Safework Health is one of Australia’s leading providers of hair follicle drug testing services.

Backed by a national network of accredited laboratories, we employ a rigorous testing methodology to analyse hair samples for traces of drugs.

Results are delivered within 10 working days from receipt in the testing laboratory, ensuring swift and reliable outcomes for you.

Our experienced team of over 100 Collectors can collect hair samples at a location of your choice or at any of our collection centres across Australia.

Collection centres are located in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Port Hedland and Darwin.

Safework Health performs hair drug testing based on several guidelines and procedures published by the (International) Society of Hair Testing.

Unlike urine or saliva testing, there is no specific Australian Standard for detecting drugs of abuse in hair.

Hair drug tests can quickly and accurately detect the presence of a wide range of illicit and prescription drugs including:

• Amphetamine Type Stimulants
• Benzodiazepines
• Cannabis
• Cocaine
• Opiates (

• Extended detection window: Hair testing can detect drug use over a longer period (90 days) compared to other methods such as urine or saliva testing. It can detect drug use spanning several months, providing a comprehensive overview of an individual’s drug history.
• Resistance to adulteration: Unlike other approaches, hair testing is highly resistant to tampering or manipulation of the sample. This makes it a more reliable method for detecting drug use, as it is difficult for individuals to interfere with the test results.
• Monitoring long-term drug use: Hair testing is particularly useful for monitoring long-term or chronic drug use patterns. It can provide insights into an individual’s drug habits over an extended period, making it valuable for assessing substance abuse issues and determining appropriate interventions.
• Reliability in safety-critical environments: Hair testing is commonly used in safety-critical environments such as workplaces and family law proceedings. Its extended detection window and resistance to tampering ensure reliable compliance, particularly in cases involving child custody and visitation rights, where the wellbeing of children is paramount.

What are the limitations of hair drug testing?

While hair drug testing offers certain advantages, it’s important to recognise its limitations:

• Inability to detect recent drug use: Since hair grows gradually from the scalp, it typically takes about 10 to 14 days for drugs to show up in the hair follicle. This means that recent drug use within the last week or so might not be detected in hair samples.
• Limited detection of infrequent drug use: Hair testing may not be sensitive enough to detect sporadic or occasional drug use, especially if the drug concentrations are low or if the hair sample is short.
• Invasive collection process: While hair collection is generally non-invasive compared to methods like blood tests, it still requires the removal of a hair sample, which some individuals may find uncomfortable or objectionable.