Many businesses and organisations around the globe now recognise that the use of drugs and alcohol can be an impediment to safe and sound business practices. As a result, they have implemented employment drug test requirements to prevent the use of illegal drugs and alcohol in the workplace. Additionally, many continue to use workplace drug testing to insure their staff is free from any effects caused by the use of drugs and/or alcohol which can compromise workplace safety and the wellbeing of the site or office or organisational environment. Private and even government/federal and state employers have a wide range of options when developing drug alcohol testing policies that work in their specific industries.
A Multi- Faceted Approach
Many employers use educational components as a distinct part of their drug and alcohol programme in the workplace. These are most frequently instigated to offer employees sound and factual information about the dangers and health hazards of using drugs and the excessive use of alcohol. But this approach cannot be assumed to be the be all and end all of a drug and alcohol workplace programme.
Such strategies will only go so far and without workplace drug testing it is difficult to measure success. Companies can also use a combination of efforts to greatly reduce the number of employees suffering from substance abuse such as:
- Pre-employment drug testing
- Random workplace drug testing
- Employee education programs
- Supervisor awareness training
When efforts are combined more people are involved of stemming the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace, providing a safer environment.
Maintaining your workplace
Drug and alcohol screening can provide an organisation with a much needed safeguard against problem employees. A problem employee who is using drugs or alcohol may appear unreliable and may allow work standards to drop. Safety standards may be eroded and worst case scenarios may lead to accident, as occurred in the aviation industry with the Hamilton Island air disaster in 2002.[1]
Ensuring against worst case scenario
You can ensure against worst case scenarios. The use of a comprehensive and well developed onsite screening programme can give your company or organisation the much needed regulation and rigorous treatment it needs in relation to drug and alcohol use and abuse.
Whether your sector is aviation, transport, maritime or mining and resources, or office based and corporate, you can benefit from the implementation and ongoing maintenance of an onsite screening programme that is developed with your specific needs in mind.
Don’t wait for the disaster to strike. Don’t wait for a scenario similar to that of the infamous Hamilton air crash where 6 people died and where the pilot was discovered to be affected by alcohol and drugs. The 27 year old pilot had stepped into the cockpit with alcohol and drugs in his system and what ensued was indeed the worst case scenario for business, aviation, community and family.
For more information phone Mediscreen on 1300 797040
References:
http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/drugs/workingpartners/dfworkplace/dt.asp
