Drugs and Alcohol Testing at Work
Discussion
After being made redundant in November I've finally got a job (and a decent one at that). I start on Monday morning and the first thing I will have to do is to drive to another company to do a drugs and alcohol test.
I don't do drugs so thats not an issue. Unfortunately its my friend's birthday on saturday and I was planning on going to a house party. Would I be able to drink 36 hours before the test? Obviously the job is more important but I'd like to be able to drink on saturday.
Thanks.
I don't do drugs so thats not an issue. Unfortunately its my friend's birthday on saturday and I was planning on going to a house party. Would I be able to drink 36 hours before the test? Obviously the job is more important but I'd like to be able to drink on saturday.
Thanks.
I administer the alcohol test for my company on a random basis.
We use the same breathalysers as the Police, with the same alcohol limit.
From the day's training I did to use it, we were informed that you'd have to have a serious amount of alcohol, right up to the small hours of the morning, to still be over the limit when arriving at work at 9am.
Basically - you could have 20 pints on a Saturday night and by 9am Monday morning it'll all be out of your system. So enjoy the party.
We use the same breathalysers as the Police, with the same alcohol limit.
From the day's training I did to use it, we were informed that you'd have to have a serious amount of alcohol, right up to the small hours of the morning, to still be over the limit when arriving at work at 9am.
Basically - you could have 20 pints on a Saturday night and by 9am Monday morning it'll all be out of your system. So enjoy the party.
Think along the lines of 1 unit of alcohol takes an hour to be flushed through your system. So you can enjoy yourself Saturday night, but then have a quiet day Sunday to be ready for your test Monday 
I think the test will be more geared to drugs as they can stay in your system for a month...and they're illegal.
I think the test will be more geared to drugs as they can stay in your system for a month...and they're illegal.
Muzzer said:
I administer the alcohol test for my company on a random basis.
We use the same breathalysers as the Police, with the same alcohol limit.
From the day's training I did to use it, we were informed that you'd have to have a serious amount of alcohol, right up to the small hours of the morning, to still be over the limit when arriving at work at 9am.
Basically - you could have 20 pints on a Saturday night and by 9am Monday morning it'll all be out of your system. So enjoy the party.
If the OP is working in the rail industry their limits are considerably lower than the standard the police useWe use the same breathalysers as the Police, with the same alcohol limit.
From the day's training I did to use it, we were informed that you'd have to have a serious amount of alcohol, right up to the small hours of the morning, to still be over the limit when arriving at work at 9am.
Basically - you could have 20 pints on a Saturday night and by 9am Monday morning it'll all be out of your system. So enjoy the party.
Some workplaces have a tougher blood sample based alcohol test, though I doubt this will be it, as they tend to be done in advance of supplying you with a start date. Certainly I've been to interviews at workplaces claiming that you'd need to do something like this. It's something along the lines of looking at chemicals in the blood that would normally only appear if liver function has been impaired by long term heavy drinking.
Muzzer said:
I administer the alcohol test for my company on a random basis.
We use the same breathalysers as the Police, with the same alcohol limit.
From the day's training I did to use it, we were informed that you'd have to have a serious amount of alcohol, right up to the small hours of the morning, to still be over the limit when arriving at work at 9am.
Basically - you could have 20 pints on a Saturday night and by 9am Monday morning it'll all be out of your system. So enjoy the party.
A pre-employment test will be blood or urine not a breath test.We use the same breathalysers as the Police, with the same alcohol limit.
From the day's training I did to use it, we were informed that you'd have to have a serious amount of alcohol, right up to the small hours of the morning, to still be over the limit when arriving at work at 9am.
Basically - you could have 20 pints on a Saturday night and by 9am Monday morning it'll all be out of your system. So enjoy the party.
As others have mentioned its something like 1 unit takes 1 hour to process but this is based on an average so the OP might be different.
Personally I would have a couple of drinks then have a soft drink / water / OJ and then alternate between alcoholic and non alcoholic for the rest of the night. Eat and drink well the next day and it should be okay for the Monday.
If your really not sure how your body handles booze just dont drink anything!
YAD061 said:
If the OP is working in the rail industry their limits are considerably lower than the standard the police use
It is in the rail industry and in a safety critical role. Its too late now because its now sunday. I had four cans of beer and drank plenty of water which is a lot more restrained than I usually am. Not feeling too bad at the moment but I'm still going to be drinking plenty of fluids today just to be sure.Thanks for the advice everyone.
4 cans of beer? Even if it was STRONG beer then max 3 units a can, so 12 units.
I hold a PTS Card (rail safety training) and on the course the tell you to allow 1 hour per unit from when you STOP drinking. So 12 hours? (or more realistically 10 tops).
And that is to be 100% clear.
You have no worries.
I hold a PTS Card (rail safety training) and on the course the tell you to allow 1 hour per unit from when you STOP drinking. So 12 hours? (or more realistically 10 tops).
And that is to be 100% clear.
You have no worries.
D1bram said:
4 cans of beer? Even if it was STRONG beer then max 3 units a can, so 12 units.
I hold a PTS Card (rail safety training) and on the course the tell you to allow 1 hour per unit from when you STOP drinking. So 12 hours? (or more realistically 10 tops).
And that is to be 100% clear.
You have no worries.
From when you STOP?I hold a PTS Card (rail safety training) and on the course the tell you to allow 1 hour per unit from when you STOP drinking. So 12 hours? (or more realistically 10 tops).
And that is to be 100% clear.
You have no worries.
Surely your liver begins to process the alcohol as soon as you ingest it, so it's from when you START?
So if I start drinking at 7pm and drink six pints of two units each, then that's 12 units, so I am clear at 7am next morning (give or take a few minutes)?
Non?
Soovy said:
From when you STOP?
Surely your liver begins to process the alcohol as soon as you ingest it, so it's from when you START?
So if I start drinking at 7pm and drink six pints of two units each, then that's 12 units, so I am clear at 7am next morning (give or take a few minutes)?
Non?
You're logic sounds good to me, but I have been reliably informed that is not quite how it works. In any case the guidance given is always from when you STOP drinking. Remember it is a worst case ready reckoner, in almost every instance you will be clear quicker.Surely your liver begins to process the alcohol as soon as you ingest it, so it's from when you START?
So if I start drinking at 7pm and drink six pints of two units each, then that's 12 units, so I am clear at 7am next morning (give or take a few minutes)?
Non?
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