Importance of Random Alcohol Testing in the Workplace

Maintaining workplace safety can play a vital role in a company’s success. Safety-critical industries can drastically benefit and profit from having safe working environments. Mining, transportation, construction, and manufacturing industries highly prioritise safety precautions in the workplace. Nowadays, companies regularly perform alcohol and drug tests to improve workplace and employee safety. These tests can help employers single out potentially dangerous employees working with impairments. Alcohol and drug-induced impairments can drastically affect an employee’s ability to work safely and efficiently. Drug and alcohol consumption can affect our reaction times (slows it down), coordination, memory, judgement, and behaviour (increases carelessness). Employers often perform workplace testing to ensure that their employees are not working with impairments. Furthermore, companies would typically provide these tests during random alcohol testing in the workplace. Moreover, employers would also include drug tests during the process in some cases.

Random alcohol testing in the workplace can drastically help reduce workplace accidents by preventing alcohol use during work hours. Furthermore, companies can also manage risks better by ensuring that all their employees are fit to work. Almost all industries worldwide implement zero-alcohol tolerance workplace policies to deter alcohol use within the workplace. Implementing this rule can help reduce the likelihood of accidents caused by the impairments of alcohol consumption. Alcohol breath tests are standard during the workplace and roadside testing. Companies can take advantage of the workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers New Zealand to provide more regular and frequent alcohol tests.

Random Alcohol Testing in the Workplace: Breath Tests

During random alcohol testing in the workplace, companies can perform breath tests with breath alcohol testers. Breathalysers can determine an employee’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) through their breath samples. A breath test procedure is quick and easy to perform, making it the go-to test for employers, police officers, and healthcare professionals. The BAC results from a breathalyser test can estimate a person’s intoxication level. A person or employee with a high BAC is more likely to have a high intoxication level. A high intoxication level could mean that the alcohol-induced impairments are more apparent. A BAC reading of 0.01% is considered a positive test during workplace testing. Nowadays, employees are only allowed to work when they test negative for alcohol usage.

The workplace breathalysers from Breathalysers New Zealand are highly reliable devices that employees can use during random alcohol testing in the workplace. These breathalysers provide highly accurate breath tests and can read BAC results of up to 0.40%. Furthermore, companies prefer breath tests over other forms of testing because it is quick and easy to perform. Breath tests only take a few minutes for every employee. During a breath test, all an employee must do is provide a firm blow into a breathalyser’s mouthpiece. The breathalyser can store and analyse the breath sample by itself. Unlike blood or urine samples, breath samples don’t need a certified test kit or laboratory to be processed. Breathalysers can process the breath samples right away.

Random Alcohol Testing in the Workplace: Kinds of Tests Available

During random alcohol testing in the workplace, it is also crucial for employers to know the various alcohol tests available. There are multiple kinds of tests available for workplace testing. However, most tests require companies to hire the help of testing services. Certified testing services are needed because formal training is necessary when handling blood, urine, or saliva samples. Companies must adhere to the specific standards of New Zealand when taking test samples. This method can allow the test samples of employees to remain valid, even during a court trial (this can help when an unhappy employee goes to court). Moreover, an employee’s test results can determine a company’s next course of action. Therefore, companies must have highly reliable test results.

Aside from breath tests via the breathalysers from Breathalysers New Zealand, companies may also perform other tests. During random alcohol testing in the workplace, companies can choose to perform the following tests:

• Urine Test: The most common test for drug usage. This test can also test for alcohol.
• Blood Test: The most accurate yet least performed test. Blood tests are accurate but need highly qualified sample collectors and laboratories to process their results.
• Hair Follicle Test: This test can test for alcohol and drug usage. Its accuracy and reliability fall behind urine tests. However, hair tests are more cost-efficient.
• Saliva Test: this test only requires a certified test kit to perform. It can test for alcohol and drug usage.

Random Alcohol Testing in the Workplace: Importance

Constant random alcohol testing in the workplace can drastically benefit companies in various ways. Firstly, these tests can help single out employees that may endanger the workplace and their coworkers. Preventing employees from working with impairments can drastically improve workplace safety by reducing the likelihood of accidents and incidents. Furthermore, constant alcohol tests can help deter the use of alcohol before or during working hours. Entirely sober employees will be more energetic, productive, and lively in the workplace. Secondly, having an effective accident prevention program can help employees feel safer. Employees that are comfortable in the workplace will have better job satisfaction. Satisfied employees can help improve productivity and turnover rates, allowing for better long-term company success. Lastly, accident reduction can also help decrease the annual costs for companies. Reduced workplace accidents can translate to:

• Fewer accident compensations costs
• Fewer healthcare costs
• Reduced insurance costs
• Fewer damaged properties to repair
• Fewer damaged products during production
• Better workplace productivity (due to fewer workplace disruptions)
• Less damaged machinery that needs repair

Breath Tests: Reliability

Nowadays, breath tests are highly reliable. Even police offers and medical professionals rely on breath tests. Law enforcers and healthcare providers use breathalysers to help them maintain road safety and provide adequate medicine prescriptions. Moreover, breath tests through a police officer’s breathalyser can even be evidence during a court hearing. A judge can determine a drink driving charge and its penalty by checking the breathalyser BAC results of a driver. Furthermore, with highly effective devices like the breathalysers from Breathalysers New Zealand, companies can also perform breath tests by themselves. During random alcohol testing in the workplace, breath tests can be the go-to method.

Why use a Device from Breathalysers New Zealand

Breathalysers New Zealand features highly reliable breathalyser devices for workplace and personal use. These breathalysers use fuel cell sensors. These are the same sensors you would find in a police officer’s or medical professional’s breathalyser. Furthermore, fuel cell sensors are also sensitive to only ethyl alcohol, ensuring users that they are less likely to provide false-positive results. Moreover, random alcohol testing in the workplace with a breathalyser from Breathalysers New Zealand can present results quickly. It only takes 10 to 15 seconds for a BACtrack device to process the results. Additionally, it is also worth noting that all the breathalysers from Breathalysers NZ feature one-button operations. This feature allows users to begin alcohol breath tests with just a push of a button.