INSIGHT
TESTING FOR ALCOHOL
IN THE WORKPLACE
By Rhys Evans
Alcohol and substance testing form part of the health and safety policies and procedures in many
industries. However, many organisations still do not employ this cautionary practice, potentially resulting in
significant losses to the business.
liability and legal ramifications should there be any positive
testing on site, and for this reason prefer to avoid the process
altogether.
This avoidance can be detrimental to the organisation, and
the benefits of testing far outweigh any assumed risks or costs.
Not having and not enforcing an alcohol and drug policy
exposes the business to serious risk. If a company is caught
infringing the OHS Act they stand to face severe consequences
and potentially even operational shutdown. Over and above
this, the safety of an organisation’s employees is at risk due to
alcohol and drug-related accidents.
Although a company is not necessarily held liable if an
intoxicated person injures themselves while on duty, it could
be held accountable should a co-worker be injured and the
proper alcohol testing was not conducted. Furthermore, if a
company is aware of the presence of an intoxicated person on
site and deliberately turns a blind eye, it could face debilitating
legal action in the event of an accident or injury.
The consequences of allowing an intoxicated person on site,
whether knowingly or not, are not only limited to injuries.
Industries that have particularly rigorous and controlled
safety standards — such as the petrochemical, mining,
construction, and rail sectors — are especially strict when it
comes to testing for alcohol.
General Safety Regulation 2A of the Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) Act states that every employer is obligated to stop
persons from entering or remaining at work if they appear to be
under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs.
In some industries, such as those mentioned above,
organisations are subjected to annual and spot audits on their
health and safety practices. Non-compliance can land these
businesses in extremely hot water, so they generally adhere to
regulations and ensure that regular, if not daily, testing is done.
As a rule, frequent testing should form part of the health and
safety policy of every business.
Many organisations are fearful of implementing alcohol
and drug testing for a number of reasons, albeit many of
them misplaced. There is a general misconception that
implementing an alcohol and drug policy in the workplace is
difficult and costly. Some companies worry about the potential
QUARRY SA | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 _ 39