Running your first random drug and alcohol selection is a milestone moment for any testing program. It is the point where policy becomes practice — where the program moves from documentation to real-world implementation. Getting it right the first time sets the tone for the entire program.

Getting it wrong — a flawed selection, a missing consent form, an unclear notification process — can undermine credibility, create legal exposure, and make subsequent selections harder to manage.

This checklist covers everything a safety manager needs to have in place before pressing the button on that first random selection.

Policy and Governance

1. Policy Signed Off and Communicated

Your drug and alcohol policy must be formally approved by the appropriate authority — typically the CEO, board, or senior leadership team. Verbal agreement is not sufficient. The policy should be:

• Signed by the authorising officer with the date of approval
• Communicated to all employees (with evidence of communication — signed acknowledgement, email receipt, or induction record)
• Available in the document management system and physically accessible on site
• Reviewed by a workplace lawyer to confirm legal defensibility

Do not conduct testing under a policy that has not been formally communicated. A Fair Work Commission hearing will ask for evidence of communication, and “we sent an email” may not be sufficient if the employee claims they did not receive it.

2. Consultation Completed

Under WHS legislation, employers must consult with workers on health and safety matters. Ensure you can demonstrate that consultation occurred before the policy was finalised. Records should include:

• Meeting minutes from consultation sessions
• Feedback received and how it was addressed
• Union or HSR endorsement (where applicable)

Employee Pool

3. Employee Pool Verified and Current

The pool of employees eligible for random testing must be accurate and up to date. Common issues include:

• Former employees who have not been removed from the system
• New starters who have not been added
• Employees on extended leave (parental, workers’ compensation, long service) who should be temporarily excluded
• Contractors and labour hire workers whose inclusion status is unclear

Audit your employee pool before the first selection. Verify it against your HR system or payroll records. Establish a process for keeping it current on an ongoing basis — ideally automated rather than manual.

4. Employee Details Complete

For each employee in the pool, ensure you have:

• Full name and employee ID
• Department, location, and role
• Manager or supervisor name
• Contact details (for notification)

Missing or incorrect details will cause delays on testing day and may compromise the integrity of the process.

Testing Logistics

5. Testing Equipment or Provider Ready

If you are using an external testing provider:

• Is the service agreement signed and active?
• Does the provider have capacity on your intended testing date?
• Has the provider confirmed the specimen type (oral fluid, urine, or both), the substance panel, and the cut-off levels?
• Does the provider understand your site access requirements (PPE, induction, security)?

If you are conducting testing in-house:

• Is the testing equipment in date and stored correctly?
• Are your testers trained and certified to the relevant Australian Standard?
• Is the testing area private, clean, and appropriate?
• Do you have sufficient testing kits for the number of employees to be selected?

6. Confirmation Laboratory Arranged

If a screening test returns a non-negative result, it must be confirmed by a NATA-accredited laboratory. Ensure:

• The confirmation laboratory is identified and engaged
• The chain of custody process is understood and documented
• Turnaround times for confirmation are known and acceptable

Selection Process

7. Selection Method Documented

Your selection method must be genuinely random and demonstrably so. The method should be:

• Documented in the policy or a supporting procedure
• Auditable — you should be able to demonstrate how each selection was generated
• Free from human bias — software-generated random selections are far more defensible than drawing names from a hat

If you are using a testing management platform, ensure the randomisation algorithm is documented and that the platform retains a record of each selection event including the pool, the method, and the employees selected.

8. Selection Percentage Confirmed

What percentage of the eligible pool will be selected for each round? This should be defined in your policy. Common rates range from 5% to 25% per round, depending on the frequency of testing rounds and the annual target. Confirm that the selected percentage, combined with the planned frequency of rounds, will achieve your annual testing target.

Notification and Execution

9. Notification Process Defined

How will selected employees be notified? The process should specify:

• Who delivers the notification (typically the employee’s direct supervisor or a designated coordinator)
• How the notification is delivered (face-to-face, with written confirmation)
• What the employee is told (where to go, when, what to bring)
• How quickly the test must occur after notification (immediate testing reduces the risk of adulteration or avoidance)
• What happens if the employee is absent on the day of selection

10. Confidentiality Protocols in Place

The list of selected employees must be kept confidential until each individual is notified. If the selection list is widely known before testing, it defeats the purpose. Ensure:

• The selection list is shared only with those who need it (typically the testing coordinator and the relevant supervisors)
• Notification is conducted discreetly
• The reason for an employee’s absence from their workstation is not disclosed to colleagues

Result Handling

11. Result Handling Procedure Documented

Before any testing occurs, you must have a clear, documented procedure for handling every possible outcome:

• Negative result — How is the employee notified? How is the record stored?
• Non-negative (presumptive positive) — What immediate actions are taken (stand-down, confirmation testing)? Who is notified? How is the employee supported?
• Confirmed positive — What is the disciplinary process? How is the EAP referral made? What are the return-to-work conditions?
• Refusal to test — How is this treated under your policy? How is it documented?
• Invalid or inconclusive result — Is the employee retested? Under what timeframe?

12. Escalation Pathway Clear

Ensure that everyone involved in the testing process knows the escalation pathway:

• Who is the first point of contact for questions or issues on testing day?
• Who makes the decision to stand down an employee pending a confirmed result?
• Who initiates the disciplinary process?
• Who authorises a return-to-work agreement?

Final Checks

• Records system ready — Is your testing management system configured and tested? Can it capture all required data fields?
• Privacy notice prepared — Have employees been informed about how their test data will be collected, used, stored, and disclosed?
• Emergency procedures — What happens if an employee has a medical event during testing? Is first aid accessible?
• Communication plan — Has the first selection been communicated to management? Do they know what to expect?

Running through this checklist before your first selection ensures that when testing day arrives, the focus is on execution — not on scrambling to fill gaps that should have been addressed weeks earlier.

Ready to run your first random selection with confidence? Start a free trial of FairTest and manage your entire selection process — from employee pool to result handling — in one streamlined platform.