Alcohol and drugs can affect a person’s ability to work safely and productively. This can include prohibited drugs, prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. Alcohol and drugs can affect people in a variety of ways, including disrupting their concentration, balance, hand-eye coordination and reaction time.
The Drug and Alcohol Procedure covers the policies and procedures related to the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace. It includes information on prohibited substances while performing certain tasks, testing procedures and the potential consequences of violation. The procedure is designed to comply with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
The Drug and Alcohol Procedure ensures that:
- there is no smoking in inside areas on the premises
- any non-prohibited drug taken by an employee will not pose a health and safety risk to the individual or anyone else in the workplace
- if the use of or the discontinued use of a non-prohibited drug has the potential to cause adverse side effects to the individual, the relevant supervisor or manager is informed
- workers understand their legal responsibilities concerning the use of drugs and alcohol, as well as the business’s policies
- management staff, employees and contractors are aware of prohibited conduct concerning drugs and alcohol, and
- management staff, employees and contractors understand the business’s rights in regard to testing for alcohol and other drugs.
The procedure works in conjunction with:
- 507 – Issue Resolution Form
- 523 – OHS Meeting Form
- REGISTER – Events Register
