Alcohol use and abuse in the workplace is a challenge across many sectors, but can be a particular problem in industries where employees need to deal with hazardous conditions or operate heavy machinery, such as in the warehouse.
FEATURE
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Zero tolerance for alcohol in the warehousing environment
By Rhys Evans- director of ALCO-Safe
Alcohol use and abuse in the workplace is a challenge across many sectors, but can be a particular problem in industries where employees need to deal with hazardous conditions or operate heavy machinery, such as in the warehouse.
In the warehousing environment, employees must often work with and operate overhead cranes, forklifts and other hazardous machinery. These types of equipment are highly dangerous, as there is always the chance for human error and accidents do happen. However, the danger is significantly increased if employees are operating the machinery under the influence of alcohol due to its adverse effects on behaviour and reaction times. To mitigate this risk, warehouses need to adopt a zero tolerance approach to alcohol consumption in the workplace, backed up by effective policies and compulsory alcohol testing of every employee every day.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety( OHS) Act, employees are not permitted to be in the workplace under the influence of alcohol, no matter what industry they work in. Intoxicated employees may experience compromised cognitive ability and impaired decision making, since alcohol is proven to increase reckless behaviour while decreasing inhibitions. In the warehousing industry the effects of alcohol consumption in the workplace can be catastrophic. Accidents with heavy machinery can cause serious injury and even death. If it can be proven that the machine operator was operating under the influence and management did not take the necessary preventative steps, then the company can be held liable for damages. Ensuring the safety and well‐being of all employees within the warehouse workplace should be a top priority.
The first step is to adopt a zero tolerance approach as mandated by the OHS Act. This requires that policies be put into place to effect this, which need to include mandatory daily breathalyser testing of every employee as they enter the workplace. If only random testing is conducted or employees are not tested daily, then it becomes difficult to control alcohol consumption because of the large number of staff involved in many warehouse ventures. In addition, education needs to form a crucial component of any alcohol programme, as even if people are tested on arrival they may drink during the day. Education on the dangers of alcohol
Random tests make it difficult to control, should be daily.
consumption in the workplace, with real-life examples of the consequences of intoxicated behaviour, can act as a significant deterrent.
New breathalyser technology too can play a role in ensuring compliance with zero tolerance policies. Key management solutions have been in place in many warehouses to control and monitor who has access to keys for any physical asset, including heavy machinery such as forklifts and cranes. Intelligent, electronic key management systems provide a full audited history of key transactions, and new solutions incorporate a breathalyser function into this solution.
Regular key management typically requires the user to input a personal PIN as well as fingerprint to retrieve keys. The system then logs the time the keys were retrieved and by whom. The PIN and fingerprint must then be re-entered to return the keys, again logging the time and access code. With new breathalyser‐enabled solutions, users must not only enter a PIN and their fingerprint, but also blow into an integrated breathalyser to demonstrate their sobriety by ensuring their breath alcohol content is under the prescribed limit. Only then will the keys be released. If the user does not pass the breathalyser test, the keys will not be released, and the name of the person will be logged along with their breath alcohol reading. They will also then not be permitted to continue working.
To prevent alcohol consumption during the day while on shift, the same exercise must be repeated when the keys are returned. The system will create an alert and log the breath alcohol content of the operator should they fail the breathalyser test upon return of the keys.
By ensuring effective policies are in place and by utilising advanced technology, such as breathalyser-enabled key management systems, warehouse management can minimise the risk associated with alcohol consumption in the workplace. In addition, warehouses can benefit from sober employees who require less time off; who are less likely to cause accidents and damages to assets and stock; not to mention avoiding workplace injury and fatality. While new breathalyser systems will always require an upfront investment, this is typically minimal, effectively delivering long-term cost savings and OHS compliance. CLA
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