Medicals, PEM & testing

Fit for the role.
Clear on the process.

A worker-focused guide to pre-employment medicals, functional checks, medication declarations, Lab DAS and testing at the clinic, gate, site or camp.

Start with the distinction

Four assessments people often call “the medical”.

There is no single Australia-wide FIFO medical, drug panel or testing timetable. The role, employer, client site, jurisdiction, hazards and fitness-for-work policy determine what is commissioned.

A medical should assess fitness for the actual work. A drug screen should follow a defined policy and confirmation process.

Do not mix the purposes

Each check answers a different question.

One appointment can contain several components, but the purpose and information pathway remain different.

01Job fitness

Pre-employment medical (PEM)

A clinical assessment commissioned against the proposed role and work environment. Some providers call it a pre-placement or occupational medical. The employer's assessment standard and the real job demands matter.

02Physical work capacity

Functional assessment

Role-related checks of movement, strength, lifting, carrying, positions and work capacity. It may sit inside the PEM or be booked separately, and should reflect the inherent demands of the job.

03Fitness for work

Drug and alcohol testing

Breath, urine or oral-fluid testing performed under an employer or site policy. Screening and laboratory confirmation are different stages; the panel, cut-offs and process must come from the applicable policy.

04Exposure surveillance

Health monitoring

Medical monitoring required for certain hazardous-chemical exposures. This is exposure-based and may continue periodically. It is not simply another name for the pre-employment medical.

Inside a PEM

Expect a detailed, role-related picture.

A comprehensive mining PEM may take around 60–120 minutes, but provider estimates are not a promise. Extra tests, medical review or remote laboratory freight can extend the process.

Identity, consent and role

Photo identification, consent forms, the job description, roster, work environment and the physical or safety-critical demands supplied by the employer.

Medical and work history

Previous injuries, surgery, conditions, allergies, symptoms, workers' compensation history where lawfully relevant, and the current prescription, over-the-counter and supplement list.

Baseline clinical observations

Checks can include blood pressure, pulse, height, weight and a clinical examination. The exact components and any follow-up depend on the role and the commissioning standard.

Vision, hearing and lungs

Visual acuity, colour vision, audiometry and spirometry may be included where relevant. A test can require valid technique and may be repeated or referred for review.

Musculoskeletal function

Range of motion, grip, squat, kneel, step, climb, lift, carry, push, pull and sustained positions may be assessed against the work—not against one universal FIFO score.

Job-specific additions

An ECG, blood test, imaging, respirator, commercial-driver, working-at-heights, confined-space or other assessment may be commissioned for a particular risk. Not every candidate receives every check.

Possible outcome language

Fit · fit with restrictions · more information required · temporarily not fit

Labels vary. A treating-practitioner report, repeat test or specialist review may be requested before a final fitness decision. The occupational-health provider should communicate only the outcome and job-relevant restrictions through the authorised process, subject to consent, law and policy.

Prescription and other medication

Declare accurately. Protect your privacy. Keep treatment safe.

Prescription use is not automatically misconduct and a declared medicine is not automatically cleared for every task. The practical question is whether the medication, condition or combination affects safe performance in the nominated role.

Health information is sensitive. Ask who will see it, why it is required, how it will be stored and what job-fitness information is returned to the employer.

01
Use the required confidential channel
Declare through the occupational-health provider, medical review officer, site medical team or employer process named in the policy—not in a public resume or an unsecured message.
02
Give an accurate current list
Include prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements when the form or policy asks. Update the declaration when medication or dosage changes, or when fitness may be affected.
03
Bring supporting evidence when requested
Keep medicines in their original labelled packaging. A current prescription, dispensing label or treating-practitioner letter may help the authorised reviewer verify legitimate use and safety effects.
04
Check the work-safety effects
Ask the prescriber or pharmacist about alertness, drowsiness, reaction time, heat, dehydration, night shift, driving and operating plant. A valid prescription does not automatically make every task safe.
05
Do not change treatment to pass a test
Do not stop, reduce or substitute prescribed medicine without advice from the treating practitioner. Test-evasion products or false declarations can create separate safety and conduct issues.

Instant screen vs Lab DAS

Screening and confirmation are not the same result.

“Lab DAS” is commonly used by providers for Laboratory Drug and Alcohol Screening: a sample is sent to a laboratory rather than being read only through an instant device.

FAST INDICATION

On-site or clinic screening

Breath alcohol, urine or oral fluid depending on policy
Often reports negative or non-negative against a drug class
Useful for immediate fitness-for-work controls
A non-negative screen is not a confirmed positive

ANALYTICAL PROCESS

Laboratory DAS and confirmation

Uses documented collection and chain-of-custody controls
Can identify and measure specific compounds within the requested panel
Applies the relevant standard, cut-offs and accredited process
May be reviewed alongside declared medication by a medical review officer

01Collect

→

02Screen

→

03Confirm

→

04Review

→

05Decide

Turnaround varies: One occupational provider estimates about 24–48 hours after a laboratory receives the sample, but freight from remote areas, weekends, the panel and further review can take longer. Use the timeframe supplied for your actual booking.

How often and where?

No universal FIFO schedule.

