Many hazardous industry jobs also carry along with them the burden of creating breathing problems. This is especially true in nuclear power facilities and in the mining and transportation industries. Fumes from petroleum based fuels, natural gas, mined and underground materials, drilling debris, and certain types of radiation exposure all cause breathing problems and potentially hazardous respiratory problems, which can turn into permanent respiratory problems. Why is this so important, other than in decreasing potential liability if a long-term employee should be affected by this?
Breathing issues cause a wide variety of domino effects within the body, and are compounded several times over when paired with already existing drug addiction or alcoholism within the worker’s body. In fact, many cases have been cited where respiratory problems compound whatever debilitating effect that drugs or alcohol have over the individual, even potentially causing the individual to suffer from a cardiac arrest or a seizure. This is because your lungs work very hard to cleanse the blood, not only from impurities, but from poisonous gases, heavy metals and toxic substances. Simply decreasing this capability to cleanse can allow current toxicity in the body, self induced or otherwise, to cause an overdose within their system. After all, when the cleansing capabilities are gone, what else can eliminate alcohol, illicit drugs or worksite debris from the bloodstream?
This is precisely why people with kidney problems must go to dialysis three times a week. If their cleansing processes are non-functional, it only takes a small amount of toxicity to overrun their system and they could potentially die from this.
The long and short of this is that if your worksite involves fuel fumes, metallic debris, drilling or mining debris, or any type of radiation, then it becomes especially important to implement employee drug and alcohol testing within the workplace. Workplace drug testing is designed specifically to protect your employees from abusive behavior, whether it is done by someone or by their own actions. If you are responsible for their safety and are liable if they cause an accident due to being under the influence, breathing concerns can potentially be the least of your worries when eliminating a potential threat to your assets. Whatever your reasons, the solution is clear. Call Mediscreen today: (+61) 1300 79 70 40.
http://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111%2801%2991265-X/abstract
