Why not use a "Personal" Breathalyzer for testing someone else?

Personal Breathalysers assume that the person using the Breathalyzer owns that device and will do their best to get the most accurate and consistent result from it.  The reading is advisory only and does not have to pass any formal accuracy tests; typically a Personal Breathalyzer will give a result that is at best ±0.02% @ 0.08% BAC - ie. only within ±25% of the actual result (ie. reading of 80 could be 60 - or could be 100!)  Because of this most manufacturers make their personal breathalyzers deliberately over-read - a good thing if you are testing yourself, but absolutely NOT what you want if you are testing someone else and are then going to accuse them of drinking. Used regularly and carefully by the same person they can be very useful - but useless for testing someone else.

Professional Breathalyzers with a UK Home Office certificate give a result that is better than ±2%, but most importantly avoid FALSE POSITIVES.  They have sophisticated methods for ensuring that the person being tested does not fool the machine and react only to alcohol, not anything else, in the breath.  A Professional Breathalyzer, such as the Dräeger 6510 used by the UK Police at the roadside, is specifically designed for testing someone other than than owner.

They do cost substantially more than those designed for personal use but for good reason - and this level of sophistication and accuracy just cannot be achieved for £50.  If you are carrying out any test on another person you MUST ensure the device you use is fit-for-purpose and in almost all cases the cheap, low-cost personal devices that maybe ideal for an individual for self-testing will NOT suffice as a professional test device.

Note that US DoT-tested ASD's - Alcohol Screening Devices - should not be confused with European-spec Professional Breathalyzers (which in the US are referred to as EBT's, or Evidential Breath Testers). The ASD testing process does not in any way check the ACCURACY of the breathalyzer - only that it is "capable of detecting alcohol", so should only be used as a pre-test screener when a professional breathalyzer available to confirm any positive results.

For more detailed information and your responsibilities as a tester under HSE and Corporate Manslaughter Legislation click here. or call us on 0844 585 5050.