In a busy port environment, workplace drug testing is vital for protecting people. At the Port of Blyth in Northumberland, where heavy plant, vessels, and a workforce of hundreds operate side by side every day, safety sits at the centre of every decision. To support that commitment, the Port of Blyth has adopted fingerprint drug testing across its operations.
For the Port of Blyth, the move from oral fluid testing to fingerprint drug testing has helped:
- Test more people in less time through batch testing.
- Reduce anxiety and discomfort for those being tested.
- Make testing portable and easy to run anywhere on site.
- Reinforce a safety culture that the whole workforce has bought into.
About the Port of Blyth
The Port of Blyth is a trust port on the north-east coast of England, comprising three distinct divisions that together make the organisation unusual within the sector. The main part is the port operating division, which covers ship berthing, navigation, warehousing, and storage. Alongside it sit two further divisions that set the organisation apart in its industry: a logistics division that handles transport, and a training division that delivers all of the port’s training in-house, not only for the Port of Blyth but also for other ports across the country.
The port handles some exceptionally heavy and high-value cargo. According to Stuart Balmer-Howieson, Health and Safety Manager at the Port of Blyth, the scale of operations is significant:
“Some of the things that we’ve moved are 2,500 tonnes. We’ve had the biggest monopile drill in the world on site, and we have up to 500 people on site. So safety is one of the main things within the Port of Blyth.”
Working around loads and machinery of that scale carries real risk. A single lapse in concentration near a multi-tonne lift, a moving vessel, or heavy plant can have severe consequences, which is why everyone on site has a stake in knowing their colleagues are fit for duty. As Stuart Balmer-Howieson explains, that is exactly where drug testing fits in:
“People don’t want to be working with other people who may be impaired because of drugs, alcohol. So therefore, part of our remit is to make sure that everybody is kept safe at all times.”
For the Port of Blyth, safety is not simply a written policy. It is a value the organisation expects every member of staff to live out daily. As Olivia Patten, Marketing and Communications Manager at the Port of Blyth, puts it:
“Our values are so important, and it’s not just about them being written down on a piece of paper. It’s about living and breathing them every single day from every single person across the business. Whether you work in the office, whether you work outside, the values are important to everyone.”
That focus has a clear purpose. Oana Sutu, Health and Safety Advisor at the Port of Blyth, describes why safety sits at the centre of everything the port does:
“We want to make sure that our workforce and visitors and everyone around the port literally goes back home to their loved ones. What we do is very important, but so is everyone’s lives. So we don’t want to risk anyone’s life for profit or for an operation.”
The Challenge: Discomfort and Time Pressure With Oral Fluid Testing
The Port of Blyth operates a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and alcohol, with every member of the workforce tested at least once a year on a random basis, as well as after any accident or near-miss. With up to 500 people on-site and a 100% annual testing requirement, the practicality of the testing method matters greatly.
Before adopting fingerprint drug testing, the port used oral fluid (saliva) testing. The method had served the team well for over a decade, but it came with drawbacks. As Stuart Balmer-Howieson recalls, while the oral swabs worked well, some people complained about the taste left in the mouth. Comfort was a genuine concern for the team because an uncomfortable or anxious testing experience can work against the goal of a fair, consistent programme. As Stuart explains:
“We want to make sure people are safe, but we still want to make sure the test subjects are comfortable with what’s happening.”
Time was the other pressure. Each oral fluid test took around seven minutes, which added up quickly when testing groups of workers and pulled people away from operational duties for longer than necessary. The port needed a method that could maintain its rigorous standards while reducing both discomfort and disruption.
The Solution: Fingerprint Drug Testing
The Port of Blyth adopted the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Testing Solution to screen its staff, tenants, and contractors. The system collects fingerprint sweat and delivers an on-site screening result in under ten minutes, with no bodily fluids to handle. The method’s non-invasive nature was an immediate advantage. Stuart Balmer-Howieson describes the simplicity of the process:
“When it comes to the fingerprint testing, it’s not invasive in any way, shape or form. All you need to do is make sure that people’s hands have not been washed in the last 20 minutes, free from cuts. And then it makes the test easy. It also stops people being nervous.”
