Eye-Tracking Tech Offers Alternative Approach to Impairment Screening
Gaize showcases safety professionals an alternative to traditional drug testing at NSC, with real-time detection of on-the-job impairment.
- By David Kopf
- Sep 19, 2025
A Montana startup is aiming to change how companies approach workplace drug testing by focusing on impairment rather than past use. At the NSC Safety Congress this week, Gaize showcased a virtual reality headset that runs law enforcement–designed eye tests to identify drug and alcohol impairment in real time.
The headset automates the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) protocol, developed in the 1980s and still used by police across the United States. The device records both eye movement data and video evidence, which is analyzed instantly to determine whether a worker is impaired.
“What we’re doing is taking a very difficult, highly reliable testing protocol and making it accessible in the workplace,” said Ken Fichtler, CEO of Gaize. “We can tell whether someone is impaired on a class of drugs, like stimulants or cannabis, even if we can’t specify the exact substance. That’s where confirmatory testing still comes in.”
Cannabis Complications
Traditional chemical tests often detect substances long after use, a problem especially acute with cannabis. Workers can test positive for THC days or weeks after consuming it, even if they are sober at work. That gap has created legal and staffing challenges for employers.
Fichtler pointed to a deployment at a major construction firm. “On day one, they found several employees who tested positive for THC. Under the old policy, they would have been fired. Instead, our test showed they were fit for duty. That single incident saved the company about $70,000 in turnover costs,” he said.
Workplace Use
Gaize testing is typically administered by safety staff—about 80 percent of the time—or by HR in smaller organizations. The company says the system can be used proactively, such as before shifts or after breaks, or reactively, such as following an incident or when impairment is suspected.
Unlike urine or blood analysis, the Gaize system determines whether an employee is actively impaired, not whether they used a substance in the past. “The product feels safe in every scenario,” Fichtler said. “We’ve had zero issues with utilization.”
Legal and Regulatory Standing
Gaize says the system complies with U.S. drug testing laws, HIPAA, and biometric regulations. The technology is legal nationwide, according to the company, which has made it attractive for industries where cannabis legalization has complicated hiring.
“The primary reason companies are adopting impairment detection is to figure out how to safely integrate legal cannabis users into their workforce,” Fichtler said. “Dropping THC testing altogether exposes employers to risk. Our approach maintains safety while allowing them to retain qualified workers.”
Industry Uptake and Awareness
The company’s customers already include six of the nation’s top 20 construction contractors, as well as major players in steel, automotive, and food manufacturing, according to Fichtler. Still, he acknowledged that many safety professionals remain unaware of the technology.
“People are generally unaware that this technology exists,” he said. “That’s something we’re working hard to change.”
With cannabis legalization reshaping workforce policy, real-time impairment detection may become an essential tool in the safety manager’s kit.
About the Author
David Kopf is the publisher and executive editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.