Justin Goldblatt, general manager of Runrite Electronics, explains how alcohol abuse in the workplace can be overcome.
Alcohol is the most widely used and commonly available intoxicating substance. Alcohol testing has become commonplace in the industrial sector; primarily driven by health and safety legislation, which encourages testing to mitigate risk.
Many companies have implemented “zero tolerance” policies, meaning that testing has become compulsory, in addition to initiatives such as awareness programmes, site inductions and clinics.
Best-practice alcohol testing
A transparent and repeatable procedure is imperative to the integrity of any alcohol control policy. We encourage a minimum two-test procedure. The initial test can be a simple passive screen test on a portable or fixed tester (such as the Alcolizer WM Lite) at the access point.
Should there be a failed test, the subject should be allowed a 20 to 30 minute window period before being tested with an active tester, such as our Alcolizer Series 5 device. This gives the employee the benefit of the doubt, while allowing the employer to mitigate the use of alcohol in the workplace.
The advantages of a wall-mounted alcohol tester
We have a guiding philosophy within our business: “The right to not offend”. This means that we want everyone to be able to understand and self-manage themselves, in order to avoid being prosecuted, or, in the case of labour law, face disciplinary action.
The use of wall-mounted self-testers by our mining clients has led to positive behaviour changes among their employees. It has also reduced pressure on human resource departments and security personnel to constantly “police” staff.
Apart from the self-testing concept, fixed, mounted breathalysers at turnstiles reduce human error and improve reporting on exceptions back to management _ either via the access-control software, or Runrite’s own AlcoCloud management tool.
Device calibration is vital
Calibration of equipment is vitally important and should always be done by a certified technician. The references should always be traceable to ensure the integrity of the calibration.
Equipment by Runrite Electronics makes use of unique, patented, modular calibration. This means that equipment never needs to leave the site; a simple swop of a module gets the equipment in order within 60 seconds.
You may need training …
Training requirements vary by company and industry. We tailor-make our training programmes to meet the demands of our clients; whether these are awareness programmes for employees, or familiarisation programmes for security personnel using the equipment.
We have an online training facility, meaning that we can service clients even in remote regions.
Source: http://www.sheqmanagement.com/index.php/regulars/hints-a-tips/763-safe-and-sober.html