Screening vs Testing - What's the difference?

In the UK there are no regulations governing devices for use in commercial environments, and none to cover devices such as the semi-conductor based breathalysers currently available for sale as Personal Breathalysers.  This also means there are no specific regulations to cover devices that may be used to provide evidence to Employment Tribunals or Civil Cases that may ensue from action taken by a company against an individual accused of drinking at work.

Certification in the United Kingdom
In the UK the only approvals that exist are those given to the Judicial equipment used by the Police for potential Criminal Prosecutions. Only Dräeger and Lion have devices approved for use in the UK - in the case of Dräeger equipment, the Dräeger 6510 is most commonly used at the roadside and the 9510 Evidential unit at the Police Station for a secondary test in place of Blood or Urine Screening.  The Dräeger 6810 and Dräeger 7510 devices however have the advantage of providing more detailed data storage and the option to provide a print-out in situ via a wireless, battery operated printer.  In Germany and several Scandinavian countries these are the preferred devices for roadside use and are the ideal choice for companies implementing a Drugs and Alcohol Policy. (Click here to view the Draeger 6510 approval certificate)

Certification in the USA - EBT's
In the USA however, they have two standards that are implemented (both to a substantially lower standard than that required in the UK).  An EBT - or Evidential Breath Tester - is the US equivalent of European road-side devices such as the Dräeger 6510 and 6810.  In the US a result obtained by one of these devices is regarded as sufficiently accurate for use in Criminal Prosecution. (click here to view a pdf copy of the 2007 EBT list)

USA - ASD's
The US also however have a second category known as ASD - Alcohol Screening Device. Many of the Personal Breathalysers for sale in the UK have passed this classification - indeed all the Q3i devices, including the Micro, have been given ASD approval. This is largely because to gain approval as an ASD a device merely has to be capable of detecting the presence of Alcohol.  It is important to appreciate that this does NOT mean that any reading obtained is accurate; the reading provided is ancillary to the primary function and merely serves to give an indication of the level of alcohol detected.  At a minimum, a single LED that illuminates to indicate that alcohol is present in the sample is sufficient to qualify the device as an ASD.  There is also no requirement to control the sample taken; for Personal use this is less of an issue as the user will, by default, be doing their best to ensure consistent sampling however when testing someone else it is vital that this difference is understood. (click here to view a pdf copy of the 2007 ASD list)

Why use Screening Kits?
Screening Kits can be very useful in circumstances where an alternative confirmation method is also available - either via a UK Home Office Police Standard device such as the Dräeger 6510, or via a Blood/Urine test facility.  They allow a larger number of devices to be employed for the same budget and therefore by default a larger number of tests to be carried out.

When should a Screening Kit NOT be used?
Screening kits should not be used when there is no backup confirmation available. Should an employee provide a positive result it is impossible to take further action solely on the basis of such a device, and highly likely that in the instance of any resulting Employment Tribunal or Civil Court action the court would take the view that the device was not fit for purpose, and that the employer had not fulfilled their duty of care towards it's employees by using equipment of the appropriate standard.  The case is therefore likely to be found in favour of the employee and the potential for substantial damages against the company quite high.