Category: Non-Categorised

We are excited to announce that Sober Check has acquired CMM Australia, effective 24 January. Sober Check has been New Zealand’s leading supplier of drug and alcohol testing equipment since 2005, providing reliable solutions to businesses across the country. We have worked closely with CMM since 2008 and are pleased to expand our presence in the Australian market through this acquisition.

CMM, based in Perth, has been a trusted name in drug and alcohol testing for many years. We want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Colin Passmore and Murray Simon for their dedication in establishing and growing CMM. Their hard work has had a lasting impact on the industry, and we are honoured to continue the legacy they have built.

For our customers in New Zealand, you will continue to receive the same excellent service that Sober Check is known for. In addition, we are excited to introduce some innovative new products, which will be rolled out around the middle of the year.

For our new customers in Australia, there will be no disruptions—CMM will continue to operate as usual, with the same team and the same great service you have come to expect. We look forward to connecting with you in due course and further strengthening our relationships in the Australian market.

This acquisition marks an exciting step forward for both companies, allowing us to expand our reach and continue providing high-quality drug and alcohol testing solutions.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 0800 700 777 or email support@sobercheck.co.nz.

As of the 30th September 2024, the provision of free Covid-19 RATs by Health New Zealand is ending.

Covid-19 continues to be an endemic virus, and people will continue to self-test – not only for Covid-19, but also for other viruses such as Influenza A&B and RSV.

Not to worry, we have you covered! Sober Check has the following rapid antigen test kits available, in various pack sizes:

✅ Covid-19
✅ Combination Covid-19 & Influenza A/B
✅ Combination Covid-19 & Influenza A/B & RSV

To ensure you are ready to order when your current supply ends, you can set up an account by filling out this form: https://tally.so/r/wk6No3

Don’t get caught short! Call us on 0800 700 777 or reply to this email (support@sobercheck.co.nz) to discuss rates.

Here is some additional information on the free RAT supply:

https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/corporate-information/news-and-updates/change-to-covid-19-service-from-1-july-2024-but-other-funded-covid-19-services-remain-available

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/what-you-need-to-know/518820/rats-vaccines-and-treatments-the-budget-for-covid-what-you-need-to-know

https://info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/covid-19/testing-and-reporting

People can adulterate a sample in a variety of ways and as a tester, it pays to be aware of what substances and methods are used in adulteration!

• Water – Water is a very common adulterant used to dilute the level of drugs present in a urine sample. Dilution can be done by scooping or pouring water into the drug cup, or simply drinking excessive amounts of water before providing a sample.
• Bleach – Bleach can be added to the sample to interfere with the detection of drugs and cause false results. This is often smuggled in under the fingernails, but can be stopped by asking the donor to thoroughly wash their hands with warm soapy water before providing a sample.
• Salt – This can be added to make a sample more concentrated in the hope of covering any presence of drugs.
• Creatinine – All cups verified to the standard will test for creatinine levels. If you see a low level of creatinine, the sample is likely to have been diluted. A high level of creatinine can mean synthetic creatinine has been added to the sample to mask the drugs present.
• Synthetic Urine – This can be used instead of the donor providing a sample. Synthetic urine can be hard to detect once it has been provided as a sample, but is often easily found on the donor prior to a test.

This is only a few of the most common methods of adulteration – there is plenty more!

Bleach, Drano powder, and pool cleaning chemicals are all oxidants and can be used to adulterate a drug test.

After you have asked the person to:

• remove shoes and outer clothing, and
• pat themselves down

… get them to wash their hands as well with soap and water, taking care that they wash under the fingernails.

This will prevent any chemicals being smuggled in and dropped into the drug test.

Following the provisions of the Privacy Act generally means that you get rid of information as soon as you no longer need it. However, this is overruled by other forms of legislation which require records to be kept for longer.

Regarding drug testing, there is nothing explicitly spelt out in any standard or legislation.

Here’s how it’s handled for other forms of testing:

• The National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council (Australia) recommends 7 years, for laboratory reports
• The Health (Retention of Health Informaion) Regulations 1996 specifies that healthcare providers keep patient records for a minimum of 10 years from when they last provided services to that patient
• The Health and Safety at Work 2016 Act has a section regarding storage of health monitoring records. This specifies at least 30 years after the record is made, if the testing is non-asbestos-related. If it involves testing for asbestos-related diseases, 40 years.

It’s possible that if you conduct drug testing, you’d be considered a provider under the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996.

4 Definition of provider
…(k) any other person who provides, or holds himself or herself or itself out as providing, services to the public or to any section of the public, whether or not any charge is made for those services.

How long you should keep drug test results ultimately comes down to what you say in your company policy.
To be safe, you should keep them a minimum of 10 years. If you’re carrying out health monitoring also, keep the drug test results for 30 – 40 years!

If you carry out random drug testing on 5% of your team each month (60% yearly), you will:

1. catch out people who are impaired at work
2. create a culture of awareness where people don’t come to work impaired

The second reason is the biggest benefit of drug testing.

It’s similar to police carrying out roadside alcohol testing.
The possibility that there might be a checkpoint on the road tonight encourages people to plan ahead so they don’t drive drunk.

The possibility that there might be a random drug test tomorrow encourages people to avoid taking drugs which will impair them at work.

Like police checkpoints, drug testing needs to be:

• Regular (there’s a possibility that testing will be happening)
• Unpredictable (but I can’t predict with certainty whether they’ll be there, best to play it safe)
• Consequential (if I get caught out, I could lose my job… it’s not worth it)
• Ongoing (I’ve got away with it so far, but testing keeps happening and I know I’ll get caught out at some point)

The Medix pro-split drug cup and the Sure Step drug cup are very identical. They look the same, are used in the same way, cost the same, and are made by the same people.