Some operations require a breath-alcohol check at every entry or pre-start. Drug testing is commonly pre-employment, random or triggered. Another employer may use a different lawful, documented program.

Before employment or mobilisation

A clinic test may be part of the recruitment medical or mobilisation pack before flights are confirmed.

At site access or pre-start

Breath alcohol or another policy check may occur at the FIFO gate, security entry, muster point or before a shift.

Random or unannounced

A selection of workers, a crew or the workforce may be tested without advance notice under the applicable program.

At camp or in the village

Testing can occur in an on-site clinic, mobile testing unit or camp setting when the policy covers workers who may soon perform work.

For cause or reasonable concern

Observed behaviour, fitness concerns or other policy triggers may lead to a directed test and a safety assessment.

After an incident

An incident, near miss or vehicle event may trigger testing where the policy and circumstances allow.

Return to work or follow-up

A worker may have further tests under a documented return-to-work, monitoring or support arrangement.

Testing locations can includeOccupational clinicAirport or FIFO gateSecurity or site-access gateCamp or villageOn-site medical centreMobile testing unit

Non-negative results, refusal and site access

Know the process before assuming the outcome.

Immediate safety action can happen before the final result. The later employment or access decision should follow the applicable policy, evidence, contract and law.

01
Initial screen
The result may be reported as negative or non-negative for a drug class. A non-negative screen is not a confirmed positive.
02
Immediate safety control
The worker may be removed from safety-sensitive duties or transported away from the work area while the process continues. This is not the same as a final disciplinary finding.
03
Laboratory process
A sample may be collected or forwarded under chain-of-custody controls for laboratory analysis and confirmation using the applicable testing standard.
04
Medical review
Where the program uses a medical review officer, the reviewer can consider a legitimate medical explanation, confirmed laboratory result and fitness-for-work implications while protecting health privacy.
05
Policy decision
The employer or site applies its policy, contract and legal obligations. Outcomes can include clearance, a delayed mobilisation, restrictions, review, support, discipline or loss of access.

Can a worker be banned from site?

Access can be withdrawn—but “site ban” is not one universal outcome.

A confirmed policy breach, refusal to follow a lawful direction, tampering, unsafe conduct or dishonest non-disclosure can lead to delayed mobilisation, stand-down, discipline, termination, removal from a project or a site-specific “do not use” or access restriction.

The duration, review rights and whether the restriction applies only to one employer, client or site depend on the facts and policy. There is no single Australian mining-industry blacklist. Do not describe a preliminary non-negative screen as an automatic permanent ban.

If a result or decision is disputed: Ask for the policy, the result and collection record, the laboratory-confirmation and medical-review process, the reason for the access decision and the available review or complaint channel. A union, Fair Work Ombudsman, privacy regulator, treating practitioner or lawyer may be appropriate depending on the issue.

Before the appointment or swing

The worker preparation checklist.

Prepare for a valid assessment—not for a way around it.

Return to the onboarding checklist

Read the employer and client-site fitness-for-work policy before the appointment or first swing
Bring the requested photo identification, forms and glasses, hearing aids or other aids normally used
Prepare an accurate list of current prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements
Keep medication in original labelled packaging and carry any requested prescription or practitioner evidence
Follow the clinic's instructions for food, hydration, clothing and appointment timing—do not overhydrate
Ask who receives the medical outcome, how health information is handled and how to correct an error
Ask what happens after a non-negative result, including confirmation, medical review and review rights
Keep copies of appointment confirmations and follow-up requests, but store medical information securely

Sources and boundaries

Check the policy closest to your work.

Source-checked 30 August 2026. Testing standards, medical criteria, policies and site-access processes can change.

WorkSafe WA — fitness-for-work assessments

A 2025 mining bulletin on role-specific medical assessment, functional capacity and qualified assessors.

WorkSafe WA — drugs and alcohol duties

Current duties for employers and workers, including prescribed and over-the-counter medicines.

WA Mines Regulations — regulation 641

The mine operator must manage health and safety risks associated with workers' alcohol consumption and drug use.

SafeWork SA — workplace alcohol and drugs

Practical policy guidance covering prescription medicine, testing processes, refusal and consequences.

Safe Work Australia — drugs and alcohol

National WHS overview of fitness for work and safety-sensitive testing.

WorkSafe WA — health monitoring

Explains exposure-based health monitoring and the role of an appropriate registered medical practitioner.

KINNECT — Laboratory DAS

Provider explanation of Lab DAS, instant screening, laboratory analysis and estimated turnaround times.

CASA — accredited testing providers

A regulator overview of NATA accreditation and Australian urine and oral-fluid testing standards. Mining programs remain site-specific.

WorkSafe Queensland — medical review officers

Guidance on confirmed-result interpretation, medical explanations and privacy in workplace programs.

OAIC — health information

Explains why prescriptions, medical records and test information are sensitive health information.

Australian Human Rights Commission — recruitment

Guidance that medical checks should relate to the job and that results should be kept confidential.

General information only: This guide does not provide personal medical, legal, employment or privacy advice and does not predict an individual fitness or site-access outcome. Do not alter prescribed treatment based on this guide. Use the employer's current policy, the authorised medical provider and your treating practitioner for your circumstances.

Fit for the role.Clear on the process.