Managing workplace drug risk requires more than trust alone. Even in highly trusted roles, drug and alcohol use occurs, with serious safety consequences. Implementing practical, proactive controls that enable early detection assists in reducing risk, supporting consistent decision-making, and ensuring safer outcomes for workers, operations, and the broader community.

Australia’s latest wastewater report reveals rising drug use, including substances not covered in standard workplace testing. This creates a growing gap between real-world risk and current programs. Expanding testing is possible but must be supported by compliant procedures, clear communication, and informed consent to ensure defensible, effective workplace safety outcomes.

Australia’s latest wastewater data reveals drug use is rising, with record consumption across key illicit substances. These trends highlight a growing and evolving risk that extends beyond the community into the workplace. For organisations, effective, proactive drug and alcohol programs are essential to manage risk, protect safety, and support consistent, defensible outcomes.

Global regulators are responding to rising drug risks, with testing rates increasing – including a 50% random testing requirement in the US. In Australia, effective drug and alcohol programs remain critical to workplace safety, productivity, and compliance, requiring consistent, practical application beyond policy to deliver defensible, real-world outcomes.

Regulator data shows that failures rarely stem from a single issue, but from a combination of organisational, environmental, and human factors. Even the strongest systems rely on capable people – making confident, informed decisions on the ground where safety outcomes are determined.

With cocaine consumption at record highs nationwide, organisations must ensure their approach to drug and alcohol management is robust, consistent, and defensible. The right systems, policies, and testing programs reduce risk, support confident decision-making, and protect your workforce. Now is the time to review your approach and strengthen your response.

Standard urine, oral fluid and breath testing remain essential for detecting recent drug and alcohol use. However, in some situations, employers may benefit from additional insight. Hair, sweat drug patch and PEth testing strengthen existing programs by providing a longer-term view, supporting risk management, rehabilitation and ongoing compliance.

As industry standards advance, we are committed to keeping our customers accurate, compliant, and confident in their alcohol testing programs. Please be advised that from 30 June 2027, we will cease repairs and calibration services for handheld breathalysers operating under AS 3547:1997, including the HH3, HH4, and LE5 models.

To maintain compliance, organisations will need to transition to instruments aligned with AS 3547.1:2019.

A workplace drug test result may look simple – but the systems behind it are anything but. From external proficiency testing to routine quality control checks, disciplined processes help ensure results remain accurate, consistent, and defensible. This article looks at how independently verified quality assurance supports compliance and confidence in workplace drug testing programs.

A Fair Work Commission ruling has ordered a transport employer to pay $34,904 in compensation after dismissing a truck driver over a positive cannabis test without proving workplace impairment or following fair process.

Many workplaces unknowingly weaken their drug and alcohol programs by mixing testing methods. When screening and confirmation don’t align, detection windows clash, results are misinterpreted, and real risks slip through. Learn why matrix consistency matters – and how fixing this blind spot strengthens safety, fairness, and defensibility.

A sharp rise in deaths linked to novel benzodiazepines has been labelled a major public health concern by UNSW Sydney researchers. These unregulated synthetic drugs mimic prescription benzos but are more potent and unpredictable. Since 2013, 258 fatal poisonings have been recorded, highlighting risks for health services, regulators and workplaces.