Why Workplace Testing Isn’t Just for High-Risk Jobs

When most people hear the words workplace drug and alcohol testing, they picture heavy industry, transport, or construction. The assumption is simple: testing is only needed where accidents could cost lives.

But this assumption is dangerously narrow. Risks don’t only exist on a factory floor or behind the wheel of a lorry. They exist in everyday workplaces, places you’d never immediately associate with being “high risk.”

A True Story That Proves the Point

Recently, while leaving our office for breakfast, I passed a beauty and treatment facility near our office. Outside, two staff were embracing their “inner Bob Marley.” The smell of cannabis was unmistakable.

At first, it might raise a chuckle. But think for a moment: would you really want your haircut, beauty treatment, or even tattoo carried out by someone impaired at work? A slip of the hand, a wrong chemical mix, or a lapse in judgment could cause lasting damage to a customer.

This isn’t about policing people’s personal lives. It’s about recognising that any job involving trust, safety, or precision carries risk when impairment is involved.

Industries We Often Overlook

• Healthcare and Care Services: Patients depend on sharp decision-making, safe handling of medication, and reliable care. A lapse could put lives at risk.

• Beauty and Treatments: From hair dyes to lasers, chemicals and equipment in the wrong hands could cause serious harm.

• Hospitality and Catering: Kitchen equipment, sharp tools, and serving alcohol already create risk. Add impairment, and accidents become inevitable.

• Retail and Customer-Facing Roles: Staff in control of tills, stock, or customer safety still carry responsibility. A simple mistake can cost a business dearly.

  
  

Why Support Matters More Than Punishment

At First Cohort Iincorporated Ltd, we believe testing should never be about catching people out and firing them. That approach solves nothing. Instead, testing should be part of a support-first system, helping employees address issues before they spiral, protecting businesses while also protecting livelihoods.

The Takeaway

Testing isn’t just for high-risk jobs. It’s for any workplace where trust, safety, and responsibility matter. Which, when you think about it, is just about everywhere.

If your business hasn’t considered this broader picture, now’s the time. Don’t wait until something goes wrong on a Friday afternoon. Put a system in place that supports your people and safeguards your reputation.

If you want to talk about how this can work in your industry, get in touch.