05 Apr Why a key cabinet breathalyser is the ultimate safety precaution

Safety is a massive focus for many businesses, but especially so for organisations that manage vehicle fleets, or are in the mining and construction industries. Minimising the risk to your employees is essential. One of the ways you can do this is ensuring business assets, such as machinery or vehicles, are only accessed by employees that are in a sober state.

Why key cabinet breathalysers are such a great safety feature for your business

Breathalysers help you keep staff, customers and the general public safe. In many different industries the assets that are protected by key cabinets present health and safety risks as well as potential financial loss to a company. You want to know that your employees are only accessing these types of tools and equipment when they are not impaired, but are instead in a sober state.

For example, consider bus companies. Their drivers are in a position where their actions can directly impact a wide range of people. If an employee who has had too much to drink is able to access their keys, they can get behind the wheel in an intoxicated state. This means that not only is their life at risk, but passengers and pedestrians could be killed by their actions as well.

This example applies to many other businesses within different industries who run vehicle fleets of any sort. However, it isn’t limited to transport alone. Having intoxicated staff able to access assets, such as mining or construction machinery, can have disastrous results.

Installing a breathalyser alongside your key cabinet as an extra layer of security helps you prevent these dangers. Not only will they need to have permission to access your business’s assets, but they have to prove they’re sober to do so.

How does a breathalyser work?

When alcohol is consumed, it’s absorbed into your bloodstream through your mouth, throat and stomach. Due to the small size of the alcohol molecule, it’s absorbed into the bloodstream as is, and circulates through your body. This affects how signals are sent to your brain, and is what causes you to act differently when you’ve drunk enough for the effects of alcohol to be seen.

In the lungs, the alcohol diffuses out from your blood just as easily as it was absorbed, and becomes part of the breath. This means that when you exhale, the air coming from your lungs contains alcohol molecules in proportion with the concentration in your blood.

This is why it shows up in your breath. A breathalyser can tell whether or not you’ve been drinking by measuring the amount of alcohol present, and using a ratio determining your level of blood alcohol.

CIC Technology’s C.Q.R.iT key cabinets are designed so that, should you choose, you’re able to attach a breathalyser to them. When users go to access the assets within them, they first need to use the breathalyser. Only when the result comes back to show that they’re below a limit that you set, are they then able to login to the key cabinet. With a breathalyser in place, you always know sobriety is a given when your employees access their keys. In Australia, the legal limit for driving is 0.05g of alcohol in every 100ml of blood – or a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 per cent. However, if you’re a professional driver – such as a bus driver – this limit drops to 0.00. To account for different standards or preferences, you can change the limit on your key cabinet breathalyser to your required level.

.                  Keeping your staff safe while on the job is important. A breathalyser can keep your assets secure.

What industries can benefit from key cabinet breathalyser for their assets?

Any industry that requires a high level of safety when it comes to their operations can benefit from having a breathalyser adding another layer of protection around their assets. This could include:

• Bus companies.
• Truck fleets.
• Mining.
• Council vehicles, including garbage trucks.
• Deliveroo and other food services.
• Police and Emergency services.
• Companies working with dangerous or heavy machinery, such as in construction.
• Organisations dealing with chemicals, or operating a laboratory.
• Businesses owning and operating a car fleet – Ensuring your employees are sober when getting behind the wheel is essential for their, and the public’s, safety as well as for legal reasons.

What other accessories are available to help your key management?

The right key management system helps with more than just ensuring intoxicated drivers are prevented from getting behind the wheel. They also make sure the business operates smoothly, is prepared for an emergency situation and meets other security requirements. Other options include:

• Biometric security options.
• Coloured key tags, to more efficiently identify key bundles.
• Dynamite button, which allows the quick release of all keys should the need arise.
• Tamper-proof key rings.

If you’d like to know more about how you can improve your key management systems, reach out to the team at CIC Technology. We can provide you with a free product demo today.