Medicinal cannabis in mining and FIFO work
Strictest testing environment — mine safety law + zero-tolerance site standards Last verified:
The risk profile
Among the strictest environments in the country. Mine safety legislation requires fitness-for-work management, site standards commonly impose frequent random and blanket testing, and coal and explosives environments run stricter regimes again. Zero-tolerance cultures are the norm, and remote FIFO rosters compress the gap between dosing and shift.
What the cases say
Haigh v Platinum Blasting (explosives; resumed use without re-disclosure - dismissal upheld) and the 2025 WorkPac/Batchfire matter (disputed testing procedure and mismatched AS 4760 cut-offs between site self-test kits and formal testing). See the case tracker for full summaries.
If you work here
Assume detection-based testing at the 2019 standard's cut-offs, disclose in writing including THC content, and work dosing timing through with your prescriber against your actual roster - a FIFO swing changes the maths completely. Site self-test kits may use older, looser cut-offs than the formal program: passing your own kit proves little. The Worker’s Rights Kit ($39) contains the disclosure letter, prescriber question list and post-test checklist.
If you run the workplace
Match every kit on site to the standard named in your policy, guarantee laboratory confirmation before discipline, and give disclosed prescriptions a documented fitness-for-work assessment rather than a reflex stand-down - the discrimination exposure on remote sites is real and the labour market is unforgiving. The Employer Policy Pack ($299) contains the policy template, disclosure form and risk assessment built for exactly this.