Capital Equipment News May 2015

CONSISTENT POLICIES AND CONTINUOUS TESTING are key to curbing alcohol abuse in the workplace

By Rhys Evans, Director of ALCO-Safe

T he festive season has been over for some time already, but this is no rea- son for organisations to reduce their efforts to curb alcohol consumption in the workplace. The reality is that South Africa has a drinking culture, and alcohol abuse is a problem throughout the year and not just over the December period. Applying poli- cies and testing solely during this time is simply not the most effective method, nor is it compliant with health and safety regula- tions. In 2015 organisations should look to implementing alcohol testing policies that are consistently enforced throughout the year, and not selectively during the festive season, for more effective control and im- proved health and safety compliance.

For many organisations, especially trans- portation and logistics companies, the fes- tive season is particularly challenging with regard to ensuring drivers do not operate under the influence of alcohol. The holiday period typically sees an increase in alcohol consumption as well as an increase in traf- fic accidents and road deaths. In order to minimise the dangers of drivers operating under the influence, these companies often enforce random alcohol testing. While this is an effective way to address the issue in the short-term, in the long-term it is gen- erally ineffective at controlling the use of alcohol in the workplace. Aside from creat- ing resentment from employees and extra stress for management, selectively enforc- ing alcohol testing only during certain times

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