for Alcohol Testing at Breathalysers Australia

Now that you know why and where to get a drug test for work, you may also want to find out where to get a cost-effective and reliable breath tester. BACtrack breathalysers at Breathalysers Australia provide you with a solution for conducting alcohol breath tests. A selection of BACtrack personal breathalyser units can come in handy if you want to test yourself. Breathalysers Australia has personal breathalysers with easy-to-use smartphone connectivity as well as highly portable ones that can attach to keys. Moreover, Breathalysers Australia also has various workplace breathalyser units available for conducting efficient alcohol breath tests in the workplace.

All BACtrack devices have police-grade accuracy and come with calibration certificates. Furthermore, these devices use advanced fuel cell sensors that detect only ethyl alcohol in the breath. This technology makes it less likely to provide false-positive results common to lower quality breathalysers. In addition, most devices have a one-button operation for quick and easy alcohol breath testing. This feature is very handy for companies that require high-volume testing. BACtrack breathalyser can give Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) results in just 10 to 15 seconds. Lastly, Breathalysers Australia also offers additional mouthpieces to allow multiple testing without interfering with the results. In conclusion, whether you are an employer or employee, the BACtrack personal and workplace breathalysers at Breathalysers Australia are worthy investments. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of where to get a drug test for work or an alcohol test.