The only difference is the Medix cup has one less test strip than the Sure Step. This means the Medix is more likely to run a consistent test, as there is more urine available per strip!

Watch this short video below to learn more:

Random drug testing is an important preventive tool in a workplace drug and alcohol programme.  Rather than targeting individuals based on suspicion alone, truly random testing involves selecting employees without notice, giving everyone an equal chance of selection and helping maintain a fair and transparent process.  A genuine random approach makes it difficult for employees to predict or avoid testing.  It can also act as a deterrent to substance use that may compromise safety, productivity and compliance.

The main purpose of random drug testing is to support workplace safety and wellbeing. By testing at unpredictable times, you reinforce the message that everyone is responsible for staying fit for work.  In safety-sensitive industries or roles where impairment could have serious consequences, a well-designed random testing programme can contribute to risk management and help identify issues early, before they escalate.

It’s important that your random testing process is genuinely random.  It can’t be targeted at particular individuals because of suspicion.  If you do have concerns about a team member’s behaviour or performance, it’s best practice to address it directly.  In many workplaces, this looks like a reasonable cause test (where there is specific evidence of potential impairment) followed by a supportive conversation and, if needed, a confirmatory test.

Random testing can also highlight problems you weren’t aware of, giving you an opportunity to provide support, refer staff to assistance programmes or strengthen your overall health and safety strategy.  When integrated into a broader drug and alcohol policies, together with education, having clear procedures and respectful communication, random testing works alongside coaching and leadership to keep teams healthy and safe.

Best Practice Tips

• Use a true random selection method (such as software or number draws) to show that every eligible employee has an equal chance of being selected.
• Ensure your random programme is part of a documented workplace drug & alcohol policy that outlines how selection is done and why it’s being used.
• Random testing is most appropriate for roles where impairment could affect safety, health or compliance outcomes.  Ensure these are clearly documented in your policy.
• Remember that testing itself should be handled considerately and employers should offer training to those conducting tests being consistent and up-to-date with current testing policies and procedures. 

If you’re looking for a simple way to pick staff at random, we offer a random selection tool to help you generate unbiased lists for your drug testing programme.  

Sober Check offers a number of Oral Fluid and Urine Drug Testing Training courses so your team can feel confident, compliant and respectful throughout the process.

Key Benefits of a Random Testing Programme

• Helps deter substance use before it becomes a safety risk
• Supports workplace safety and compliance
• Encourages accountability across the team
• Can reveal issues early and support targeted wellbeing responses

If you’re having troubles with controls, it’s more likely to be the controls you are using, rather than the cups you are testing!

A large part of this is due to the storage requirements for controls. Here’s an outline of what the spec sheet for the Detectabuse brand of controls says:

Unopened:
Stable until the expiration date when stored in the freezer (-10ºC to -20ºC) or the fridge (2ºC to 8ºC).

Opened:
Stable for up to 6 months when stored in a freezer (-10ºC to -20ºC). Can be thawed/frozen up to 5 times.
Stable for 31 days when stored in the fridge (2ºC to 8ºC).

Most testers around the country are storing controls solutions in the fridge, but are unaware that the controls will become unstable after a month!

The Lifeloc FC10 is our recommended breathalyser for personal use testing. It is very reliable and will last you 10 + years if looked after! This breathalyser is verified to the AS 3547:1997 standard. It does not comply with the new AS 3547:2019 breathalyser standard.

These great little gadgets help us to keep New Zealand families safe, particularly on the road. They have the ability to test in passive and auto mode, and come with a water-proof, shock-proof case!

If you have any questions, give us a call on 0800 700 777.

When you consume alcohol, it goes through the digestive system and into your bloodstream.
As your blood circulates through your lungs, it releases ethanol vapour which comes our in your breath.

Any alcohol content in your breath has come from deep down in your lungs, and is constantly renewed from the alcohol content in your bloodstream.

There’s a lot of myths about what you can do to reduce your alcohol level. They’re almost all based on doing something in your mouth, which doesn’t work, because the alcohol comes from… your lungs!

For example:

• Eating mints doesn’t reduce your alcohol level. It makes your mouth feel fresh, but it doesn’t do anything for the alcohol from your lungs.
• Sucking on a lemon also doesn’t work.
• Sucking on coins doesn’t work for the same reason.
• Using something to soak up liquid in your mouth will only work (briefly) if you have alcohol in your mouth. It won’t do anything for the alcohol on your breath.
• Having liquid air fresheners in the car doesn’t do anything to help your alcohol level, and are actually counter-effective! These are usually made up of fragrances dissolved in ethanol. When you clip an air freshener onto the air vents in your car, the air blows through and sends the ethanol circulating around your car. You’ll end up with a low level of alcohol in the air of the car… not enough to affect you, but enough to be picked up by a breathalyser.
• Pills and medications such as Quick-Eze don’t work… These go into your digestive system, and it’s multiple hours before they’ll do anything to your alcohol level (if they even do anything at all).

There are things that do work to reduce your alcohol level: drink plenty of water, and eat plenty of food. These take time, and reduce your alcohol level by diluting the amount of alcohol present in your bloodstream.

Does your company experience any of the following?

• Repetitive staff absences with little or no explanation
• Constant low-level machinery and vehicle damage
• Instances of dishonesty and theft
• Large variations in productivity from day-to-day with individual people, i.e mood swings, erratic behaviour, and forgetfulness
• Tasks completed poorly or not at all
• High levels of disciplinary actions undertaken
• Sudden unexplained drops in performance
• Particular individuals that pick fights, or are often irritable

These are common symptoms seen when someone is abusing drugs. If they’re erratic at work, they’re also unsafe at work.

If they get hurt in an accident, what is your legal liability in that case?