New Zealand’s job market is in recovery mode. Job ads are up 13.1% year-on-year, with the biggest gains in transport and logistics, along with construction, trades and services, all industries where workplace safety is non-negotiable.
The pressure to secure skilled staff quickly is real, and in transport where demand has outpaced supply for years, the temptation to move fast and fill seats is understandable. But speed without due diligence has consequences, and in transport, those consequences can be fatal.
Here is where logistics businesses misstep. In a rush to fill roles, they skip key checks around drugs and alcohol and hire without knowing if someone is truly fit for the job. Instead of setting expectations on day one, people wind up on the job unfit and noncompliant with regulations. Pre-employment testing, an inexpensive check that greatly reduces workplace risk, gets skipped entirely. The irony is that the cost of one workplace incident, in human, legal and reputational terms, dwarfs the cost of testing a few new hires.
TDDA’s Imperans Report shows drug use is an ever-present concern for owners and managers. Opioids, usually prescription pain medication, rose approximately 35% year-on-year, the largest increase of any substance nationally, with rises recorded in 11 out of 16 regions. The reason is not hard to find. Drivers and transport workers know the physical toll the job takes, long hours behind the wheel, loading and unloading, the kind of cumulative wear and tear that turns into chronic back pain and joint problems. Prescription medication is absolutely legal, but you cannot use opioids and get behind the wheel of a heavy vehicle. Long-term opioid use impairs concentration, memory and judgement, and quietly embeds itself into workplace culture before most employers even notice. By the time the problem becomes visible, it has often been ongoing for some time.
Cannabis remains the most prevalent substance in positive workplace tests nationally, present in 68.1% of results. Methamphetamine continues to be a serious concern in regions like Gisborne, where Amphetamine-Type Substances (ATS) detections rose 240.1% year-on-year, and Bay of Plenty, up 27.5%. The side effects of methamphetamine use, paranoia, irrational decision-making, aggression and chronic fatigue, create serious risks in environments where clear-headed judgement and physical coordination are essential. The latest wastewater data and TDDA’s own Imperans data are sending the same signal: methamphetamine has not gone away, and it is showing up on worksites. National averages can mask serious localised risk, which is why regional awareness matters as much as the headline figures.
Owners risk compromising their chain of responsibility when illicit substances, including prescription medications, are ignored. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 places the obligation squarely on employers to manage foreseeable risks, and substance use in safety-sensitive roles is exactly that. The starting point is a drug and alcohol policy that covers illicit, synthetic, prescription drugs and alcohol. Whether a substance comes from a pharmacy or otherwise, presence in your workforce puts lives at risk.
Pre-employment testing is one of the most effective tools available during a hiring boom. It is not about penalising job seekers. It is about identifying persistent, habitual substance use that puts people and businesses at risk and establishing from day one that a company’s substance use policy is more than words on paper. Pre-employment testing sets the tone of the employment relationship from the very beginning.
Beyond that, trained managers and supervisors who can recognise the behavioural signs of use, document their observations correctly and take appropriate action, are the second line of defence. People who previously looked the other way because they did not know what to do, or were worried about getting it wrong, respond well to structured training. It equips them and protects them. For situations where prescription medication is a factor, a Medical Review Officer can help determine suitability and manage risk appropriately, protecting the rights of the employee and the liability of the employer in equal measure.
Beyond substance use, drivers face health challenges that can quietly compromise their ability to operate safely, including high blood pressure, poor vision, fatigue, hearing loss and musculoskeletal strain. These are occupational realities for people spending long hours behind the wheel, and they compound the risks that substance use creates. Pairing drug testing with a driver medical and annual health monitoring, such as those offered through Health Tick by TDDA, means employers are building a genuine picture of whether someone is fit and safe for the road, not just checking a compliance box. Proactive health monitoring reduces absenteeism, lowers the risk of workplace injuries, and helps retain experienced drivers, people who are increasingly hard to replace in a tight labour market. It also sends a clear message to the workforce that their health is valued, not just their availability.
Visit https://tdda.com/protecting-the-girl-on-the-bike/ to learn more.
Glenn Dobson is chief executive of The Drug Detection Agency.
