Drug And Alcohol Testing At Work In the UK
Successfully tackling drug and alcohol misuse can benefit your business by:
- Reducing the cost of lateness and absenteeism
- Creating a more productive environment
- Reducing the risk of accidents caused by impaired judgement
- Reducing the number of bad behaviour or poor discipline
- Improved effect on team morale and employee relations
- Enhancing the public perception of your organisation as a responsible employer
You have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees. Similarly, your employees are also required to take reasonable care of themselves and others who could be affected by what they do.

Drugs and Alcohol misuse in the workplace is fast becoming a major problem.
Drugs and alcohol can affect the brain and the body in a number of ways. They can alter the way a person thinks, perceives and feels, and this can lead to either impaired judgement or concentration. It can also bring about the neglect of general health and well-being. This may adversely influence performance at work, even when the misuse takes place outside the workplace.
Signs of drug and alcohol misuse which you might look for include:
- Sudden Mood Changes
- Poor timekeeping
- Unusual irritability or aggression
- Increased short-term sickness absence
- A tendency to become confused
- Dishonesty and theft
- Abnormal fluctuations in concentration and energy
- Deterioration in relationships with colleagues, customers or management.
- Impaired job performance
What can Arion do for you?
We can offer a drug and alcohol testing service.The primary screening for drugs and alcohol are performed on site by our trained technicians.
We can test on a random basis, pre-employment or ‘for cause’.
Drugs Testing:
Urine testing remains the mainstay of drugs of abuse testing as the sample is easy to collect and analyse.When collecting urine samples, the strict collection procedures ensure that the results will be legally defensible.
The screening tests for the 10 most common drugs of abuse:
- Opiates (including Heroin)
- Amphetamines
- Cannabis
- Buprenorphine
- Cocaine
- Methadone
- Barbiturates
- Ketamine
- Methampletamines (including Ecstasy)
Any non-negative results can be returned to the laboratory for confirmation analysis; all our technicians are fully trained in Chain of Custody procedures and protocols used for sample collection.
Alcohol Testing:
We use the home office approved Dräger 6820 Breathalyser to provide legally defensible results on site.
The Dräger has an in-built microprocessor to control sample collections and a patented mouthpiece with a non-return value to prevent any form of sample manipulation. Test results are displayed and printable with a recorded time stamp, a copy signed by the collector, donor and witness. All our staff are trained on the proper use of the unit and with the knowledge to undertake breath alcohol tests proficiently.
Get in touch and speak to one of our professionals. Contact us today!