Today we're sharing an article published in the U.S.-based, EHS Today online magazine addressing environmental health and safety in the workplace. The article was written by a pair of attorneys practicing environment health and safety law.

They said, "Recent reports show that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, drugs and alcohol abuse has skyrocketed and remains a significant occupational safety challenge for employers. Add to that the changing state laws regarding marijuana use, and it’s clear that employers need to act now to update their organizations’ drug policies."

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Today, our final day of our Drug-Free Work Week campaign, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance shares a video about the importance of drug-free workplace education and training. Educating your employees on policies, procedures, and expectations of a drug-free workplace, along with training supervisors on the knowledge and skills needed, will positively encourage all workers' participation in a safe working environment.

Education and training are important tools for informing workers and managers about workplace hazards, so they can work more safely and be more productive. What many...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance collaborated with the International Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) to share information on the importance of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as part of a company's drug-free workplace program.

With the stress of the pandemic, many people have turned to drug and alcohol use to cope with its effects. As workplaces open and workers return to productivity, those drug and alcohol problems will also be present.  Having an EAP is a proactive measure that employers can offer employees who...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance will feature new themes each day.

Today, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance the workplace division of Drug Free America Foundation, is emphasizing the continued importance of drug-free workplace programs that place the safety and health of workers above all else. Here are some points to remember: 

• 9% of full-time workers are dependent on or abuse alcohol or drugs.
• Workplace drug use can lead to a drop in employee morale and productivity and an increase in abesnteeism and accidents.
• A drug-free...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance will feature new themes each day spotlighting one of our collaborators.

Today, the National Drug Free Workplace Alliance and National Drug Screening are emphasizing the ongoing importance of drug testing in the workplace. Drug testing protects the health and safety of all employees as well as the productivity of the workforce. Here are some points to remember:

o  OSHA requires that employers provide workplaces that are free from hazards, that includes the being under the influence of drugs and alcohol while...

In recognition of Drug-Free Work Week, the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance celebrated with drug-free workplace themes each day.

Today, the National Drug Free Workplace Alliance and Drug Free Business are emphasizing the ongoing importance of drug-free workplace programs to businesses, especially in these trying times. It is essential that employers provide a strong message to all workers that drugs negatively impact workers' productivity and the company's bottom line. Here are some points to remember:

o  People with substance use disorders may be particularly susceptible to COVID...

When an accident occurs, time is of the essence.  Post-accident testing is generally handled exactly like the reasonable suspicion testing, except there may have been serious injuries resulting from the accident that created the need for prompt action. Remember that seeking medical help for your employee is your number one responsibility at the time of an accident.

The best time to prepare for a post-accident situation is before it happens.  Ensuring that procedures are written and staff know their respective responsibilities in advance of an accident is paramount.  Key managers and...

Based on the contents of a company’s drug-free workplace (DFWP) policy it is important to clearly identify a supervisor’s responsibilities.

It is a supervisor’s responsibility to:

o  Maintain a safe, secure and productive environment for employees

o  Evaluate and discuss performance with employees

o  Treat all employees fairly

o  Act in a way that does not demean or label people

It is not a supervisor’s responsibility to:

o  Diagnose drug and alcohol problems

o  Have all the answers

o  Provide counseling or therapy

o  Be a police officer

Identify Performance Problems vs...

Recovery and the Workplace

Live Webinar!

Thursday October 29th, 2020 at 8:00 AM EDT (UTC -4)

Calling All Workplace Stakeholders!

Recovery and the Workplace Webinar Summary:

We are excited to share with you presentations from two unique international programs of recovery and return to working productivity: San Patrignano, a recovery community in Italy, and Obra Social Ferroviaria, railway workers' health service of Argentina.

San Patrignano:

San Patrignano does not consider drug addiction as a chronic disease, although recognizing that is a recurring one. Therefore, instead of...

A recent article from Northern Ireland’s online magazine, BusinessFirst, described some strategies for employers that are affected by persons with substance use disorders that cannot maintain an appropriate work ethic or demeanor.  The article describes the next steps for employers to take charge to help the employee access counseling or treatment to address his work-life productivity.

The steps are to:

• Investigate and document the employee’s behavior
• Get educated on the issues of drug addiction
• Communicate with the employee about the documented observations
• Prepare to assist...

We are sharing a recent paper by Dr. Roberto Canay Mg. PhD., an esteemed ISSUP colleague from Argentina, examining health, work, and prevention in the Argentine context.  He outlines some of the history of work, the growing importance of physical and mental health in the working environment, the effects of alcohol and other drugs, and preventive strategies and approaches that are needed in the workplace.

Dr. Canay summarizes with the statement, “It is crucial to develop comprehensive strategies to provide benefits to workers, companies, families and the community in general.”

Read...

Supervisors should understand their specific responsibilities for initiating and carrying out the drug-free workplace policy and program. Here are some of the key functions:

Know the Organization's Policy and Program

It is extremely important for a supervisor to know and understand the company drug-free workplace policy and to clearly communicate and interpret its provisions to staff members. Alongside the policy are other program components which may include drug and alcohol testing, awareness education, supervisory training, resources for assistance, and more depending upon the goals...

The Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index reveals insights into patterns of drug use among the American workforce. It has examined positivity rates for workplace drugs tested by the company on behalf of employers since 1988. Quest Diagnostics publishes these findings as a public service for government, employers, policymakers, and the general public.

Webinar Recording

Brochure

Are there organizations in your country that provide analysis information of workforce data such as drug testing?  Please share any links you may have.

With more than 250,000 workers nationwide, the New Zealand construction industry has many concerns about the proposed legalization of marijuana for personal use to be decided in the upcoming Fall 2020 General Election. 

Citing the extremely hazardous and dangerous work condition on construction locations, the health and safety of the workforce is a major concern, said Gary Walker, chairman of the Construction Strategy Group.  Furthermore, in a survey conducted by Civil Contractors New Zealand, 65% of respondents indicated that legalization would negatively impact their business...

An interesting new article from the UK website, The Recovery Trust, addressed the impacts stress has on an individual’s use of drugs and alcohol.  It is common knowledge, with extensive research backing it up, that people use substances as a way to cope with life’s problems – a form of self-medicating.  Additional research has shown that the brain’s way of regulating stress is to release cortisol (stress hormone) which is also linked to “problematic substance use.”

With the insecurity of today’s workplace including changing technology and economic uncertainty, it is no wonder that...

A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health links the work environment as an aggravating factor in opioid use and overdose among workers. It also identified that employers can perform an important role throughout the continuum of substance use, from prevention to recovery.   

The research revealed that there are two work-related routes that may connect workers to opioid use including: injury and/or repetitive trauma from arduous labor or, mental stress due to job demands, economic insecurity, and work instability resulting in mental health disorders. Occasionally...

According to the most recent estimates, 585,000 people died as a result of drug use in 2017. International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) provides an opportunity for us to raise awareness, reduce the stigma, and acknowledge the grief families and friends go through remembering those who either died or received a permanent injury as a result of a drug overdose. Drug Free America Foundation is supporting IOAD by collaborating with global partners to highlight different themes on the days leading up to IOAD on August 31.

Addiction does not discriminate; it does not see color, gender, or...

Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, released its annual Drug Testing Index analysis report revealing that positivity rates for U.S. workplace drug testing has dramatically increased over a 16-year period. Based upon over 9 million urine drug tests, the 2019 positivity rate is the highest since 2003 (4.5%).

It was no surprise to learn that marijuana was the most frequently discovered drug in workplace drug testing with positivity rising by nearly 11% over 2018 and 29% in the past 5- year period. The Midwest and the West surpassed the...