One in 10 workers test positive to drugs
In some cases, the figure can be as high as 30% of employees, says principal scientific consultant for d:tec Australia, Andrew Leibie.
“Almost 100% of workplaces that conduct drug and alcohol testing show at least one positive result during their first round of screening,” he said.
“While this decreases with subsequent tests, research has shown that workers affected by drugs or alcohol contribute to lost productivity, occupational injuries and even deaths in the workplace.”
Leibie said more companies in safety sensitive industries were recognising the benefits of introducing drug testing programs.
“The number of workplace drug tests undertaken by d:tec Australia has more than doubled over the past two years,” he said.
“More employers are recognising the benefits of drug testing not only from a financial perspective, but also in creating workplaces that are safe and healthy.”
However, Leibie said that at the same time, some employers found the process quite daunting and put it off thinking they may meet with resistance from workers.
“For any company, the most effective way to introduce testing is within the context of a broader Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) policy, accompanied by appropriate staff consultation and education,” he said.
“Education is vital in helping employees understand the reasons testing is being introduced and in reassuring them their employer is not trying to ‘catch them out’ or victimise them.
“We find some people assume drug tests target those who have been drinking or taken illicit substances, however it might be something as innocent as taking a sleeping tablet that returns a positive test.
Often employees take these drugs with the best intentions, such as to get a good night’s sleep before their next shift, without realising it could impact on their work performance hours later.”
For example, many common pharmacy painkillers contain Codeine, which, if taken in excessive amounts, can result in drowsiness, reduced response times and general lack of alertness. It can also take up to two days to leave the system.
“The good news is that with proper education, many of these situations can be avoided,” Leibie said.
Leibie said companies planning to introduce drug testing could expect a resignation rate of between one and 2% after announcing the program to their employees.
12-Oct-2006