Making Safety and Health a Priority Promotes a Substance

In this discussion, a different perspective is taken for a moment. Instead of only considering worker behaviours, the discussion centres on employer behaviours. Though using drugs or alcohol in the workplace is a personal decision, albeit a poor one, the employer should understand that a drug and alcohol testing program should be a layer on a foundation of employee respect and fair management practices. The program is not something that is simply added without considering the organisational culture and how the program fits in it as a positive and supportive component to worker and business success.

 

All employers have a duty of care to protect the occupational health and safety of employees through management policies and performance. Many managers tend to view drug and alcohol testing as a legally required, standalone program, when it should be viewed in as a component of a larger safety and wellness program. The broad occupational health and safety (OHS) elements of business success include developing a system for managing OHS, differentiating between a policy and a procedure, integrating OHS planning with the business plan, allocating responsibilities and accountabilities to staff, and developing a system for communicating information to workers.1

A drug and alcohol policy and supporting testing procedures are integral to each one of these elements of business success as pieces of the larger picture. For example, there should be a well developed policy promoting a substance free workplace, a random drug and alcohol testing program that represents administration of the policies, clear definition of the role of drug and alcohol policies and procedures as a component of worker wellness and safety programs, staff training that ensures fair application of procedures and enhances a supportive workplace environment, and a worker training program for conveyance of the policies and procedures.

Employees as Stakeholders in Substance Free Workplace and Community

A simple way of looking at this concept is that a wellness program failing to address substance use and abuse as a health and safety issue is also failing to meet the elements of business success. In fact, successful businesses that embrace their duty to promote worker safety use a strategy in which employees act as role models and actively participate on safety committees and accept responsibility for developing and communicating ongoing training programs. The programs include educating workers on the safety risks associated with the use of drugs and alcohol. Engaging employees in a collaborative manner sends a clear message that workers are stakeholders in workplace safety and have a duty to follow safe work practices and procedures, and refusing to use drugs and alcohol in the workplace is one of those practices.

Beyond safety issues, the workplace is increasingly being viewed as a setting in which a large number of people can be exposed to health promotion activities that have community, and not just workplace, relevance. The reason is obvious – a large percent of the population is employed. Proponents of using the workplace as a public information intervention site argue that this approach assists employers with complying with occupational safety and health as much as it helps the broader community.

Taking a Broader View

For example, there is evidence in many cases that workplace factors contribute to high risk alcohol consumption. Employers are interested in exercising their duty of care and minimising harm, whilst public education programs aim to change behaviours and workplace environments. However, there is no single reason that can be named to explain why people over-consume alcohol and no single effective response. Patterns of alcohol consumption are tied to work and personal life; therefore, it makes sense to view the employer’s duty of care and workplace safety in the broadest sense.2

Perhaps in the final analysis, this is merely a sophisticated way of saying that work lives and personal lives intersect, so workplace education measures addressing alcohol and drug use makes perfect sense. The employer fulfils a duty of care, whilst promoting workplace safety and responsible community behaviour. The reward is a healthier workforce and a safer workplace, and both contribute to business success. Workers take their cues from employers, which means employers must clearly convey drug and alcohol policies and procedures which define performance accountability and management expectations. The message sent to employees must be absolutely clear: health and safety is a priority.

CMM Technology at cmm.com.au/ helps facilitate OHS and operational objectives by providing employers with quality drug and alcohol test supplies like the drug testing and the Oraline saliva tests. Random testing programs are simpler to administer when reliable testing supplies are used.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3235

Online Drug Purchases Create New Worry for Employers

Controlling employee drug and alcohol use and developing employer drug and alcohol policies are two activities closely bound to managing worker privacy issues. There is arguably only one subject more complex than maintaining a drug free workplace in an age of high rates of substance abuse by the Australian population. That subject is balancing worker privacy rights with the employer’s need-to-know employee behaviours that may pose a threat to workplace safety. The issue of controlling drug use at the place of employment and maintaining employee privacy has taken on a new dimension in that people, including workers, are increasingly using their workplace internet access to purchase illicit drugs.

