By Glenn Dobson, CEO, The Drug Detection Agency 

While New Zealand may have narrowly avoided a technical recession, infrastructure businesses are still navigating a challenging financial landscape. What’s more, The Drug Detection Agency’s (TDDA’s) Imperans database has reported a steady rise in positive drug and alcohol detections at workplaces across most industries, infrastructure included.

While it’s tempting to cut costs, TDDA’s data indicates that health and safety must remain a priority in the workplace. Economic recovery doesn’t mean less risk – especially when it comes to drug and alcohol use, which has been shown to persist and even spike during tough times.

‘Given the current economic climate, I anticipate a gradual rise in detections as the year closes out as well as the usual holiday period rise too,’ says Glenn Dobson, CEO, TDDA. ‘Businesses need to ensure their substance policies are robust, maintain regular testing, and engage in comprehensive awareness training.’

In the infrastructure industry, where heavy machinery and high‑risk environments are the norm, cutting corners on drug testing is a risk that no business can afford. Unaccredited or do-it-yourself testing solutions compromise employee safety and expose businesses to legal liabilities. The consequences of incorrect test results – whether falsely accusing an employee or failing to identify a substance abuser – can lead to personal grievances or, worse, serious workplace accidents.

Legal compliance is why accreditation matters. TDDA, already a leader in workplace drug and alcohol testing across Australasia, recently gained International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) accreditation for oral fluid collection, making it the first drug and alcohol testing and collection company in New Zealand to obtain accreditation. 

This new accreditation is in relation to Section 2 of the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4760:2019 (oral fluid), and naturally aligns with the IANZ accreditation that TDDA already holds for urine drug testing.

The new oral fluid accreditation demonstrates TDDA’s ongoing leadership, and its constant commitment to providing the gold standard of quality and compliance for substance testing services to Australasian workplaces. 

The IANZ accreditation means that TDDA’s processes meet the rigorous critical requirements of the oral fluid testing standards, including collection, storage, handling and dispatch. 

This standard is critical for the procedure of specimen collection, as well as the detection and quantification of drugs in oral fluid, providing the highest level of reliability and accuracy.

The economic recovery is an opportunity for businesses to rethink their health and safety strategies. By partnering with accredited providers like TDDA, companies can ensure they are fully compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, while also protecting both their employees and their reputations.

TDDA offers a wide range of drug and alcohol tests to suit businesses, including breathalyser technology in its mobile clinics, hair alcohol testing, and multi-panel substance tests, to help companies prioritise their employees’ wellbeing, and maintain a safe and compliant workplace. //

For more information visit www.tdda.com or simply scan the QR code.