Lessons
AlcoTest 6820 – A brief history of Breathalyzers
Welcome to your Approved Alcohol Testing Officers Course. Before we introduce you to your breath alcohol testing equipment, let’s first look at some of the background and history behind the Breathalyzer. The first breathalyzers were developed in 1953 by chemists working for Draeger. They created the beginnings of the device the…
AlcoTest 6820 – Blood Alcohol VS Breath Alcohol
Alcohol in the blood (liquid) and alcohol in breath (gas) are two different entities and are therefore measured differently. There is a formula which can be used to establish the ratio between to the 2 different measurements. Known as Henry’s Law, it specifies: “the quantity of a substance in a liquid (eg….
AlcoTest 6820 – Alcohol Measurements and Readings
As learnt in the last lesson, the measurements for a breath alcohol reading and blood alcohol reading are different, but imply the same level of impairment. BrAC – Breath Alcohol Concentration A gas concentration. This can be displayed in microgrammes of Ethanol per 100ml of breath eg 35 µg/100ml (the current…
AlcoTest 6820 – The Drink Driving Law
Free PreviewIn December 2014, the Drink Driving limit in Scotland was reduced to 22µg of alcohol per 100ml breath. You may also have seen it in the media expressed in its blood alcohol limit of 50mg/100ml (0.05%BAC). This is the same limit for Ireland. Ireland also have a lower limit again for…
AlcoTest 6820 – Drink Driving Limits Across Europe
England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Malta have the highest drink driving limits in all of Europe. Most other European countries not only have a much lower limit, they also have a lower limit again for commercial vehicle, novice and learner drivers.
AlcoTest 6820 – Testing in the workplace
So why are you thinking of testing in the workplace? There are many benefits to screening employees for alcohol use in the work place, including the following: – Safer environment for employees – More productive employees – Increased staff attendance – More alert and efficient staff – Better cause of incident awareness…
AlcoTest 6820 – Breathalyzer Measurement Conditions
Prior to performing a breath test, there are several factors to consider: Contamination It is imperative to wait at least 20 minutes after smoking, eating or drinking. Residual mouth contamination (for example from mouthwash) can give false readings, damage the accuracy of breathalyzer and reduce the service life of the sensor. No solvent…
AlcoTest 6820 – Mouthpieces
This is the mouthpiece that is used with the Draeger AlcoTest range of breathalysers. It comes hermetically sealed for hygiene. There is a brief explanation of the various attributes listed below: Sampling port– is where the sample is taken into the device. The Air exhaust – makes it more…
AlcoTest 6820 – Powering your handset
Your Breathalyzer is powered by Alkaline batteries (1.5 V Mignon LR6, AA) and you can expect around 500 tests per set of batteries. The handset will show a Battery symbol as below indicating the charging status. Your handset will also have an internal battery used to retain the sample data and date/time…
AlcoTest 6820 – The Breathalyzer
As with all Draeger devices this breathalzyer is very easy to use and navigate. If you have your breathalzyer on you now, use the image below to familiarise yourself with the features. LED warning lights – Green, Amber and Red. Infra Red Port – Used to connect the device…
AlcoTest 6820 – Standard Operation
Follow these steps using your breathalyzer to familiarise yourself. Remember: Always ensure that there is no residual mouth contamination by waiting at least 15 minutes after eating, drinking or smoking prior to using your Breathalyzer. Steps to produce a successful breath test result: 1- Press and hold the ‘OK’ button to switch…
AlcoTest 6820 – Producing the Print out
Having successfully produced your breath test result, you now need to know how to produce the evidential printout. The Draeger Wireless Printer works with multiple devices including the AlcoTest 6810, 6820, 7510, and DrugTest 5000. It has two Infra Red Ports: one on the top face next to the…
AlcoTest 6820 – Passive Test
To receive an accurate breath reading on your breathalyzer you will use the Automatic sampling method as shown in the last lesson. However there is another option set up on your breathalyzer, Passive sampling. Manual release is not applicable to your company and therefore will not be covered in this training. Passive sampling can…
AlcoTest 6820 – Menu Options
Follow the video below with your own breathalyzer to become more familiar with the menu options of the AlcoTest 6820.
AlcoTest 6820 – Calibration & Servicing
The Draeger AlcoTest 6820 is an evidential Breathalyzer with European Approval for Police Use. Part of the Approval process requires that the accuracy of the handset it checked every 182 days (6 months) – or every 500 tests. On start-up, you will notice a screen displaying the remaining days left till…
AlcoTest 6820 – Summary and Assessment
You have been taken through an introduction to Alcohol Testing with your Draeger 6820 Breathalzyer. By now you should be familiar with the UK limits, testing practice and use of the 6820 Breathalzyer. You should understand the difference between measurements for UK limits. You should have a good understanding of…