drug & Alcohol testing
Ensure Workplace Safety with Professional Drug and Alcohol Screening
Accurate and reliable drug testing for a safer and compliant workplace.
In safety-sensitive industries, even one impaired worker can put an entire team at risk. Implementing different types of drug testing is crucial in preventing accidents and maintaining a safe, drug-free environment.
Ensure your drug testing policy is clearly outlined in employment agreements and let us help you create a safer, healthier work environment!
Why drug & alcohol testing
Benefits
Nationwide coverage.
Types of Drug Testing & Delivery
LifeCare brings drug and alcohol testing straight to your team with flexible options—whether on-site at your workplace, in one of our clinics, or through our mobile clinics. No matter where your team is, we’ve got you covered!
Pre-Employment Drug Screening
Hiring for safety-sensitive roles? Pre-employment drug testing ensures candidates meet workplace safety standards before they start. This is particularly crucial in industries like construction, transportation, and manufacturing. More Info Here.
Random Drug Testing
For high-risk industries, random drug testing provides an extra layer of safety. Every employee in a designated safety-sensitive role has an equal chance of being selected, ensuring a fair and effective approach to risk management.
Blanket Drug Testing
This is similar to random testing in that it is unannounced and not based on individual suspicion; however, everyone at a worksite, or a work department, is tested rather than a randomly selected percentage.
Periodic Drug Testing
Periodic testing is drug testing that is carried out at specified times between specified periods. Employees know in advance when and how the drug testing will be undertaken.
Reasonable Cause Drug Testing
If an employee exhibits signs of impairment—such as erratic behaviour, physical symptoms, or declining performance—reasonable cause testing helps employers take appropriate action to maintain workplace safety.
Follow-up Drug Testing
Employees who have participated in a drug rehabilitation programme, either as a requirement for returning to work or through a self-reporting initiative, are subject to follow-up testing to ensure their continued compliance with the programme. Follow-up drug testing is available nationwide.
Alcohol Screening
This can be added onto drug testing nationwide.
Testing Methods
Early detection prevents accidents, supports health, and reinforces a strong safety culture.
In New Zealand, the are 2 drug testing methods which are acceptable within the workplace and governed by standards. These are testing using Urine or Saliva. Employers often also include Alcohol Breath testing as a part of their drug testing.
Implementing Drug Testing in the Workplace
To successfully introduce workplace drug testing, employers should:
– Update employment agreements to reflect pre-employment, random, reasonable cause, periodic, post-incident and follow-up testing.
– Ensure workplace policies clearly define the testing methods, employer/employee choice, and enforcement procedures. Best practice is to offer both sample methods of testing, randomly or if one cannot be done, the other method can be used.
– Comply with industry standards: AS/NZS 4760:2019 (Oral), AS/NZS 4308:2008 (Urine), and AS 3547-2019 (Breathalyser for alcohol testing).
– Develop a transparent process for random drug testing selection.
– Submit non-negative tests for laboratory confirmation to maintain legal integrity.