Training / Specialist competence
Drugs and alcohol testing: competence, not a certificate.
Training, separate practical assessment and evidence for authorisation, for people who carry out breath-alcohol and oral-fluid drug testing at work.
Who it is for
Organisations that test their own people
Supervisors, managers and nominated staff who will carry out workplace testing under the employer's drugs and alcohol policy, in safety-critical settings such as transport, plant, workshops and waste operations.
Why it is different
A defensible test needs a competent tester
A test carried out perfectly can still fall apart if the selection was unfair, the observation period was cut short or the record was written up later. This course covers the whole process, from why a test is happening to what the tester may and may not decide.
Course structure
Four parts, taught in order
- A
Alcohol
Effects and workplace risk, possible indicators, instrument checks, screening, the observation period, the evidential breath test and recording the result.
- B
Drugs
Drug groups and effects, prescribed medication, oral-fluid collection, reading results as negative, non-negative or invalid, and the confirmation and chain-of-custody process.
- C
Shared governance
The legal framework, testing triggers, fair random selection, consent, confidentiality, refusal and the limits of the tester's authority.
- D
Competence and authorisation
Realistic scenarios, a knowledge assessment and separate practical assessments for alcohol and drug testing.
Assessment standard
How competence is decided
| Element | Standard |
|---|---|
| Knowledge assessment | 90% pass mark |
| Alcohol practical | Every critical safety and procedural step demonstrated correctly |
| Drug practical | Assessed separately; competence in one does not carry over to the other |
| Critical errors | Cannot be offset by a high written score. Examples: a manipulated random draw, a shortened observation period, a broken chain of custody |
| Outcome | Competent or not yet competent, recorded for each scope. Coaching and reassessment where needed |
What the certificate does not do
A course certificate does not authorise anyone to test. PMSCS provides the training and the competence evidence. The employer decides who is authorised to test on its behalf, within the scope each person has demonstrated.
After the course
Keeping testers competent
- Annual monitoring of actual testing, completed records and observed practice
- Earlier reassessment after an error, a change of equipment or procedure, or a long gap without testing