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.

Risk Management and Drugs and Alcohol – The 5 Step Plan

Having a risk register is essential in a proactive approach to risk. Luckily, we have a step by step guide to help you manage the risks of drug and alcohol at work.

This guide is helpful to all workers across all industries, particularly those in high-risk occupations.

Drug and Alcohol Risk Management Step 1. Identify hazards

The first step in risk management is to identify the risks. In the case of drugs and alcohol, we identify the hazards caused by an alcohol or drug abusing employee.

1. Absenteeism, frequent tardiness and illness means reduced productivity
2. An altered state of mind can lead to accidents, injuries, or loss of life
3. Preoccupation with obtaining drugs or drinks leads to a loss of focus or poor concentration
4. Psychological effects of long-term use affect performance
5. Engaging in illegal activities is contagious or breeds resentment in the workplace

Record in the risk register:

Identify hazards as they crop up such as coming to work hungover or in an altered state of consciousness.

The absence of a well-defined, well communicated and legally binding workplace policy on alcohol and drug use is also a risk.

Step 2. Assess risk

Determine the risks that come with the hazards.

Answer the following:

• Who could be harmed by the hazard?
• In what situations could the hazard cause harm or loss?
• Where exactly could the hazard cause harm or loss?
• When could the hazard potentially cause harm or loss?
• How could the hazard result in harm or loss?

A drug and alcohol abusing employee is putting not only herself or himself at risk but also your other employees and civilians.

Drug-related accidents could lead to injury or loss of life. Ultimately, it’s too harmful to your workers and your business.

Record in the risk register:

For every hazard identified, determine the risks and let the questions above guide you.

Step 3. Identify existing controls

What existing controls do you have in place to manage the risks you’ve found?

It could be a drug and alcohol awareness seminar or a drug and alcohol workplace policy. Take a look at the risks you’ve identified — do your existing controls effectively address each one of them? Are you confident that your existing controls effectively eliminate the risk of harm or loss?

Record in the risk register:

Write down the controls you have in place for each risk you identify.

If you discover any risk without the corresponding controls in place, you can address them in the next step, which is “treating the risk.”

Step 4. Treat risk

This step is to put additional controls for the risks which you have addressed or if the controls you have in place for a certain risk is not sufficient to prevent harm or loss.

The most effective way to treat a risk is to eliminate it completely. You can work to minimise the risks and get them as low as reasonably practicable.

One example of treating a risk is to implement a pre employment drug testing programme in order to avoid hiring those with substance abuse problems. You also want to follow a regular randomised drug screening regime, to keep your existing staff safe.

Record in the risk register:

Record proposed controls under “Treat risk.” Also, record the person/s responsible for the implementation of the new controls.

Update your risk register once the proposed controls become existing controls.

Step 5. Monitor and review

Regularly monitor and review the controls you’ve put in place to ensure efficacy. This way, you can also identify hazards and risks that you may have missed.

If you have a drug and alcohol policy in place, regularly review it and make sure it is up-to-date to current hazards. Is your drug and alcohol policy still working as planned or will you need to revamp it?

It is highly recommended that the person conducting reviews is independent of the organisation or business.

Record in the risk register:

Monitor and record the effectiveness of new controls in place.

Drug-Safe Australia Will Help You Manage the Risks of Drug and Alcohol at Work

Our Drug-Safe Team approaches complex problems with comprehensive solutions.

Our solutions include pre-employment, blanket and random testing, results analysis, policy development, educational workshops, training programs, and on-site/in-house screening.

We regularly monitor and review our clients’ drug and alcohol policies and continually identify risks that crop up and suggest updates accordingly.

Our job is to make sure you can focus on running your business without worrying about drug and alcohol use among your employees.