Buying drugs online is nothing new for the drug community. The Silk Road website, often called the “eBay for drugs”, and a number of global sites selling pharmaceuticals and synthetic drugs, are increasingly used by substance abusers as sources of illicit drugs. What sets Silk Road apart is the fact it uses masking or encryption software called Tor that makes it virtually impossible to track data. An employee using Tor can order illicit drugs online and have them mailed from overseas or delivered within Australia, and even technology wizards are unable to trace the order.1

Under the Radar

The “dark internet” is a secret network on the web in which people can operate under the radar, so to speak. It is so technologically sophisticated that the Australian Federal Police and a host of global law enforcement officials have been unable to locate the source or the founder who goes by the name of The Dread Pirate Roberts. Recently, a past Silk Road user discussed his experience. In a chilling interview with ABC News – Australia, Ryan West explained he would buy $300 of MDMA and resell it for $2,500 within a day. The drugs were ordered on a computer in his bedroom. The only reason he was caught was due to the fact he had a flourishing business selling the drugs out of his house. If he had bought them online and then posted the drugs when resold, there was a good chance he would have escaped detection.2

If people can simply install encryption software, should employers worry about employees using the workplace as a cover for the purchase of illegal drugs? The sobering answer is: Yes, they should be aware the potential exists. However, employers can protect themselves to a certain extent by developing privacy policies that address anonymous use of employer technology. The privacy policies are then integrated with drug and alcohol policies and strictly enforced using technology, internal controls, and random drug testing.

Small Company Policies Needed to Maintain Duty

Large corporations have the enterprise technology to block employee use of anonymous web proxies and all employee generated data is routinely monitored. Smaller companies often have limited technological capabilities, making it easier for workers to use workstations for the wrong activities. However, all employers need to develop privacy policies that support their duty to maintain a safe workplace. Though there is no common law right to privacy in Australia, the Federal Government has passed a Privacy Act that outlines guidelines for the collection and use of employee personal information and for keeping logs of web browsing activities by staff.3

It is important that smaller companies implement policies that adhere to the highest level the law allows and then train workers on those policies. For example, employees should know that their web browsing activities are logged and that a technical staff member is monitoring the log for all suspicious activity. Though the most technically savvy employees may be able to stay under the radar, most will not have level of knowledge needed to do so. If IT detects suspicious activity, the procedures should require immediate management notification. In addition, the small enterprise needs clear mail monitoring procedures. For example, an employer should retain the right to open any package addressed to an employee with the employer’s address.

Forbidden Activities

Of course, there must be a drug and alcohol policy and random testing program, which are essential to maintain a substance free workplace. As hard core substance abusers look for new ways to buy illegal substances, employers must adapt their policies and procedures. In the case of the dark internet, this means adding monitoring technology when possible and strengthening explicit policies on forbidden activities. Keeping workers informed on workplace monitoring and substance use policies, and potential consequences of policy violations, will promote a drug and alcohol free workplace.

Increasing sophistication of technology creates an imperative for employers, in that they must adapt their drug and alcohol policies to the current state of technology. One of the important steps in this process is adhering to a random drug and alcohol test program, which helps small businesses overcome technology budgetary restrictions. CMM Technology at cmm.com.au/ offers a variety of drug tests that can detect numerous drugs, including amphetamines and methamphetamines.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3201

Drug Testing is Equally Important to Small Businesses

Alcohol and drug testing requires an investment in testing kits and screening services, so it is tempting for small businesses to postpone implementation. That decision can be a serious and expensive mistake. As is true for any financial decision, there must be a measurable Return on Investment (ROI). Implementing drug and alcohol test programs can save any size business a significant amount of money in a number of ways.

Not-So-Hidden Costs of Substance Abuse

One of the factors in the calculation of the Return on Investment for drug and alcohol testing programs is worker’s compensation. All businesses must have workers’ compensation. The rates are based on industry claims and wages experience, and in some insurance schemes, the actual experience of employers at each place of business. The exception is that a few jurisdictions allow self-insurance, but most companies that can afford to be self-insured are large employers. In cases where the employer fails to keep a policy of insurance in force, WorkCover will cover the expenses of an employee’s work related injuries or death but will most likely sue the employer to recover those expenses plus penalties and past due insurance premiums.

Workers, and legislatively deemed workers like miners and horse jockeys, are covered by worker’s compensation when at work, journeying to and from work, travelling for the employer, and/or whilst on break at or away from the work premises. Workers’ compensation covers work related injuries or impairment, occupational diseases, and work related death. The number of serious claims with one (1) week or more of incapacity represents staggering financial and productivity losses. In 2008-2009, the statistics are as follows: NSW (42,640); Victoria (24,130); Queensland (31,060); WA (12,670); SA (9,010); Tasmania (3,500); NT (1,290), ACT (1,640); and the Commonwealth (2,660); for a total of Australia (128,600).1

Small Business Workers Can Just as Easily Get Injured

What does this have to do with drugs and alcohol? Employees using drugs and alcohol are more likely to be injured at work. The size of a business has no relationship to the likelihood of a worker, who is under the influence of substances, experiencing an accident. It is estimated that drug-related accidents cost Australian workers approximately half of $1.6 billion annually. It is also estimated that 2% of Australians show up for work under the influence of alcohol.2 Random drug and alcohol testing can reduce the number of worker accidents, which lowers the industry and employer premium rates and increases the ROI.

