FAQs on drug and alcohol management

A workplace can legally implement testing if it’s justified and appropriate due to safety. There are no specific Australian workplace drug testing laws that dictate whether a business can or can’t implement testing. However, every workplace has legal obligations under OHS laws to ensure the health and safety of employees and others in the workplace. See our post on this subject for more details.

Having a workplace drug testing policy is the first step in managing drugs and alcohol. It provides a roadmap and all the details about how you will manage drugs and alcohol in your workplace, including information on your testing. See our drug and alcohol management page for more information.

Implementing drug and alcohol testing for the first time can be daunting and there are a lot of questions to be answered. For example, will you use saliva or urine samples, what will be the consequences for positive results and who will conduct the testing? For more guidance on how to implement drug and alcohol testing in your workplace, please see our resource page on the subject.

The process for workplace drug and alcohol testing is very quick and only takes a minute or two for each test. For workplace drug testing using saliva samples it’s slightly slower, but still quick and easy. Results are generally obtained in around five minutes.

While testing results are known straight away, it’s important not to jump to conclusions. The equipment used by Integrity Sampling is extremely accurate, however, confirmation testing must be completed. You should consider results ‘non-negative’ until this testing is done. In the case of drug tests, this involves the collection of further samples that are sent to an independent laboratory for more sensitive and accurate analysis.

If an employee has recorded a non-negative workplace testing result, laboratory confirmation analysis is required. It generally takes around two working days for results to be obtained.

If you are taking medicinal cannabis you can fail workplace drug testing. Whether you do will depend on how much THC is in your system at the time of the test and the testing method. See our information on medicinal cannabis for more information.

There are several prescribed medications – and even over the counter drugs – that can be detected during testing. These are all medications that can potentially affect a person’s ability to work safety. Medications include opioids (e.g. codeine, morphine, fentanyl and oxycodone), medicinal cannabis, benzodiazepines, anti-anxiety medications, antihistamines, epilepsy medications, and dexamphetamine ADHD medication. See this post for more details.

Integrity Sampling uses Dräger drug and alcohol testing equipment for all its workplace testing. This equipment is extremely precise and reliable. In the case of our drug testing equipment, it’s been independently evaluated to be greater than 99% accurate. For alcohol testing, the breathalysers we use have been proven worldwide over millions of tests. It’s also important to note that any non-negative result must be confirmed, in the case of drug tests by independent laboratory analysis. See this post for more details.

With locations in over 50 cities and towns throughout Australia and New Zealand, Integrity Sampling has geographical coverage in every state and territory. Our services are available far and wide and our testing can be completed on remote sites. If you’re unsure whether we can service your workplace, please contact us.

Integrity Sampling is NATA accredited and all technicians have received specific training and accreditation for the testing devices we use and are qualified to manage on-site testing. In addition, our technicians have a thorough understanding of privacy laws, confidentiality of information and OH&S.

Education is an essential part in any robust drug and alcohol management plan. Employees, management, contractors and other stakeholders need regular education to remind them of the health and safety implications of the misuse of drugs and alcohol. Education is also important to ensure people understand the details of your drug and alcohol policy, buy into the way you manage drugs and alcohol and dispel any potential fears. See our education page for more information.