SOP-01 Pre-Shift: Fitness for Duty & Sign-On

1 Quick reference card

This quick reference card is the short version of this SOP. It is one page of the Quick Reference Handbook, the ring of cards in the cab. If you only have 30 seconds, use the card. The full procedure starts at Section 4.

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SOP-01 Quick reference

Pre-Shift:
Fitness for Duty

Breath test & sign-on procedure

Side A

Before Every Shift – In Order

1Go straight to the breathalyser – before any other duties. No exceptions.
2Blow into the device when it prompts you. The result must show no alcohol: No alcohol, or 0.000.
3If PASS (No alcohol, or 0.000): take the printed ticket and hand it to Operations.
4Check you feel fit to drive. Fatigue, illness, or medication affecting judgement = tell your supervisor before driving.
5Sign on at the operations window – ticket in, job sheet out. Confirm vehicle and run number.
6Job sheet in hand – keys and the Quick Reference Handbook are in the bus.

Fail – Stop. Do Not Drive.

Alcohol detected, or any reading above 0.000 → do NOT enter the vehicle. Tell your supervisor now. Stood down without pay until you provide a clean sample; management review it with you.

Stopped by police before your shift?

Call your supervisor before starting work – whatever the outcome. Positive police reading? Do not come to any TBS site.

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SOP-01 Quick reference

Pre-Shift:
Fitness for Duty

Rules, checklist & contacts

Side B

Key Rules & Thresholds

Required BAC

0.000

Zero tolerance. Any result above = stand down.

Prescription meds

Declare

Tell your supervisor if any medicine may affect your driving.

Refuse to test

Stand Down

Refusal is treated the same as a failed test.

Police intercept

Call Supervisor

Tell your supervisor before starting work, whatever the result.

Sign-On Checklist

Breathalyser passed – no alcohol
Feel fit to drive – rested, well, alert
Any medication declared, if applicable
Full uniform worn (TBS, or your company’s if contracted)
Signed on at the operations window
Vehicle & run number confirmed
Job sheet collected

Contacts

Emergency000

Operations07 3733 3599

2 Purpose

This SOP tells you how to prove you are fit for duty and sign on correctly before every shift.

3 Applies To

All drivers on TBS services – TBS employees and contracted drivers alike (not the drivers of self-managed operators, who follow their own procedures). It applies at every depot and closure site, on every shift, whether you are permanent, part-time or casual. Any vehicle allocated to you by TBS Operations is a TBS vehicle – every procedure here applies. Steps marked Supervisor are performed by the on-duty supervisor or Operations.

4 Step-by-Step Procedure

This is a checklist procedure. Do the steps in this order, every shift.

Phase 1Before You Leave Home Phase 2At the Depot: Breath Test Phase 3Sign On

Phase 1 – Before You Leave Home

1
Driver Come to work rested. Do not start a shift if you are too tired to drive safely.

Feeling fatigued?

Tell your supervisor before your shift. Reporting fatigue is the right thing to do. You will not be punished for it.

2
Driver Check how you feel. Illness, injury, or strong stress can make driving unsafe. If you are not fit to drive, call your supervisor before your shift.
3
Driver Check your medication. Does any medicine you take cause drowsiness, dizziness, or slow reactions? Tell your supervisor before you drive.

This includes pharmacy medicine

Cold and flu tablets, strong painkillers, and some allergy medicines can affect driving. Not sure? Ask your pharmacist, and tell your supervisor.

4
Driver Put on your full uniform – the TBS uniform for TBS staff; contracted drivers wear their own company’s full uniform. The standard is in Section 5.

Stopped by police on the way to work?

Call your supervisor before you start work. This applies even if the police let you drive on with no action.

Positive police reading – do not come in

If police record a positive alcohol or drug result, do not enter any TBS site and do not start work. Call your supervisor. You will be stood down while the matter is assessed.

Phase 2 – At the Depot: Breath Test

5
Driver Go straight to the breathalyser. Test before any other duties. Every driver tests at the start of every shift. No exceptions.
6
Driver Blow into the device when it prompts you. The result must show no alcohol: No alcohol, or 0.000 BAC (blood alcohol – zero).

7
Driver PASS (No alcohol, or 0.000): take the printed ticket from the breathalyser and hand it to Operations – it is your sign-on record. Go to Phase 3.