A business can have 5 employees or 1,000 employers, and each worker using drugs or alcohol is more likely to have an accident, costing the worker and the employer. The cost of workers’ compensation is just one factor used in the Return on Investment calculation for alcohol and drug testing programs. Small businesses can also lower absenteeism rates and increase worker productivity levels by ensuring the staff is substance free.

The size of the staff is not only irrelevant, it is even more financially critical for small businesses to manage expenses as tightly as possible. Implementing a policy for a drug free workplace supported by workplace substance testing makes financial sense. The ROI far exceeds the costs of testing kits and screening costs.

The bottom line is that small businesses cannot afford to not do drug and alcohol testing. That is precisely why CMM Technology at http://cmm.com.au/ offers a variety of affordable testing equipment and screening services to fit all business sizes.

This article has been taken from  http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3193

Additive, Synergistic and Antagonistic Consequences

There are always consequences in life resulting from decisions made or actions taken. When that decision involves combining alcohol and drugs, the consequences as a whole are often greater than the parts. That is just another way of saying that alcohol or drugs produce reactions, but when used together the potential combined effects can be greater than those experienced when they are not mixed.

Employers managing workplace drug and alcohol testing programs should be aware of certain terms that are used to categorize multi-substance interactions – additive, synergistic and antagonistic. The types of interactions are due to the mixing of drugs or the mixing of drugs and alcohol. The drugs can be legal prescription or non-prescription drugs or illegal drugs.

Additive – Alcohol potentiates or enhances the effects of drugs so the net effect is the sum of the effects from alcohol and the enhanced effects of the drugs

Synergistic – Alcohol used with the drug creates a drug effect that is greater than the sum of the effects from alcohol and the drugs

Antagonistic – Alcohol used with a drug creates a drug effect that is diminished

The actual affects of mixing drugs and alcohol are only predictable up to a point. For example, it is known that hallucinogens lead to altered perception of the senses. However, the senses most profoundly impacted and the severity of the hallucinations is different from person to person. When alcohol is added, the variability of effects is expanded, making them even more difficult to predict. This means that the risks to workplace safety are greatly increased when workers take legal or illegal drugs and also drink alcohol.

Three Times Dangerous

Last year, scientists conducted a study on the effects of alcohol on drugs in the body. They reported in Molecular Pharmaceutics that alcohol could make some prescription and non-prescription medicines three times more available to the body. It accomplishes this by changing how substances and enzymes in the body interact with the medications. In other words, in some cases workers mixing alcohol and drugs are taking the equivalent of three drug doses as a result of drinking alcohol. There are over 5,000 legal drugs in the marketplace, meaning it is almost impossible to learn every possible type of interaction that may occur.1

Of course, illegal drugs are often even more potentially hazardous for a lot of reasons, like the fact they have an unknown chemical composition due to lack of controls. No one really knows for sure what is being ingested when taking street drugs. There are some known likely interactions though, and they can seriously affect the ability of workers to remain alert, coordinated, and functional.

For example, alcohol increases the sedative effect of marijuana and opiates. Alcohol can increase the absorption rate of benzodiazepines, while also intensifying the depressant effect of the drugs on the Central Nervous System (CNS). The worker will likely experience a delayed reaction time, poor coordination, impaired memory, and aggression. Alcohol mixed with opiates like heroin can also increase the depressant effects on the CNS. Mixing barbiturates and alcohol creates a high potential for overdose because both substances can seriously depress the CNS, lowering consciousness. The additive effect means that the combined effects of alcohol and sedatives on the CNS are greater than the effects of each of the substances alone. Workers drinking alcohol and taking legal anti-anxiety, anti-depressants or muscle relaxants are more likely to get sleepy and dizzy, increasing the risk of having a work accident.2 Clearly, it is important to test workers for multiple drugs and alcohol.

Unpredictable Results Threaten Workplace Safety

In many cases, the results of mixing alcohol and drugs are just not predictable. Alcohol and benzodiazepines or opioids can lead to an additive or synergistic effect. It simply depends on the person. Alcohol mixed with cocaine can have an antagonistic or additive affect. In addition, stimulant drugs can lead to increased drinking because they mask the effects of alcohol. A person may not recognize how drunk he or she is getting and will continue drinking. Alcohol mixed with methamphetamine masks the effects of meth, making the person more likely to overdose on the drug.

Alcohol affects the way medications are metabolised, and mixing any drugs and alcohol is always dangerous. Drug and alcohol testing performed in the workplace is the only way to effectively maintain a substance free facility. The growing number of people combining drugs and alcohol (polydrug use) means it is important to do both types of testing.

