DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING

OH&S Plus Drug and Alcohol Testing service provides on-site workplace drug and alcohol testing to a wide range of businesses and industries throughout Southern NSW and North East Victoria.

All drug testing in the workplace is performed in accordance with Australian Standards AS/NZS 4760:2019 – Drugs for Toxicological Purposes in Oral Fluid – Section 2: Collection, Storage, Handling and Dispatch, AS/NZS 4308:2008 – Drugs for Toxicological Purposes in Urine – Section 2: Specimen Collection, Storage, Handling and Dispatch and AS/NZS 4308:2008 – Drugs for Toxicological Purposes in Urine – Appendix A: On-site Screening procedures as well as  the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) for all sampling, labelling and transporting.

There are various methods for Drug and Alcohol testing in the workplace that employers may implement. The methods of testing, triggers for testing and the consequences of a non-negative result should be clearly laid out in company drug and alcohol policies. Every business should, in consultation, make a careful determination of the program elements that are most feasible and appropriate for their workplace.  

Common workplace drug and alcohol testing methods are:

Pre-Employment

Generally a job candidate is required to provide a specimen during the job application process, typically after a conditional offer of employment is in place.  For pre-employment screening, generally a negative test result is required before a formal offer of employment is made.

Random

These tests are conducted on a scientifically valid method so that each worker in the workplace has an equal chance of being selected for testing. The company/employer has the discretion to determine what particular method of random selection will be applied and the frequency  with which the random testing will be conducted. Random testing is usually unannounced.   This form of workplace drug and alcohol testing and screenings are often effective in preventing drugs and alcohol in the workplace. 

Blanket

Rather than a random selection of workers, all workers in the workplace  are tested. This is a very common method in small workplaces.

Reasonable Suspicion/Probable cause

This type of testing is conducted when trained workplace supervisors or managers identify specific observations concerning the appearance, behaviours, speech and body odours of a worker that leads the trained supervisor/manager to reasonably conclude that an alcohol or drug test may be performed as set out in the company's policy. Reasonable suspicion testing is also known as probable-cause or for-cause testing.

Post Incident/Accident

Following an incident/accident at a workplace, drug and alcohol tests can determine whether drugs or alcohol may have been a contributing factor. It is recommended that post-incident testing be conducted within 3 hours as substances can remain in a person's system for different amounts of time. It should be noted that a test result may indicate drug or alcohol use, but this alone does not prove that the drug or alcohol use was the cause of the incident/accident.

Return to Work/Re-Test/Target

Announced and scheduled testing given to a worker who has previously had a non-negative test result and is ready to return to the workplace.