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Workplace Alcohol Testing
16 April 2026
Frequently Asked Questions A practical guide for HSE professionals, collectors, and policy owners in New Zealand. Q1 What is the current standard for workplace alcohol breath testing in New Zealand? The current standard is AS 3547:2019, which superseded the previous AS 3547:1997 in 2019. Any breathalyser used for evidential or workplace testing must be certified [...]
NZ Drug use Surges in all districts covering 77% NZ -Waste Water Study Q4-2025
23 March 2026
New data from NZ Police wastewater testing — and it demands our attention. Released today, Q4 2025 figures confirm what many working in harm reduction have feared: cocaine use has hit an all-time high in Aotearoa, now exceeding MDMA for the first time on record. The numbers are stark. To put that in perspective: wastewater [...]
New Zealand’s Roadside Drug Testing: 300 Tests, 7 Fines.
22 February 2026
New Zealand’s roadside drug testing programme is new, cautious, and — if international comparisons are anything to go by — only scratching the surface of a problem that is significantly larger than the official numbers currently suggest. Since police began testing drivers in the Wellington region in December 2025, around 300 people have been tested [...]
ROAD SIDE Drug Testing Explained in Simple Terms
23 November 2025
How the December 2025 Roadside Drug Screening Will Work For over 13 years, Advance Diagnostics has proudly partnered with Pathtech Pty Ltd to supply New Zealand workplaces with the DrugWipe 5S and DrugWipe 6S devices, that uses the same technology as DrugWipe which will be used by NZ Police. As the sole NZ distributor, we [...]
Privacy Breaches Can Be as Costly as the Testing Itself
29 October 2025
As evidenced in Cummings v KAM Transport Limited [2025] NZHRRT 8 Understanding the Situation In this case, we observed a truck driver who initially declined a random drug test but subsequently participated and received a clear result. Unfortunately, despite this negative finding, the employer shared details of the initial test refusal with staff members outside [...]
When policy meets tragedy: The urgent need for responsible alcohol management in the workplace
15 September 2025
Today I want to reflect on a deeply saddening story that underlines something we often think we understand—but may not fully act on: how alcohol in the workplace, even when it feels benign or “part of the culture,” carries risks that can be lethal if not carefully managed. What happened In March 2022, a young [...]
Sensitivity at screening + Specificity at confirmation
9 September 2025
It’s not better to “de-sensitise” screening to avoid cross-reactivity. In safety-critical settings we want screening tools that cast a wide net, then use the laboratory to separate signal from noise. That’s how deterrence works in practice: screen broadly, confirm specifically. Here’s why, in plain terms : Bottom line Selected scientific references you can use to [...]
Supporting Safer Skies
4 September 2025
At Advance Diagnostics, we recognise that the safety of our skies relies not only on technical excellence but also on the wellbeing of the people who work within aviation. A robust and evidence-based approach to drug and alcohol management is central to this. Since the introduction of the new Civil Aviation Act earlier this year, [...]
Liquid Ecstasy (GBL/GHB) – Small Doses, Big Risks
1 September 2025
What is Liquid Ecstasy/ Fantasy Why do people use it? What are the risks of GHB/GHL? Why is it sometimes called “liquid ecstasy” or “Fantasy”? The bottom line 👉 In simple terms: GBL/GHB is a dangerous drug that can quickly move from “fun” to fatal, especially if mixed with alcohol. Overdose is a very real [...]
16 August 2025
Maxwell Parks v WorkPac Pty Ltd,FWC 8Aug2025 A miner’s sacking unravelled after anomalies in testing — from altered results to broken chain-of-custody.This case shows why accurate devices and strict policy compliance are non-negotiable. 1. Cut-off Mismatch 2. Chain-of-Custody Failures These lapses undermined the integrity and reliability of the test results. 3. Policy Breaches These were [...]
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