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Australian workplaces face November drug testing deadline as cocaine limits halved

Sober Check

Key Facts:

• Australian workplaces have been warned by drug testing provider Sober Check that the 36-month transition period for the updated AS/NZS 4308:2023 drug testing standard expires in November 2026, fully superseding the legacy 2008 framework.
• The revised standard introduces a 50 per cent reduction in the cocaine detection threshold — from 300 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL — meaning testing personnel should expect an increase in initial not-negative screens, particularly from less frequent users previously undetected.
• Mandatory creatinine verification and refined temperature reading windows (32°C–38°C) have been introduced to combat sample tampering and synthetic urine substitutions.
• Remote and fly-in fly-out (FIFO) sites will benefit from operational relief, with the previous requirement for daily device control testing replaced by a more practical monthly control test per delivered lot.
• Sober Check is urging Australian businesses to audit both their physical testing kits and workplace safety policies before the November deadline, with its SCOUT OneStep and Medix Pro Split Cup products already verified as fully compliant with the new standards.

MEDIA SUMMARY: Sober Check has issued an urgent advisory warning Australian workplaces that time is running out to comply with the updated AS/NZS 4308:2023 drug testing standard, as the 36-month transition period officially expires next month, in November 2026. Impacting high-risk industries including mining, oil and gas, heavy transport, and infrastructure, the revised standard mandates a 50 per cent cut in the cocaine detection threshold (from 300 ng/mL down to 150 ng/mL), which will trigger more initial not-negative screens from recreational usage—alongside compulsory creatinine verification to combat sample tampering and updated temperature windows (32°C–38°C). The 2023 framework offers operational relief to remote and FIFO sites by replacing onerous daily device control testing with a practical monthly protocol per delivered lot.

MEDIA RELEASE

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DATE: Wednesday, 21st October 2026

HEADLINE: Australian workplaces warned that time is running out to prepare for new workforce drug testing standards beginning next month 

Perth, Western Australia - Sober Check, one of Australasia’s leading workplace drug & alcohol testing solution providers, warns Australian workplaces that their time is running out as the rollover period for the  AS/NZS 4308:2023 drug testing standard expires next month. 

This updated standard impacts high-risk Australian industries - including mining, oil and gas, heavy logistics, and infrastructure - by introducing stricter detection limits, compulsory anti-tampering verification, and adjusted informed consent structures.

One key change in the new standards is a 50 per cent cut in the cocaine threshold, meaning site managers must prepare testing personnel for more initial not-negative screens due to the reduced cut-off levels (300 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL) - as this might pick up less frequent users  that previously went completely undetected under the 2008 standard.

Sober Check Managing Director Louis Foster recommends that Australian workplaces de-risk their environments in these final weeks before the transition, to ensure compliance with the new standards, as this new regime requires changes across both testing methodology and standards  compliance. 

“Although the changes around the cocaine testing levels will grab the headlines, the reality is that this new testing framework requires changes from both a drug-testing procedure and workplace policy standpoint,” said Mr Foster. 

“While some operational managers might view this transition as a minor administrative update, the reality is far more disruptive. This revised standard introduces foundational shifts in detection thresholds, mandatory hardware verification, and informed consent architectures.” 

When the revised AS/NZS 4308:2023 standard for specimen collection and the detection of drugs of abuse in urine was published, regulators built in a generous 36-month rollover period. 

This transitional runway was designed to give device manufacturers, distributors, testing agencies, laboratories, and employers the necessary time to audit, realign, and update their operational frameworks.

According to Louis Foster, for the past three years, the workplace health, safety, and human resources sectors across Australia and New Zealand have operated within a comfortable regulatory buffer. 

“In November 2026, this grace period officially expires as the legacy AS/NZS 4308:2008 framework will be entirely superseded,” Mr Foster said. 

“Our goal has been to work with Australian companies and help them build workplace drug testing programmes that withstand scrutiny, within the updated context in which the new drug testing programmes will operate. “ 

Critical Operational Shifts for Australian Workplaces

• 50% cut in cocaine thresholds: On-site screening cut-offs for cocaine are reduced from 300 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL. This catch-up to international toxicological standards means sites & operators must prepare testing personnel for more initial not-negative screens and subsequent laboratory confirmation dispatches.

• Crackdown on adulteration and synthetic samples: To eliminate sample tampering, on-site creatinine testing devices (normally included in a urine screening kit) must be verified, accompanied by mandatory high- and low-creatinine control testing. Additionally, temperature reading windows have been refined to 32°C–38°C to instantly catch pre-heated synthetic substitutions.

• Operational relief for remote and FIFO sites: The standard replaces the rigid requirement for daily device control testing with a practical monthly control test per delivered lot. This eliminates heavy device sacrifice and compliance penalties for remote mining camps, regional transport hubs, and offshore operations.

Sober Check’s flagship drug testing range, including the SCOUT OneStep and Medix Pro Split Cup, is verified and fully compliant with the 150 ng/mL threshold and creatinine guidelines. 

Sober Check is currently working with Australian businesses to audit both their physical testing kits and corporate safety policies ahead of November.

To review the full compliance guide or consult with a workplace testing specialist, visit www.sobercheck.com.au.

About Sober Check:  Sober Check has supplied drug and alcohol testing equipment, training and support to New Zealand workplaces for more than 20 years, and has operated in Australia since acquiring CMM Technology in 2025. Its customers include occupational health providers, addiction treatment services, and employers in transport, forestry, construction and other safety-sensitive industries.

For all media enquiries, images, or interviews, please contact Louis Foster e [email protected] /  p + 1300 79 70 30

ENDS

 

About us:

About Sober Check:  Sober Check has supplied drug and alcohol testing equipment, training and support to New Zealand workplaces for more than 20 years, and has operated in Australia since acquiring CMM Technology in 2025. Its customers include occupational health providers, addiction treatment services, and employers in transport, forestry, construction and other safety-sensitive industries.

Contact details:

For all media enquiries, images, or interviews, please contact Louis Foster e [email protected] /  p + 1300 79 70 30