Breath testing solutions from Alcolock UK
Alcolock UK offers a variety of breath alcohol testers which can be deployed to help protect lives on roads and in the workplace, including the Alcolock ignition interlock used to help prevent drink-driving in the haulage sector and other transport contexts.
The company is the UK division of Alcohol Countermeasure Systems (ACS), whose corporate headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada.
Customer service is supported globally through satellite offices in the UK, Australia, Europe, Asia and the USA, and the company has been producing alcohol sensing technology and drug screening solutions since 1976.
“The ACS product line serves the medical, automotive, industrial, law enforcement, public and personal Safety markets, with numerous patents worldwide, and remains a pioneer in producing some of the most accurate and reliable alcohol sensing equipment available in the industry,” said Alcolock UK.
“Operator benefits of a best-in-class drug and alcohol policy are well established … Alcolock UK / ACS products are engineered to withstand various forces of nature and are approved to European CENELEC standards.”
Among the range is the Alcolock V3 Ignition Interlock, which is used extensively within the transport sector. As a Tier-One automotive industry supplier, the firm says it supplies to major manufacturers including Volvo, DAF, MAN, Iveco and Scania, with its units offered as a standard accessory.
In addition, Alcolock UK and ACS supply the transportation aftermarket through a network of overseas offices and distributors worldwide.
“The Alcolock V3 ACS is the benchmark within the transportation industry’s standard for Alcolock devices, and specifically designed for commercial applications,” said the firm.
“It ensures employee safety while reducing employer liability.
“Once installed, the Alcolock V3 requires the operator to blow into a mouthpiece on the handset. A breath sample is collected and analyzed for alcohol content using an advanced electrochemical sensor which is the same technology as the breath analysers the police use for roadside screening.
“If the breath alcohol concentration exceeds the predetermined limit, the vehicle will not start.”
Alcolock V3 can also be linked into onboard fleet tracking systems, which can then send real time alerts and messages to the fleet manager. This is done without the use of a SIM card, thus saving on monthly data roaming charges or a yearly service charge. All violation and alert messages are relayed at no additional cost.
Administrators can then take appropriate action immediately upon being notified that one of their vehicles has been immobilised in the field.
The Alcolock V3 can be installed in any vehicle, says the firm, including trucks, buses, coaches, tractor-trailers, cars, cranes, machinery, trains and marine vehicles.
Alcolock UK also markets ACS’s full range of handheld portable breath alcohol testers, such as the Drivesafe and Alert J5 with or without Printer, the Drivesafe express single-use breath tester, and saliva drug testers.
“The Drivesafe has the same advanced electromechanical sensor as the V3 and provides a breath alcohol result within seconds,” said the company.
“Test results are displayed by a numerical display and a colour-coded screen, giving the user an instant reading of the breath alcohol concentration…
“The Alert J5 Breath Alcohol Tester is coupled to a Bluetooth printer to give a fast and accurate record of the test result when a person blows into the device, which can be used as evidence.”
The Drivesafe express single-use breath tester is said to represent a hygienic, low-cost means of providing a quick and convenient way of measuring breath alcohol concentration, which can be carried in a pocket, purse or briefcase.
Claimed to be easy to use with no required training, users need simply push both ends of the tube firmly to break the security foil, blow for 10 seconds, and wait two to four minutes before comparing the colour of the crystals to the printed scale provided to obtain an estimate of breath alcohol concentration.
Alcolock UK also supplies a range of oral saliva drug testers which test for abuse of drugs including marijuana, cocaine and others. This makes it safe and simple to test employees without the need for complicated electronic drug readers or any special reagents, the firm contends.
“The saliva drugs tester is a simple mouth swab which delivers the results within a short time, ensuring your employees are clear of any illicit substances,” said Alcolock UK.
“Without the need for any complicated training or procedures, it is a fast efficient way to test your workforce.”
The tester requires the donor to swab the inside of the mouth, top of the tongue and between the cheek and gum, then hold the swab in position until the colour on the saturation indicator strip appears, or until four minutes has passed. The swab is then inserted into a screening device, from which results can be obtained.
Alcolock UK says its products are engineered for accuracy and quality, and emphasises the advantages of its status as the UK office of the original manufacturer of the Alcolock V3.
