From turnstiles to no false highs

The company also showcased significant advances in breathalyser integration with time and attendanc... 

Drug and alcohol equipment specialist Alco-Safe drew the crowds at A-OSH Expo 2025, demonstrating how companies can navigate the evolving legal landscape of workplace testing while maintaining safety standards.

MD Rhys Evans stressed Alco-Safe’s commitment to helping clients adapt to changing regulations such as the legalisation of cannabis for private use: “We offer free services to assess and update clients’ policies. We can review these and, based on existing legal cases, recommend changes and upgrades if needed to ensure they are using legal, acceptable, ethical, and accurate equipment. Testing’s main aim is safety.”

Evans highlighted saliva-based drug testing for cannabis as crucial for fair and effective workplace testing: “Traditional urine testing has a very long detection window, so people test positive long after using cannabis. A saliva test gives a much shorter window, so it is ideal to determine if someone is under the influence.”

The company also showcased significant advances in breathalyser integration with time and attendance systems. Its unmanned Alcontrol units, installed on turnstiles, can seamlessly integrate with diverse biometric systems, providing real-time data capture like employee details and test results, with the option to send automated notifications to shift or health and safety managers when positive results are detected. “This makes it very difficult for that test result to ‘just go away’,” noted Evans, adding that this technology eliminates potential human interference or result manipulation.

He said multiple time and attendance companies expressed interest in Alco-Safe’s integration capabilities at the expo, reflecting the growing demand for comprehensive, technology-driven workplace safety solutions.