Mine safety is improved with the automatic alcohol screening entry system from Lifeloc Technologies

1. South African Mines Make Strides in
Safety with 100% Employee
Alcohol Testing
By: Nicola Grun

2. South African Mines Make Strides in Safety with 100% Employee Alcohol Testing
By Nicola Grun
Precision Safety Appliances (PSA) based in Durban, South Africa has been an exclusive
Lifeloc distributor in South Africa since 2005. PSA offers Lifeloc breath alcohol testing
instruments to a number of industries including Mining, Law Enforcement, Oil and Gas,
Manufacturing, Transportation, Port Operations, Rail, Construction and Healthcare Facilities. I
recently spoke with Michael Crossland, Product Manager of the Substance Abuse Division for
PSA, to learn more about the recent Mining Industry successes of Lifeloc’s new SENTINEL™
Alcohol Screening System since its introduction. Michael was happy to share his success with
me.
Background
PSA markets and sells Lifeloc products and fulfills its customers’ service needs
throughout the product life cycle. As an authorized Lifeloc service center, PSA performs
maintenance and calibration on Lifeloc testing devices. Michael visited the company’s Colorado
headquarters in 2011 to become a certified Lifeloc Master Trainer. This certifies him to train
Calibration and Service Technicians, Equipment Operators and Provisional Instructors. PSA
shares the same service philosophy as Lifeloc: both strive to provide the best after-sales customer
service possible. PSA also assists its customers with professional advice and recommendations
for establishing substance abuse policies in the workplace.
South African mines are governed by Act 29 of that country’s 1996 Mine Health and
Safety Act stipulating that it is the owner’s responsibility to identify and address potentially
hazardous work conditions. In 2003 the country’s mining sector made a commitment to reduce
mining deaths by 20% per year and set its sights on achieving safety levels comparable to mines
in Australia, Canada and the United States. The Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate of South
Africa enforces these standards to reduce deaths and occupational injuries. The efforts are
paying off as is evidenced by the 2010 fatality rate of 128, a decrease from 270 deaths in 2003.
According to Michael, “Demand for The SENTINEL continues to increase from the mines and
other safety-sensitive industries looking to take their safety performance to the next level.”
Guarding Mine Safety with The SENTINEL™
Lifeloc’s SENTINEL™ Alcohol Screening System is now used
extensively in South African mines. It provides automated “zero
tolerance” breath testing which has become an essential element of South
African mine safety. It offers automated testing that suits the diversity
and large employee population of the mining industry well. Test
recovery time between subjects is immediate on negative results and less
than 20 seconds on positives. To simplify operations further, the device
is connected to a card swipe machine that monitors employee timecards.
According to Michael, “The SENTINEL provides a cost effective, reliable
and totally automated solution for routine daily testing of large employee

3. populations.” Because of the high volume of people entering the mines through turnstiles
throughout the day, a SENTINEL™ automated alcohol screening station installed at each
turnstile enables easy screening of everyone entering the mine. No employee or supervisor
training is required. There are no mouthpieces to worry about and best of all the security staff is
free to work elsewhere on site.
The SENTINEL’s color LCD screen guides employees effortlessly through testing.
Internationally recognized color icons prompt users to blow into the collection cone and the twosecond test is triggered automatically. Negative (no alcohol) results register immediately and
positive results are detected in less than 10
seconds. Test results are instantly relayed to the
access control system to allow or deny entry.
Michael commented that, “Testing is so fast and
easy the mines are now able to conduct 100%
employee testing in less time and at lower cost
than it previously took to do random employee
screening with handheld breathalyzers.” PSA’s
first mining customer now screens 100% of
employees entering the site versus a previous
random testing rate of just 30%. Approximately 2,000 employees are routinely screened through
five turnstiles daily without bottlenecks. The SENTINEL can perform approximately 360 tests
per hour versus traditional handheld testers which operate at a rate of about 60 persons per hour.
Service and device calibration are easy since both can be performed in-place without
returning the unit to the factory. “The inclusion of Lifeloc’s proven breathalyzer technology is
what sets The SENTINEL apart from any other entrance-style products out there,” said Michael.
“The speed at which the device is able to respond and recover to negative and positive results
makes it the best solution for any customer wishing to integrate their access control and breath
alcohol testing.”
PSA worked hand-in-hand with Lifeloc in development of the new generation passive
screener. Multiple client requests for a fixed breathalyzer system linked to an access control
system prompted PSA to research the market for solutions. Few products existed and none met
the need for ease of use, speed and reliability. Although the South African market is flooded
with cheap, mass produced handheld breathalyzers that can be purchased online, Michael states
the majority of customers choose Lifeloc because of their reliability. He concluded my interview
by stating, “Safety sensitive environments cannot afford to mess around with questionable
results.” Lifeloc plans to continue working with PSA to co-develop products for targeted market
needs. Next on the horizon is an enhanced Sentinel with biometric capabilities.