Intelligent Fingerprinting has launched a drug testing solution based on fingerprint sweat analysis.

It features an initial screening test that works by analysing sweat from a fingerprint to determine if an employee has recently used cocaine, opiates, amphetamines or cannabis.

The company says sample collection takes five seconds, with simultaneous screening results for all four drug groups provided in just eight minutes.

If the test is positive - in contravention of a transport or logistics firm’s existing health and Safety or drug misuse policy – the tester could then use Intelligent Fingerprinting’s fingerprint collection kit for laboratory analysis to collect samples for a confirmation test.

Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Dr Paul Yates said: “With the Department of Transport reporting a seven-fold increase in convictions for drug-driving since 2015, there’s an increased pressure on transport and logistics firms to ensure that their drivers are both alcohol and drug-free.

"Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, transport and logistics firms have a duty to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees, so an effective drug screening and testing service should be a critical element of any workplace drug policy. 

“However, it’s also essential that firms and their employees are completely confident in the accuracy of their drug testing procedures, regardless of whether they’re testing urine, saliva or sweat.

“For this reason, a laboratory confirmation test should always be carried out following a positive screening result.

"With our non-invasive system – which combines the portable reader with the simple one-touch drug screening cartridge, and the unequivocal results offered with our Fingerprint Collection Kit for Laboratory Analysis – logistics managers responsible for fleets of drivers can now enjoy all the benefits of fingerprint-based drug testing and be confident about the end-to-end reliability of their process.”