CMM Technology (http://cmm.com.au/) offers employers a wide range of alcohol and drug testing equipment and testing kits to cover all types of work locations. They include breathalyzer, the Lion Alcoblow, saliva drug tests, urine drug test, and many others.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3186

Taking Advice with Class

Taking advice with class and dignity is extremely hard to do. Why is it so difficult? Mostly, it is hard because you are likely to slide off in one of two directions, rather than staying the straight course of classiness.

The first road of error is, of course, in not being able to take advice to any useful extent. While a person, not being overly sensitive, can see the error of their ways, it may be really difficult for them to not take it personally or to not see it as something which they need to really self deprecate on. This is unfortunate, since self discovery can be an enjoyable experience if it is not accompanied by self condemnation.

The second road of error is in not being able to discern between good and bad advice. With good advice, the mistake is made in pretending to listen or to be about to follow it, but dismissing it as something which doesn’t apply to you. With bad advice, the mistake is in accepting all advice is good and proper and constantly being blown around by the wind this way and that way. It takes a lot of stupidity and lack of life experience and lack of discernment to be that unable to tell the difference between good and bad advice. You must be able to determine what news and information you will follow, and what does not apply to your specifically or to your circumstances objectively.

Companies pay a lot to find employees who are this level headed.

Unfortunately, sometimes idiots slip through the cracks. When this happens, it opens up the solid workplace to people who have no qualms about bending the rules a little more and more each day, and then break them altogether. The final result will be an individual who feels okay with defrauding the company and lying to your face, still thinking of it as “bending the truth” a little bit.

Employee drug testing has eliminated the majority of these employees, since irresponsibility goes hand in hand with addiction and other forms of self destruction. That is why CMM Technology provides drug test kits and LifeLoc FC10 to your company and to businesses all over Australia, so that your screening tests are the highest quality available. You want your staff to be fit for duty and you want them to be able to take advice with class. Help them with their objectives and with yours.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3175

High Energy Workout when Motivation is Low

Often, large companies employ the use of an exercise room so that employees can exercise and stay fit during, before, or after the work day. When motivation is low, this is one of the best ways to vamp it back up again. High energy workout is great for raising motivation for a couple of reasons.

First, it helps employees who are in danger of not being fit for duty. Rather than utilizing their body’s natural endorphins, they may be tempted to abuse illicit drugs during or prior to working, and this can put your company assets and your other employees and even customers at risk. Working out in a company gym is great for producing natural endorphins and hormones within the body, rather than relying upon illicit drugs to create this effect. It gives employees who are frustrated or stressed or in any way afraid a place to go to and work on their bodies and their internal chemical structure. It is more helpful than many people think, since it is not just exercise, but it is a way to chemically, even molecularly, alter both the body and the mind, making them both fit and active and strong.

Second, when motivation is low at work, it is often because of a lack of challenge or a lack of change. While work, by default, changes over time, long periods of repetition can make an individual feel unchallenged and listless. High energy workouts are perfect for these times in between challenges when someone can feel unmotivated. They force an individual to feel the challenge of the work, without needing to change jobs every two or three years. This, in turn, lowers employee turnover, which is more cost effective for the company.

CMM Technology also brings a third element to motivation. Testing for illicit drugs or alcohol in the workplace is great for detecting employees who have given up their desire to improve and hone their skills. Our oral fluid drug test and our recalibration service are both highlights of our company. We are proud of what we do for morale. Call us today.

 This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3152

Gearing Up in the Morning

When a business gears up in the morning, it must go through a regimen to attach yesterday’s data with today’s goals. In large, well run companies, this regimen is systematised and employees do a daily morning routine when they come in for work. They check everything for news or updates, such as their email or Skype accounts, they work through any leftover data or tasks that were part of the previous work day, they have their morning meetings and look for everyone who they know and greet them, and they set up their work for that day.

Gearing up in the morning is part of everyone’s daily schedule and regular activities. It is a ritual and necessary preparation for the day, getting clothed, washing the body, updating the mind with morning news, looking at the day’s tasks, and so on. Now, this preparation is part of employee drug testing. When companies implement screening tests to see if their workers are fit for duty, they are employing a preparation or getting ready technique. They are preparing their office or jobsite or other type of workplace for the day’s activities, and they are doing so by making sure that all of their employees are clean and drug free. This is necessary to the survival of the business. This is necessary to the survival of your employees’ jobs. If one, even just one, of them is affected by alcohol or illicit drugs, then they are putting themselves and all of their coworkers and anyone around them in danger. They are defrauding the company as a whole, and are a loss to your assets specifically. If left untested, employees can act any way they like or do anything they like, and they do not have to answer for their actions and they do not have to take responsibility for them.

That is a dangerous situation to have.

CMM Technology provides drug test kits to businesses throughout Australia, as well as offering breathalyzer devices and recalibration services to these companies as well. That is an excellent way to gear up in the morning. That is an excellent way to prepare for future success. Call CMM Technology today.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3147