Australian Standards

Relevant Australian Standards for Alcohol & Drug Testing

The Australian Standards are published documents setting out specifications and procedures designed to ensure products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistently perform the way they are intended to. They establish a minimum set of requirements which define quality and safety criteria.

Australian Standard Drug Class Screening cut-off levels may take other factors into account, such as the cut-off level for cannabis metabolites which makes allowance for passive smoking (it is set at a level that ensures a positive result cannot be obtained from passive smoking).

Current drug screening cut-off levels (urine testing) based on AS/NZS 4308:2023

  • Amphetamine Type Stimulants (250 ug/L)
  • Benzodiazepines (200 ug/L)
  • Cannabis Metabolites (50 ug/L)
  • Cocaine Metabolites (150 ug/L) 
  • Opiates (300 ug/L)

Currently in a three year transition period until November this year AS/NZS 4308:2023 is replacing AS/NSZ 4308:2008 with some significant changes to be aware of. 

The main change is to decrease the screening cut off for cocaine metabolites from 300 ug/L down to 150 ug/L, and a corresponding drop in confirmatory cut off from 150 ug/L down to 100 ug/L resulting in more detections on site along with confirmatory testing being more likely to match the initial screening result.

The second key change in the updated urine standard is a decrease in the confirmatory cut off levels for Benzodiazepines metabolites from 200 ug/L down to 100 ug/L. This will reduce the likelihood of a non negative on site screen returning a confirmed negative confirmation due to a mixture of metabolites present in the urine with no individual component over 200 ug/L. Screening cut offs for Benzodiazepines remain at 200 ug/L.

Current drug screening cut-off levels (oral fluid) based on AS/NZS 4760:2019

  • Opiates (50 ng/mL)
  • Amphetamine Type Stimulants (50 ng/mL)
  • Benzodiazepines (10 ng/mL) *
  • Cannabis (THC) (15 ng/mL)
  • Cocaine (50 ng/mL)
  • Methamphetamine (50 ng/mL)
  • Oxycodone (40 ng/mL)

 * Testing is optional for BZO based on workplaces specific testing requirements or policies.

AS/NZS 3547:2019 (Electronic Breath Alcohol Testing Devices)

Specifies the requirements for the performance, testing and marking of breath alcohol testing devices for uses such as, but not limited to,  personal, workplace and medical screening purposes.

Most industry users require alcohol testers to be Australian Standard Certified for example the Australian Police usually tender with Australian Standard Certification as a minimum requirement (to eliminate inferior instruments).  

What are Australian Standards?

The Australian Standards are published documents setting out specifications and procedures designed to ensure products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistently perform the way they are intended to. They establish a minimum set of requirements which define quality and safety criteria.

Are Australian Standards Law? Australian Standards are only legally enforceable when they are incorporated into legislation.

Benefit of Australian Standards? Standards mean better value for all and a level playing field. They ensure the quality and consistency of products and services, giving businesses and consumers greater peace of mind. They also benefit the economy, improving health and safety, protecting our natural resources, and improving our quality of life.

Who sets Australian Standards? Australian Standards are set by Standards Australia, a standards body recognised by the Commonwealth Government to co-ordinate standardisation activities.

Are Australian Standards compulsory for manufacturers or importers? On their own, standards are voluntary. There is no requirement for the importers or manufacturers to comply with standards however, State and Commonwealth governments often refer to Australian Standards® (AS) or joint Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS) in their legislation. When this happens, these standards can become mandatory.

Certified – certification involves a formal acknowledgment by an accredited authority or organisation that a process, system, or equipment meets specified standards or requirements. A device can be certified, meaning it adheres to the requirements of AS4760 (by RASL) and AS3547 (by Ce CERT). Certification is provided by a third party, RASL & Ce CERT.

Verified – verification is the process of confirming that specific results or data are accurate and conform to the required specifications or criteria and processes are in place to endure certification is not compromised by actions of the company eg engineering, production, service etc. Verification involves confirming the accuracy of test results is maintained through accuracy of the calibration, adherence to protocols during production/service/collection. This is not always carried out by the same person ie for AS3547 CeCERT certify the products but SAI Global (or British Standards) verify that all necessary components are in place to maintain that certification ie an annual product audit is conducted for AS3547 compliance. (AS4760 Is RASL for verification and certification).

Key Differences?

Certification is a broader, formal recognition of compliance with a standard where as Verification is a process that ensures specific results, equipment, or actions conform to the expected requirements and go beyond the mere certification of a product.

In summary, certification applies to the overall product while verification pertains to individual steps within the process of delivering that product. This is why you’ll see our products listed as Certified and Independantly Verified to AS/NZS (relevant standard). 

For more information regarding Australian Standards contact our Alcohol and Drug advisory team here or phone 1300 789 908.