In South Africa’s safety-critical industries, a single breathalyser reading can carry serious consequences – from removing a worker from a site to defending a dismissal at the CCMA. Yet workplace alcohol testing operates in an environment with limited formal regulation, leaving employers exposed when results are challenged.

Against this backdrop, ALCO-Safe has reached a significant industry milestone, becoming the first privately owned laboratory in South Africa to achieve accreditation by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) for breathalyser calibration, and the only privately owned provider accredited to manage the full lifecycle of handheld breathalysers, from sales and servicing to calibration, under a single accredited framework.

This accreditation by SANAS marks a major shift, formally recognising the technical competence of ALCO-Safe’s calibration laboratory and confirming that its breathalyser calibration and verification processes meet strict national and international standards for accuracy, consistency and traceability.

Turning uncertainty into defensible certainty

In the absence of a prescribed national standard for workplace breathalyser testing, employers are often required to justify the credibility of their testing equipment after the fact, particularly during CCMA or Labour Court proceedings.

“Without an independent benchmark, employers can find themselves trying to prove the accuracy of their instruments every time a result is challenged,” explains Rhys Evans, Managing Director at ALCO-Safe.

“SANAS accreditation removes that uncertainty by confirming that our calibration procedures, documentation and accuracy calculations have already been independently assessed and approved.”

The accreditation process required ALCO-Safe to demonstrate not only the precision of its calibration instruments, but also the strength of its quality systems. Detailed procedures, traceable records and repeatable methods ensure calibration results remain consistent, regardless of which technician performs the work.

Protecting safety programmes and labour outcomes

For organisations operating in mining, construction, transport, and manufacturing, the risks associated with inaccurate alcohol testing extend beyond compliance. Questionable results can undermine zero-tolerance policies, expose employers to costly disputes and weaken overall safety cultures.

“The real risk of using non-accredited calibration services is not just technical, it’s operational and legal,” Evans notes. “If a breathalyser result cannot be defended, employers may be forced to reinstate employees or settle cases, even when safety was genuinely at risk.”

SANAS accreditation strengthens the legal defensibility of test results, giving employers confidence that alcohol testing outcomes will stand up to scrutiny when challenged.

Making audits simpler and compliance stronger

The benefits of SANAS accreditation extend into day-to-day operations, particularly during audits and safety reviews. In heavily regulated sectors, employers are frequently required to demonstrate that their testing equipment meets recognised standards.

“When customers are audited, they can point directly to the SANAS certificate of the laboratory that supplies and calibrates their breathalysers,” Evans says. “That single document carries significant weight and removes the need for lengthy technical explanations or repeated verification requests.”

The certification also reduces administrative burden by streamlining audit processes and minimising delays linked to calibration challenges.

Setting a new benchmark for workplace alcohol testing

With this accreditation, ALCO-Safe has strengthened its position as a leader in breathalyser distribution, maintenance, and calibration in South Africa.

“This accreditation is about more than compliance,” Evans concludes.

“It’s about trust, trust in the numbers, trust in the process and trust that employers are making decisions based on results that are accurate, fair and defensible.” By achieving SANAS accreditation, ALCO-Safe has not only reinforced its own standards but helped raise expectations for workplace alcohol testing across South Africa’s safety-critical industries.