Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing with a Difference
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ONE INCIDENT COULD RUIN YOUR BUSINESS FOREVER!

Drug and Alcohol Testing at the Workplace

An employees’ drug taking choices could be jeopardising your business and compromising the safety of those who work in it.

Employers are legally bound to provide a safe workplace.

WHS legislation states that employers are to “secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces through the elimination or minimisation of risks” and “workers and others are to be given the highest level of protection from hazards and risks”.

Failure to do so compromises the safety of your workers and leaves company owners and directors exposed to the risk of litigation and losing
everything they have worked hard for.

As Australia’s Drug Epidemic worsens the chances of a drug or alcohol related incident occurring at your work site are increasing.

Facts About Alcohol and Other Drugs in the Community

As a company at the forefront of alcohol and other drug (AOD) solutions in the workplace, Drug-Safe Australia has always sought to create better understanding of the issues around substance abuse within our unique and treasured Australian society. Some of the more startling statistics we’ve discovered include…

1

facts-1Almost 70% of Australian illegal drug users are employed.

2

facts-2 Lost productivity due to alcohol and other drug abuse has been estimated to cost employers in Australia $16 billion annually.

3

facts-3 Alcohol is the second greatest cause of drug-related hospitalisations in Australia.

4

facts-4About six million Australians aged 14 years and over have used an illegal drug.

5

facts-5 The most commonly used drugs, in descending order are: cannabis, ecstasy, methamphetamine/amphetamine, and painkillers/analgesics. However, the use of “ICE” or methamphetamine is increasing dramatically with the result of destroying families and young lives. It is a catalyst for violence and extremely difficult to end addiction.

6

facts-6 Methadone is a synthetic heroin. Methadone users are not cured heroin users but maintaining a highly dependent addiction through a controlled programme.

7

facts-7 80% of heroin users who wish to end their addiction and go through a detox programme will relapse. Successful heroin detox is approximately 20%.

8

facts-8 According to Workcover statistics, in serious workplace accidents where alcohol or other drugs are present, 80% of the injured are non-users.

9

facts-9 26% of Australian psychiatric patients have a dependency on marijuana.

10

facts-1080% of the crime committed in Australia is drug related.

11

fact-11 Mixing marijuana with alcohol increases the risk of having an accident from 3 to 48 times.

12

fact-12Two out of three drug users will find it difficult to abstain for a whole day and will ‘top-up’ at work.

All It Takes Is One Alcohol Or Drug-Related Incident At Work To Experience…

Drug Accident

  • Injuries to workers, contractors, customers or the public
  • SafeWork & Work Cover investigations and penalties
  • Damaged vehicles, equipment and machinery
  • A drop in staff morale
  • Valued employees leaving the business
  • Reduced productivity and profitability
  • Customers losing trust in you
  • Your hard earned reputation being destroyed

Can You Afford The Risk?!

Why Drug-Safe and
not Drug-Free?

The reality of 21st Century society is that it is an impossible dream to focus upon a Drug-Free Community. So, trying to create a 100% drug-free workplace is a pointless goal when many people require medication or prescribed drugs to lead a normal, productive and pain-free life.

The drugs in the Australian Standards for testing, and alcohol, are ones that are known to effect a person’s behaviour and fitness for duty. Through education and training programmes we are able to demonstrate why taking these drugs is not acceptable either at work, in sport, at school or generally within the social fabric of the Community.

Our Complete Drug-Safe Solution has been proven over and over…

Our innovative approach gives your workplace, sports facility of Community a comprehensive solution and includes

  • policy development,
  • educational workshops,
  • certified training course,
  • products for testing,
  • on site screening in house or in our mobile clinics
  • Comprehensive testing and results analysis.

We pride ourselves on having the experience and knowledge to manage the launch period and subsequent testing stage so that objections are professionally handled with minimal problems or objections.

Latest Articles

Risk Management and Its Implications for Drugs and Alcohol at Work

The recent changes to Chain of Responsibility (CoR) rules have Australian businesses rethinking their responsibility in the wake of any breaches in safety.

The adoption and regular tweaking of risk management systems should be imperative for any business. The proactive approach to safety and minimising of risk are hallmarks of a great company.

And when you consider the alarming new figures of drug deaths in Australia, never has the adoption of a risk management system been more important.

Drug and alcohol abuse is one of the biggest hazards in the workplace.

With a risk management system, you can effectively manage the risks of drug and alcohol at work.

 Read More

What Should I Do if I Suspect a Colleague is Using Drugs

So you noticed that a colleague at work had been acting rather oddly the past week. First, you see him just staring blankly into space while sitting at his desk. Then, as you passed by each other on your way to the water cooler, you notice that your co-worker’s eyes are bloodshot and glazed. Later, as he handed you some documents, you couldn’t help but notice that he keeps on wearing long-sleeved shirts even when the weather is hot. With everything you’ve observed, you are beginning to suspect your work colleague is using drugs.

If you suspect that a colleague is taking drugs, you cannot just ignore it and hope it will pass. Especially if that colleague also happens to be a friend. Just consider the impact drugs can have on your colleague, their family, your employer/company and your other co-workers.

 Read More

How to Properly Conduct Random Drug Testing

Many employers conduct random drug testing among their employees. Unfortunately, many such tests have undergone controversy for one reason or another.

As an employer you no doubt see the value in random drug testing. However, some employees may question its morality, saying random drug tests are not really random at all. They may even file complaints for discrimination.

Drug testing is a critical and sensitive subject. You must administer your random drug and alcohol testing program as properly as you can. After all, drug testing in the workplace is only effective if staff aligns with it and you fully comply with regulatory standards.

Here are the essential practices to properly conduct random drug testing.

 Read More

Drug Deaths in Australia at Record High

If you think that record high drug deaths in Australia should be outside your company’s sphere of concern, think again.

A recent article in The Age by Aisha Dow reports the alarming new figures of drug deaths in Australia. There is a new breed of killer drugs that are claiming more lives than heroin or speed.

 Read More

Why Testing for Ice Drug Abuse Is Critical For Your Company Now

Out of all illicit drugs, it is ice (also known as crystal meth), that has the biggest impact on workers, their families, and society.

It is a cause for such great concern that the Queensland state government is investing $5.4 million towards helping families break the cycle of ice addiction.

This highlights the problem of ice in what may seem a part of the population. What it does not show is the severity of ice in the workplace.

 Read More

The Strangest Drug Awareness Training Ever

As the founder of Drug-Safe Workplaces I have a few unusual stories to tell. Some I will never be able to divulge. But this is one of the strangest, and I can talk about it.

Early in the development of the alcohol and other drugs industry good work was hard to come by. So I would accept any opportunity to develop my skills and knowledge. Particularly when I was able to charge for my services.

Then one day I got this call…

 Read More

Drug Safe Workplace

Create a Drug Safe Workplace

Together we can minimise risks, increase safety and establish a positive and productive workplace.

With almost two decades of industry experience, Drug-Safe Workplaces is proud of having the professionalism, outstanding quality and client confidentiality to give you real peace of mind.

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Make an intelligent business decision by joining "Team Drug-Safe" as an independent business owner and make a real difference within your own community. Find out more