Anyone who works in heavy industry knows the hazards and risks. They are there before you every day, every time someone bundies on to work and every time your workforce goes out to work underground, or in the open cut mine, or out in the desert, or even out at sea. It’s a tough life. And if you oversee employees, or are concerned with their wellbeing and their health, as well as the profits and the productivity of your machinery and your assets, you will need a good and effective lifeline.
The Quick Fix?
Is there really a quick fix? Can you just develop an easy solution to accidents and injury on site? Do you simply deal with an individual who is compromising workplace safety by dismissing them, or do you try to reduce the real risk, by developing a sound strategy and policy?
There is a lot you can do. But one single method will not work on its own. Here are some clever aids to help you on the way to developing a great lifeline to an accident-free site;
- Educate your workers and update them on safety
- Develop a drug and alcohol free policy[1]
- Publicise safety
- Notify workers of legislation that outlines a no-go policy on drugs and alcohol. (Transport industry, mining, aviation etc.)
- Have an open door policy
- Encourage employees to ‘look out” for each other
Drug Test
You can also introduce a sound workplace drug testing or drug screening policy into your place of work. This can be developed by you personally, or you can gain valuable help from experts in onsite drug and alcohol screening. A good and effective drug test can help to screen for some of the main problem drugs of abuse, such as marijuana, heroin, amphetamines and some prescription drugs.
When developing a good onsite drug test or screening programme also be sure to enlist a screening service that utilises high quality screening devices. Saliva testing is the easier and often preferred option while a urine drug test can also be supplied. These will help your organisation safeguard against accident-related injury due to drug abuse or drug misuse.
Test for Alcohol
You may also wish to test for alcohol on a regular basis. This can be done with the aid of a high quality onsite breathalyser. Or, you can also use the services of an onsite screening programme that will test for alcohol when carrying out the random drug test screening programme
Whatever your decision, remember that your ongoing safety in the workplace requires a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach. Onsite screening can form a pivotal part of this safeguarding and for best outcomes needs to be activated with other strategies as component parts of the total approach.
Mediscreen 1300 797040. A specialised screening organisation that can help you.
[1] http://www.police.nsw.nsw.gov.au/about_us/policies_and_procedures/policies/drug_and_alcohol_policy
