Wall-mounted breathalyser drives traffic management compliance

Seeking to improve its alcohol testing compliance and efficiency, Highways Traffic — an Australian traffic management provider — adopted Andatech’s Soberlive FRX wall-mounted breathalyser.

Delivering services for a broad spectrum of projects — from major state infrastructure works to smaller local upgrades — and with a workforce of around 100 employees working across day and night shifts, Highways Traffic upholds a strict zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol, aligned with client expectations and legal obligations.

Highways Traffic had previously implemented alcohol testing protocols using handheld breathalysers. However, the company found that traditional handheld breathalysers posed challenges, including downtime from offsite calibration and limited availability outside standard hours — meaning that ensuring consistent, reliable testing across all shifts became increasingly difficult.

In search of a more efficient, scalable solution, Highways Traffic turned to the Soberlive FRX. Features of the solution include onsite sensor replacement, automated reporting via the Andalink cloud portal, and SMS alerts for failed tests — designed to ensure rapid response even during after-hours shifts. The solution is also designed to further strengthen the integrity of the testing process through facial recognition technology, while the use of streamlined documentation is designed to simplify compliance management.

“This device has been a game changer for our company,” said Nicole Murphy, Planning Manager at Highways Traffic. “It has increased compliance with our testing requirements, especially with the SMS alert feature which ensures failed tests are escalated immediately — even when management isn’t onsite.”

While in line with internal policies Highways Traffic still uses handheld devices during site audits, Soberlive FRX has become the company’s primary alcohol testing tool — its team praising Andatech for its responsive support and training throughout the onboarding process.

“The Andatech Soberlive FRX is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate,” Murphy said. “Any questions we had were met with great support from the Andatech team to ensure we could fully utilise the device’s capabilities.”

As a result of using the solution, Highways Traffic said it observed reduced device downtime, faster incident response, higher staff compliance, and streamlined reporting and documentation. It also found that switching to wall-mounted alcohol testing strengthened its workplace safety culture and made compliance simpler and more efficient.

Image: Andatech’s Soberlive FRX wall-mounted breathalyser in use at Highways Traffic (supplied).