Drug Testing: Choose the Safer Side

In today’s modern workplace, competent management requires more than mere “good intentions” and “common sense”. Instead, it is vitally important that management implements proper risk management protocols to ensure their workplace policies and procedures meet its legal compliance obligations. Essentially, good risk management helps to enhance OHS, performance management and strategic business goals. One area that deserves particular attention when developing effective risk management measures in today’s modern workplace is the workplace drug and alcohol testing.

The key objective for developing a good drug and alcohol policy in the workplace is to prevent and reduce the potentially harmful impact of drug or alcohol consumption at work. Through developing and adopting strategies such as; increasing education, enforcement for breaches of policy, treatment strategies and awareness of on site consumption rules, the risks associated with drug and alcohol intake are minimized.

In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1983, your workplace’s drug testing and alcohol policy should be included with its occupational health, safety and welfare policies. Moreover, it clearly states that employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees. This duty of care is obligatory for all employers. It also reinforces the legal requirement that employees must ensure the safety of fellow employees. Consequently, any breaches of the Act for both employers and employees can incur heavy penalties.

In this way, by including a comprehensive drug and alcohol policy as part of your workplace occupational health and safety risk management planning, your workplace can proactively address any misuse or abuse of alcohol and other drugs in accordance with the regulations set out in Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1983.

However, the workplace drug and alcohol testing should also be designed to boost and promote employee health and general well being. Safer workplaces and a healthier workforce not only improve business operations and costs (i.e. better workplace performance, less absenteeism and lower workplace costs), but more importantly, they are a key way to foster a workplace that positively supports and values its staff members by encouraging greater workplace safety, better stress management, more successful coping strategies and greater wellness.

So, any way you look at it, implementing better risk management systems is just plain “smart“.