Educating Employees about Drugs and Alcohol

In the Australian workforce climate of 2011, many organisations now recognise that the use of drugs and alcohol can be an impediment to safe and sound business practices. Consequently they have implemented drug test requirements to safeguard against workplace safety compromises that are due to the onsite use of alcohol and/or drugs. May organisations also use workplace drug testing because of legislative requirements or a zero tolerance approach, such as that which occurs in the mining and the transport industries. Safety is of the essence, and minimising risk or accidents caused by the use of drugs and/or alcohol is of paramount importance. Private employers and large scale organisations have a wide range of options when developing drug alcohol testing policies that work in their specific industries. Mediscreen can in fact advise on the development of tailored onsite screening programmes suitable for all contexts.

Education efforts focus on health risks

One of the complementary efforts employed by organisations to safeguard against workplace substance and alcohol abuse is the use of education s to teach their employees about the dangers and health hazards of using drugs and alcohol. These complementary efforts are a vital part of a drug and alcohol programme but may only go so far, and without Drug & Alcohol Testing it is difficult to measure success.

For optimal outcomes, organisations and companies can also use a combination of efforts to greatly reduce the number of employees engaging in substance abuse. These may include such as:

• Pre-employment Drug Screening
• Random workplace drug testing
• Employee education programs
• Supervisor awareness training

These combined approaches and efforts may afford the greatest security for organisations who require a consolidated approach in the fight against drugs and alcohol onsite.

Early detection provides better atmosphere

Pre-employment screening is a fact of life with large organisations in the United States and may also be gaining in momentum here in Australia. The rationale behind pre-employment testing is one of early identification and deterrence with the view being that suing addicts and alcoholics are perhaps less likely to apply for jobs where pre-employment screening in company policy. When people who can’t pass a drug test are looking for a job, they often find their opportunities limited by the number of companies that require drug screening before making a job offer. Such a test, typically consisting of urinalysis, may in fact screen out and even deter those recent drug users who may have the qualifications on paper, but whose addiction patterns render them unsuitable for long term, reliable employment.

Work environment compromised by substance abuse

Employees, who go to work under the influence, or who are still suffering from the effects of their addiction can create an unsafe work environment or an environment that is extremely problematic or hostile to other employees and the employer. OH&S supervisors may be trained to keep an eye out for difficult or problematic employees who may exhibit the signs and symptoms of drug influence or addiction and this may in some cases lead to the individual employee being recommended for drug alcohol testing to determine their current alcohol and drug status.

Following legal guidelines for workplace drug testing

While private employers are pretty much unbridled in drug test requirements, they must be certain that the test and its results are handled in accordance with state and federal privacy laws. Chain of Custody paperwork is often a necessary feature of testing and screening procedures to safeguard against privacy breaches, and one company that has a fully comprehensive and thorough approach to privacy is Mediscreen.

Remember to activate a clear education programme about alcohol and other drugs at your workplace. IF you also require a thorough and expert onsite screening programme for your organization.