The speed of batch testing was the other standout benefit. Where the previous method took around seven minutes per person, the Drug Screening System allows several tests to be processed together:
“The fact that you can test six people in one batch. You get through six people in less than ten minutes, that’s a real bonus. We haven’t got people sitting around waiting for the test. They can go back to work once the tests are over.”
Implementation: A Considered Move and a Smooth Onboarding
The Port of Blyth did not rush the decision. They had relied on oral fluid testing for more than a decade; the team conducted thorough due diligence before committing to a new method. Stuart Balmer-Howieson describes the process:
“We’d used the oral fluid test for just over a decade. So it was tried and tested, and we were really confident with it. But sometimes our kit was starting to get to that end of life, so we looked to see if there’s anything else out there. It took us maybe eight months before we agreed that we’d go along with Intelligent Fingerprinting, but we had to get past all those milestones to make sure that everybody could understand what it was and why we were doing it that way.”
Part of that process involved learning from other organisations already using the technology. The team also drew on support from Intelligent Fingerprinting throughout onboarding:
“The onboarding was brilliant. Everyone was really helpful. We also found other ports that used Intelligent Fingerprinting and got in touch with those, found out what their hurdles were and how to go over them. We learned from their mistakes. Up to now, everything that’s been in place, we haven’t had any problems with it.”
The system’s portability has made day-to-day testing far simpler. Oana Sutu, who conducts tests for both staff and tenants, highlights how easily testing fits around port operations:
“I can pick up the kit, put it in the boot of the car and go where I need to go and test. It’s so light and accessible for us to do the testing. You put your finger, and then you have your test results in a minute.”
Protecting People, Skills, and a Workforce Worth Keeping
For the Port of Blyth, drug testing is not about catching people out. It is about making sure colleagues can trust one another in a safety-critical environment. Stuart Balmer-Howieson is clear about the spirit behind the programme:
“We’re not the fun police. We’re not here to stop people enjoying themselves outside of work. All we ask is that anybody coming to work is not impaired, and therefore they will work safely.”
That message has resonated across the site. Because the workforce understands that the programme protects them personally, testing has become something people support rather than resist:
“As far as a culture goes, everybody’s bought into it, because people don’t want to be working with somebody who might be impaired. It’s their safety that’s at risk.”
There is a deeper benefit, too: retention. The Port of Blyth invests heavily in its people, growing its own talent through apprenticeships that can take years before an operator is trusted with certain equipment. Staff are the port’s biggest asset, and replacing an experienced, fully trained operator means losing years of investment. A testing method that feels uncomfortable or punitive risks driving good people away. So too does a rigid response to an isolated lapse, such as a worker who is sober and fit for duty on Monday morning but is caught out by a method with a longer detection window. Fingerprint drug testing helps the port screen for fitness for duty at the time of testing, in a way that is quick, dignified, and proportionate, thereby helping the organisation retain the skilled people it has spent years developing. Stuart Balmer-Howieson frames it from the operator’s perspective:
“If you look at it from the operator’s point, they’ve got a lot to lose, because it’s a good wage, a good skill to have. And if you lost your job because of something stupid like drugs, it’s the last thing they want to do.”
The feedback from those being tested has reinforced the decision. Oana Sutu, Health and Safety Advisor at the Port of Blyth, has found the response notably positive, particularly from people used to more intrusive methods:
“The feedback from the operators has been really, really good. Previously we had the saliva tests. I had to do a test and my mouth was so dry I couldn’t do it. Whereas with fingerprint drug testing, it’s there, you press it, and you don’t need to worry about a dry mouth or dealing with other kinds of things. It’s so easy.”
A Proactive Approach to Workplace Drug Testing
The Port of Blyth shows how the right testing method can strengthen an entire safety programme. By replacing oral fluid testing with fingerprint drug testing, the port has made testing quicker, more comfortable, and easier to run consistently, without compromising its rigorous standards. It protects the people on site and the skilled workforce the port has invested years in building.
If your organisation operates in a safety-critical environment and wants to test more efficiently while respecting your workforce’s dignity, fingerprint drug testing could help. To see how it works, book a demonstration of the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Testing Solution. Our team can walk you through how the system fits into your existing workplace drug testing policies and how it can support safer, more efficient testing across your organisation.
