Drug Related Accidents at the Workplace
Before I explain why drug testing is required in Australia, allow me to narrate a small incident.
It was late Friday evening when my neighbor Allen came rushing into my home and in between breaths and sheer fright said he had received a phone call stating that there was an accident at the factory where his 24-year old son worked and that his son was rushed to a hospital.
Clearly, Allen needed support and I was happy to give it.
To cut a long story short, it seems Allen’s son Jack forgot to switch off the electrical connection before touching the high-voltage circuit breaker he was testing in the factory. He suffered multiple third-degree burns. Investigation later revealed that Jack had recently started taking a cocktail of drugs. Why Jack was taking drugs or why no drug testing was done at the workplace is not important. The incident made us forcefully aware of the sheer importance of drug testing at the workplace. 1
Times have changed
Drug testing is required in Australia because we live in a time when almost every teen either has experienced or is taking some psychotropic drug or the other – it is the ‘in thing’ and any teen that has not taken drugs probably faces ridicule amongst friends. Well paying jobs provide the means for young employees to indulge and the hunger for “hitting it high” has only increased.2
Make Drug Testing at the Workplace Mandatory
Perhaps making drug testing at the workplace mandatory especially on Monday morning isn’t such a bad idea?
These days there are kits that can detect the smallest trace amounts of drugs in a sample of urine. Harsh as it may sound, exemplary punishment including docking of pay, forced un-paid leave and even termination from the job needs to be earnestly considered. Exemplary punishment is certainly preferable to an accident. But one also needs to develop sound policy too. Accidents are always expensive both to the person involved, and to the company. Accidents also cause distress. Simple drug testing as part of policy and procedure at the workplace may help to eliminate all this. 3
The Need to Take Drugs
To some extent, one can sympathize with modern day teenagers. The pressures of life they face today are in most cases more than the pressures their parents faced. One of the most compelling reasons our teenagers and younger generation take to drugs is peer pressure. Refusal to comply leads to ridicule.4
Blending in is everything. While some of our youngsters take exotic variations (such as amphetamines and heroin), most are happy with cannabis, alcohol and cigarettes.
Some youngsters take to drugs because they are unable to deal with pressure at the workplace and this happens especially with new employees. Drug testing at the workplace will detect drug abuse and when backed up by counseling, can make the workplace a much safer place for all.
How Drugs Affect Us
In terms of how they work, nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, etc. are no different from any across-the-counter drug you might buy. All drugs are chemicals. When these chemicals enter our blood stream, depending on the composition, they have the potential to alter our senses. Drugs can make us feel calm, drowsy, or ecstatic.
Drugs therefore have the power to alter reality for a brief period but that period could be the most dangerous period especially if the person happens to be working in an environment where intense concentration is required. Take Jack’s case; he later said that the drug cocktail he was taking made him feel so strong that he felt his body could easily withstand the high voltages and that nothing would happen to him. Maybe…just maybe, drug testing at any workplace in Australia especially in factories should be mandatory? 5
Consider advice from Mediscreen on 1300 889070. Specialist staff can assist you now.
References
1. Drug related accidents at workplaces in Australia: http://www.drugarm.com.au/files/pdf/Drugs%20in%20the%20Workplace%20-%20for%20the%20employee%20ltrhd.pdf
2. Increased incidents of drug related abuse in Australia: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442467962
3. Make Drug Testing at the Workplace Mandatory: http://www.hughlafollette.com/papers/drug.testing.htm
4. Peer pressure on kids: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/friends/peer_pressure.html
5. How drugs affect us: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/drugs_teenagers?open
