Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing

Drug and alcohol testing by workplace sector

We provide drug and alcohol testing to a range of companies across different sectors, ensuring employee safety and compliance. You can enquire about testing by workplace sector or contact us directly to discuss any industries not listed:

Construction

Maritime / Cruise

Family law

Warehouse

What is drug and alcohol testing?

Drug and alcohol testing involves screening employees for the presence of legal and illegal substances. Screening is typically conducted in workplaces where employees carry out safety-critical tasks such as operating machinery, using electrical equipment or driving vehicles.

Depending on the substances you want to test for, sample collectors may use different types of sampling methods, such as urine testing. The goal is to promote safety and productivity and ensure compliance for employers and employees.

Screening for drugs and alcohol with Thornbury Nursing Services

With over 40 years of healthcare experience, we’re the trusted testing partner for workplaces of all sizes. Whether you require a quick turnaround after a workplace incident or simply want to perform routine testing, our experienced sample collectors attend your site in as little as two hours to handle the process from start to finish or provide tailor-made solutions.

Rapid response

Testing available within a few hours

International coverage

Consistent, reliable service across major continents

40+ years’ experience

Proven expertise you can trust

High-quality sample collectors

Extensively verified and validated professionals

24/7 contact centre

Always available when you need us

End-to-end solution

Offering a fully managed service from start to finish

Request our brochure and a quote

Step-by-step: Our workplace drug testing

Whenever we perform drug or alcohol testing, the process can be partially or entirely managed by our verified and validated sample collectors. Get in touch with our contact centre to find out more about parts of or our full testing service:

Testing area preparation
Collecting samples safely and effectively
Reviewing of instant testing results
Managing logistics for further assessment of positive results
Providing a legally-defensible certification

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The different types of drug and alcohol testing

At Thornbury Nursing Services, we specialise in urine testing, which is a versatile and reliable sampling method. Other types of drug and alcohol tests are available and are sometimes used in conjunction with urine sampling to create a comprehensive overview of specific substance misuse cases. The most common screening types are:

Urine testing

The most common type of drug test. It’s non-invasive and suited for short-term drug identification.

Saliva testing

This type of drug test offers immediate results and is best for short-term random testing.

Breath testing

Breathalysers only test for alcohol and offer instant results.

Hair testing

A comprehensive testing method, providing substance use history for up to 12 months.

Case study – Supporting employee safety with our drug and alcohol testing service

Since 2024, we have worked in partnership with Marine Medical, supplying experienced collectors and managing their scheduled cruise ship drug and alcohol testing operations in the UK.

For each vessel tested, we are responsible for coordinating each visit with the ship’s agents in advance, preparing the area for testing, ensuring the samples taken are collected compliantly, reviewing instant test results, managing the logistics of positive samples for further analysis and providing legally-defensible certification.

When to test for drugs and alcohol

There are different circumstances that may trigger drug and alcohol testing in your workplace. For example, there may have been an incident where an employee was suggested to have been under the influence of a substance during working hours.

Pre-employment

Prospective employees get tested during the hiring process.

Random

Employers randomly test their employees in safety-critical work.

Cause-based

Employees are tested because it is suspected that there is substance misuse at work.

Post-incident

Employers test employees after workplace incidents involving suspected substance use.

When testing employees for drugs and alcohol, employers should follow the guidelines set out by British government to make sure that testing is being carried out effectively and lawfully. Plus, by keeping within the guidelines for drug and alcohol testing, you can maintain a positive employer/employee relationship with your staff.

Drug testing in the workplace FAQs

Why do companies do drug and alcohol testing?

Companies test their employees for a variety of reasons. Primarily, drug and alcohol testing can help employers identify any risks and issues in the workplace before they become serious. Although in situations where there has been a serious incident, drug and alcohol tests are important to help employers manage their employees in a safe manner.

What are the benefits of drug and alcohol testing?

There are many benefits that come with carrying out drug and alcohol testing at work. The main advantage of drug and alcohol screening is that it ensures the health and safety of all employees in your company. Misusing and abusing substances, both legal and illegal, can affect an employee’s ability to carry out their duties properly and safely.

Other benefits of workplace drug and alcohol testing include:

Ensured compliance with regulations

Increased productivity and efficiency

Lower costs

Better protection for employees and businesses

What drugs do you test for?

At Thornbury Nursing Services, we conduct testing through urine samples. With urine, we can test for a variety of drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, amphetamines, opiates/opioids and benzodiazepines. These have been found to be the most common substances that have been misused by employees.

How much does drug and alcohol testing cost?

Our drug and alcohol testing service is tailored to meet your business’s unique requirements. We will discuss your requirements, including the number of employees that need to be tested and where the screening will be carried out.

We offer a partially or fully managed workplace testing service, so the cost of your package may include:

Sample collector travelling to your site

Setting up the testing area

Collecting samples

Reading test results

Sending positive results to our partner laboratory for verification

Providing a legally-defensible certificate

Who needs to be tested for drug and alcohol at work?

Not every job requires drug and alcohol testing, however, certain sectors that are regulated may suggest that companies carry out frequent random drugs testing to ensure employee safety. For example, if your employees operate heavy machinery, substance misuse would pose a threat to safety in the workplace. It is important when you carry out random drug and alcohol testing at work that you don’t single any employees out and make sure that those that are tested are randomly selected.

Can an employee refuse a drug and alcohol test?

The UK law regarding drugs testing states that employees can refuse to be tested for drugs and alcohol. Although if they refuse when there have been grounds for testing, they may face disciplinary action by their employer.

What qualifications do your sample collectors have?

Our sample collectors are qualified healthcare assistants (HCAs) and registered nurses with at least 12 months of experience in their given profession. We put together a team of carefully selected sample collectors according to your testing needs. A team sent to your site may consist of one or more HCAs and/or nurses to effectively and reliably take samples, record results, and manage the testing site.

Request a quote for a workplace drug and alcohol testing package

For more information, please call our team on 0345 120 5305. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Alternatively, fill out the form below, and our team will reach out to you shortly:

Workplace drug and alcohol testing