Drug And Alcohol Testing At Work
Effective screening policies for every industry
​
According to research done by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2014), drugs and alcohol contribute to 26% of accidents in the workplace – costing the UK more than £4bn per year. Over many decades, Dräger has gained extensive experience and expertise in alcohol and drug screening, with the aim of helping to decrease these numbers. Indeed, for the past 60 years, we have been a world leader in the field of alcohol screening with many hundreds of police forces across the world. Increasingly, policymakers, employers and Health and Safety professionals in many workplaces are turning to Dräger to help improve the safety of their employees and assets.
Drug and alcohol corporate testing policies
It’s important to understand the legal implications and high costs your business could incur due to drug and alcohol impairment in the workplace. As an employer, you should keep up to date with changing legislation around substance misuse. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, companies are obliged to provide a safe place of work as far as reasonably practicable – and implementing corporate testing policies can help to a great extent in this regard. There are six test categories when workplace testing may become applicable: for cause, post-incident, random, pre-employment, post-rehabilitation/return to work and job-specific. Employers and workplaces that wish to carry out drug and alcohol testing on employees must have a workplace policy in place.
What do substance screening policies look like?
Every policy relating to drugs and alcohol should be outlined in a formal corporate document that defines your company’s stance on drugs and alcohol at work. These documents should provide clear instructions for employees and employers, formal information on non-compliance, details on how abuse issues will be handled and a procedure whereby employees with a problem can seek assistance.
The advantages of screening policies
Effective drug and alcohol testing policies can help to ensure the safety of your staff and other people around them. They can act as deterrents, helping to ensure all employees are aware of the risks, consequences and legal costs of their actions. They also help to maintain the reputation of your company and its products, safeguard company assets from damage and theft, reduce absenteeism and increase team morale, as well as demonstrate company standards – all of which can have a direct effect on your company’s progress and efficiencies.
Drug and alcohol testing policies – can you afford not to have one?
A drug and alcohol testing policy can have a positive impact on reducing mounting costs and potential problems in the workplace – and ensuring people are fit and safe to work should be a priority for every business. Read about how investing in an effective screening policy can be beneficial to your company.
