Random drug testing “most effective deterrent” in the workplace

Safety & Health Practitioner

A drug and alcohol testing service has declared that random drug testing is the most effective deterrent to ensure safety in the workplace.

 

Presenting at the European Workplace Drug Testing Society Conference — an international symposium in Vienna — Randox Testing Services drew on UK government figures to show how introducing random drug testing cut positive tests by over 75 per cent.

 

This comes ahead of a free IOSH seminar on drugs and alcohol policies in the workplace, which is taking place in Glasgow on 31 October.

 

Matt Taylor, managing director of ScreenSafe, will be considering the problems presented by drug, alcohol and substance abuse in the workplace and practical issues in responding to them.

 

The HSE estimates that up to 15 million working days are lost each year due to alcohol-related problems in the workplace, costing the British industry an estimated £2 billion. 

 

Randox Testing Services operations manager Gary McCutcheon, said: “With awareness of corporate manslaughter increasing amongst employers, we expect a preventative approach to drug-abuse to become more wide-spread. Indeed, some European countries have signaled early intent to go further and widen liability outside the board of directors, to managerial level.”

 

Mr Taylor said: “A drug and alcohol policy should have its core issues, health, education and proper training. An overlaying supportive approach rather than a punitive one will create a more robust policy, designed to encourage people who think they may have a drug or drink problem to come forward, rather than try to hide it.”

 

Taylor went on to say that workplace drug testing was a health, safety and education issue. He added: “Ignoring a drug or an alcohol addiction could be dangerous. Tackling it in an open and honest way could save jobs, help families and possibly even save lives.”

 

Matt Taylor will be talking at the IOSH meeting at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow on 31 October. Attendance is free and open to non-member of IOSH. More information is available on the IOSH website.