INSIGHT
UNDERSTANDING
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Substance abuse in mines and quarries is better controlled when there is a broader understanding of it,
writes Rhys Evans.
40 _ QUARRY SA | MAY/JUNE 2018
abuse in the workplace and that both alcohol and cannabis
use can be controlled among mineworkers through awareness
programmes, substance use testing, rehabilitation programmes
to assist those who use substances, disciplinary measures for
offenders and recreational facilities to relieve boredom.
The controls – breathalysers and random drug testing – have a
significant effect in curbing substance abuse and ensuring miners
use these substances more responsibly. The mines selected for the
study all had codes of conduct in place that variously prohibited
possession or use of substances in the workplace. Some had
established regular and random testing procedures; others only
tested when an incident occurred. The majority had instituted
disciplinary measures and had rehabilitation programmes in place
for workers diagnosed with chronic abuse.
The highest cannabis use prevalence (21.5%) and breathalyser
results above the legal driving limit (5.9%), occurred at a mine
that has no mechanisms in place to implement the measures in its
code of conduct.
Mines that have alcohol policies in place and where random
breathalyser testing of employees is carried out have lower levels
of positive breathalyser results. ■
T
he cost of alcohol and drug abuse to South Africa has
been estimated at R2-billion a year. This is important to
the mining and quarrying industry, where prevalence
is significantly higher and impacts safety, productivity
and the bottom line.
The first priority for any mine is keeping workers who are
under the influence of drugs and alcohol off the site. However, to
manage and reduce incidents of abuse a broader understanding of
the causes and a holistic strategy to address them, is needed.
Employees suffering from substance abuse are more likely
to have problems with perception and motor skills, suffer from
anxiety, paranoia, depression and violent behaviour. They have
difficulty concentrating and processing information and are more
likely to make lapses in judgement. On site, workers who have
alcohol in their blood or use cannabis are a danger to themselves
and their co-workers. A single mistake can cost many lives, result
in work stoppage and ultimately, loss of income for the mine.
Driven by this knowledge, the need to comply with health and
safety regulations and the growing impact of loss of reputation
that such incidents result in, many mines have put measures in
place to manage substance abuse. But stopping abuse at the gate is
not enough.
A recent study notes that stress, loneliness, poverty, boredom
and inadequate health education contribute to the use of
both cannabis and alcohol. These study results agree with the
knowledge ALCO Safe has acquired through 25 years’ experience
in providing mines and quarries in South Africa and Africa with
breathalyser and drug-testing solutions to help them test for,
monitor and control substance abuse.
In my experience, this is borne out in the contrast we see in
the low levels of abuse at established mines and quarries where
a community has grown around the mine and miners have their
families to go home to, versus high-levels of abuse at newly or
poorly established operations where workers are away from their
families, stress levels are high and there are few amenities.
What has become increasingly clear to ALCO Safe is that
companies that are most successful at reducing abuse are the ones
that try to understand what drives substance abuse, address it, and
create a culture of safety that permeates the workplace and extends
into the community.
A Mining Health and Safety Council of South Africa study
indicates that participants are well aware of the dangers of alcohol
Rhys Evans is manager director at ALCO Safe.