Fail – stop. Do not drive.

Alcohol detected, or any reading above 0.000: do not enter the vehicle. Tell your supervisor now. You are stood down without pay until you provide a clean sample, and management review it with you before you drive again.

Refusing the test = failing the test

If you refuse or avoid the breath test, TBS treats it the same as a fail.

8
Supervisor Check the ticket shows no alcohol (“No alcohol”, or 0.000), then stick it to the back of the driver’s job sheet and hand the job sheet over. Alcohol detected? Keep the job sheet with the ticket on it at Operations. Keep test results confidential.
9
Supervisor If a driver fails, refuses, or reports unfit: stand the driver down, arrange cover for the run, and refer the matter to management the same day.

Need help? Ask before it becomes an incident.

If you tell TBS about an alcohol, drug or fatigue problem before an incident happens, TBS puts you in touch with confidential support. You will not be disciplined for coming forward – but you will not drive that day, and a day you cannot work is not paid.

Phase 3 – Sign On

10
Driver Sign on at the operations window: hand in your ticket. Operations check you in and give you your job sheet.

11
Driver Confirm your vehicle and run number on the job sheet.
12
Driver Keys and the Quick Reference Handbook are in the bus. Keys in the ignition; the handbook – the ring of SOP quick reference cards – in the cab. Never remove it.
13
Driver Go to your bus and start the Pre-Trip Inspection – continue in SOP-02 · Pre-Trip Inspection

5 Uniform Standard – Drivers

Wear the full uniform for every shift. Keep it clean, ironed, and in good condition. Contracted (non-TBS) drivers: wear your own company’s full uniform to the same standard. Hi-vis and footwear requirements apply to everyone.

✓TBS uniform shirt – clean, ironed, tucked in

✓Navy bottoms – long or short

✓TBS-branded navy jacket or jumper only

✓Black, closed-toe, non-slip shoes

✓TBS headwear or a wide-brimmed hat

✓Minimal jewellery – nothing that creates a safety risk

✓Hi-vis vest in the depot yard, or when directed

✓Damaged or worn uniform? Report it to your supervisor

6 Associated Forms & Tools

Item	What it is used for
Breath test ticket	Printed by the breathalyser. Hand it in at the operations window – Operations stick it to the back of your job sheet. It is your sign-on record.
Breathalyser	Approved, calibrated wall-mounted device in the driver’s room at each depot and closure site, or a supervised hand-held device.
Operations window	Where you sign on: ticket in, job sheet out. Operations check you in and allocate your vehicle.
Quick Reference Handbook	The laminated quick reference cards, one per SOP, on a ring in the cab of every TBS vehicle. Never remove it; missing or damaged – tell Operations.
DRH	Driver Resource Hub – this SOP on the bus tablet or your phone, always current, available offline.

Where do I find these forms? SOP-14 · The Forms and Reports – Your Shift, Start to Finish

7 Related SOPs

SOP	Title	Why it matters here
SOP-02	Pre-Shift: Pre-Trip Inspection (PTI)	Your next step after sign-on.
SOP-11	Post-Shift: Vehicle Handover	Closes the loop at the end of your shift.
SOP-13	Health, Welfare & Returning to Work	What happens after a stand-down, illness, or injury.
SOP-14	Accountability & Reporting	Where your breath test ticket goes, and who keeps it.

8 Related Policies

These TBS policies are the source of this SOP. They carry the full rules and the legal detail.

Policy	What it covers
TBS Drug & Alcohol Policy	Zero tolerance, testing, prescription medicines, police intercepts, support programs.
TBS Fitness for Work Policy	Physical and mental fitness, reporting unfitness, medical clearance.
TBS Fatigue Management Policy	Rest, self-monitoring, fatigue reporting without discipline, work-hours rules.
TBS Workplace Uniform Policy	Full uniform, appearance, exemptions, replacement.

§ Version Control

Version	Date	Author	Approved by	Summary of changes
1.0	8 September 2026	Buswise	TBS approved	First issue.

Driver acknowledgement of this SOP is recorded in Mitti: the combined SOP document (SOP-01 to SOP-14) is acknowledged once, at onboarding, in Mitti Training.