Why More Workplaces are Choosing Dual-Method Drug Testing Training

One Course. Two Testing Methods.
Greater Confidence in Workplace Drug Testing.

At Sober Check, we’re committed to making workplace drug testing training practical, accessible and relevant to the needs of New Zealand workplaces.

Following the recent launch of our NZQA-accredited Urine Drug Testing for Workplaces training, we’re pleased to introduce our new Combined Oral Fluid & Urine Drug Testing Training programme.

Delivered through Sober Check Training Limited, our NZQA-registered Private Training Establishment (PTE), the combined course provides organisations with an efficient way to develop workplace testing capability across both oral fluid and urine drug testing through one integrated programme.

Why Combined Training Makes Sense

Many New Zealand workplaces use both oral fluid and urine drug testing as part of their workplace drug and alcohol screening programme. While there are important differences between the two testing methods, there is also crossover in areas such as documentation, chain of custody and workplace testing procedures.

Bringing the training together reduces unnecessary duplication while still ensuring learners develop the method-specific knowledge and practical competency required for both oral fluid and urine testing.

For organisations and learners, that means:

  • less time away from the workplace
  • one enrolment
  • one learning journey
  • one trainer
  • one practical assessment pathway
  • one point of contact
  • nationally recognised qualifications across both testing methods

Most importantly, learners come away with the knowledge and confidence to carry out workplace testing correctly, consistently and professionally.

Training Designed Around Your Workplace

Every workplace is different. Some organisations rely solely on oral fluid testing, while others use urine testing or a combination of both.

Many of our customers told us they wanted a more efficient way to train their people without having to complete multiple courses. Our combined programme provides that option.

Training is delivered by experienced Sober Check trainer-assessors and combines practical learning with the requirements of the relevant workplace drug testing standards: AS/NZS 4760:2019 for oral fluid and AS/NZS 4308:2023 for urine.

The combined course is available:

  • Virtually, with a live trainer to support and guide learners
  • In-person, delivered at your workplace

This gives organisations greater flexibility to develop in-house capability while minimising disruption to day-to-day operations.

Nationally Recognised Qualifications

Successful learners will achieve nationally recognised NZQA qualifications across both testing methods:

Oral Fluid Drug Testing

  • NZQA Level 4 Micro-credential
  • Unit Standard 32327 (Level 3, 2 Credits)
  • Unit Standard 32328 (Level 4, 4 Credits)
Urine Drug Testing
  • Unit Standard 25458 (Level 3, 2 Credits)
  • Unit Standard 25511 (Level 4, 4 Credits)
Successful results are recorded on the learner’s NZQA Record of Learning.

More Than a Qualification

Workplace drug testing is about much more than completing a qualification.

It’s about developing the confidence to perform collections correctly, follow documented procedures, understand the relevant standards and carry out testing consistently every time.

When your team understands not only what to do, but why correct procedures matter, they’re better equipped to support a fair, reliable and consistent workplace drug testing programme.

For employers, developing competent in-house testers can also form part of a wider approach to managing workplace risks and supporting duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

Supporting Safer and Healthier Workplaces

Effective workplace drug testing starts with competent, confident people.

Giving your team the right knowledge and practical skills helps build confidence in your testing processes and supports safer and healthier workplaces, helping create environments where everyone can return home safely at the end of the day.

As New Zealand’s largest specialist in workplace drug and alcohol testing solutions, Sober Check provides more than drug and alcohol testing equipment. Through nationally recognised training, refresher programmes, product education and ongoing support, we can help organisations establish and maintain effective in-house workplace drug and alcohol testing capability.

A Complete Workplace Training Solution

Whether you’re:

  • introducing workplace testing for the first time
  • training new workplace testers
  • expanding your capability across both testing methods
  • refreshing the competency of existing testers
  • learning how to correctly use new testing devices

Sober Check has a training pathway to meet your needs.

Your Workplace Training Journey

New to workplace testing?

Oral Fluid Drug Testing 

Urine Drug Testing

Combined Drug Testing

Already qualified?

Refresher Training

Purchased new equipment?

Product Training

Across our complete training suite, online, virtual and in-person delivery options are available depending on the course, giving you flexibility to choose training that works for your people and your workplace.

If you’re considering introducing workplace drug testing, expanding your in-house capability, training new testers or looking for refresher training to keep your team current and confident, talk to the Sober Check Training Team about the right pathway for your organisation.

Sober Check Launches New Drug Testing Tool, the SCOUT OneStep

Sober Check Launches New Drug Testing Tool, the SCOUT OneStep, as Australian and New Zealand Workplaces Deal with Rising Cocaine Usage

Leading workplace drug and alcohol testing authority Sober Check has officially launched its newest flagship hardware solution the SCOUT OneStep Urine Drug Screening Cup. 

Specifically engineered to address the strict operational and technical compliance shifts introduced by the updated AS/NZS 4308:2023 workplace testing standards, the device is set to become the baseline safety benchmark for high-volume industries across Australia and New Zealand.

The biggest technical hurdle introduced by the AS/NZS 4308:2023 update is the dramatic reduction of the cocaine screening cut-off level, which has dropped from 300 µg/L down to 150 µg/L. 

According to Sober Check Australasia CEO, Louis Foster, this launch arrives ahead of the critical November transition deadline, when the legacy 2008 standards officially phase out, leaving organisations using outdated hardware exposed to significant legal and workplace safety risks.

“If an employer continues to screen with legacy 2008-verified cups, they may fail to detect those who have cocaine levels below the 2008 cut-off level, but above the 2023 standard cut-off level,” said Mr Foster. 

“The SCOUT OneStep was engineered from the ground up to meet this improved requirement. It ensures complete, airtight regulatory alignment with the 2023 screening cut-offs, safeguarding both your staff and your corporate legal liability.”

This ‘cocaine cliff’ – in which industry compliance specialists are seeing a rapid surge in usage rates identified by regional wastewater data across both countries – has implications across workplace drug testing regimes. 

Developed directly from extensive client feedback in heavy industrial sectors and blue-collar labour hire providers, the SCOUT OneStep features an intuitive, unified design that simplifies the entire physical on-site collection and screening process.

Key technical innovations built into the device include:

  • The One-Step Workflow: Eliminates the need for external activation keys or complex mechanisms. This simple layout solves a major pain point for labour-hire and remote operations, where donors frequently mishandle testing kits, leading to testing errors or a mess. 
  • Integrated Adulterant Screening: Includes built-in visual windows to immediately assess specimen integrity (e.g. pH and creatinine levels), matching Appendix B3 of the 2023 standard to quickly detect tampering.
  • Time Savings: Shaves at least one full minute off the whole process per donor, a critical efficiency dividend for high-volume situations such as mine entry points, blanket testing and pre-deployment testing.

As Sober Check prepares to showcase its expanded capabilities at upcoming national health safety conferences, the company is urging workplace managers to audit their internal documentation alongside their testing hardware. 

According to Mr Foster, under the 2023 framework, if an organisation’s internal workplace drug and alcohol policy conflicts with the updated standard, it creates critical vulnerabilities that employees can leverage to contest disciplinary actions or termination proceedings.

“In a high-stakes litigation environment, technical errors cost companies millions,” Mr Foster said. 

“The SCOUT OneStep doesn’t just offer a faster, cleaner test; it provides our clients with a legally defensible barrier. It brings physical workplace reality into lockstep with regulatory law.”

The SCOUT OneStep is available for immediate sale, fully compliant with the updated temperature parameters (32°C to 38°C).