The Sounds of Silence

We have all heard the notorious song by Simon and Garfunkel. It is something of a legend, actually. However, for anyone who has ever been given the silent treatment, it has a whole different connotation. It is jarring to the ears. It seems unnatural. You wonder what is wrong.

When substance abuse infuses a workplace, it may not get louder and more party-like. It may get quieter and lazier. What can you do when your employees are all sitting around apathetically and very casually doing their work? What do you do when everyone seems to be permanently depressed?

Well, first of all, you make sure there wasn’t a death in someone’s family. Now that you have that out of the way, start looking for practical solutions. There may be some sort of substance abuse. Employees may all be having a hard week at the same time, and someone started the trend. Maybe the trend continued and people stopped caring about their livelihoods. Whatever the case, you will need to do something about it, but you can’t without information.

Our Lifeloc FC10 breathalyser device and our Rapid STAT saliva drug test are especially popular, but we have products from all over the spectrum of drug test equipment, and we are here to help you get what you need when you need it. If you have a regular drug testing schedule, then you may find it helpful to have a standing order, but it is often necessary to just order when supplies begin running low. Drug test equipment should always be stored a little in excess, just in case an emergency pops up where you will need to screen a particular worker. On-site drug testing especially has need for high quality drug test equipment, and CMM Technology is most happy to oblige.

The sounds of silence do not have to hold sway in your building. Your jobsite can have happy, talkative voices again. The difference is in the stability of your employees. Make sure that it’s strong.

This article has been taken from: http://www.cmm.com.au/articles/the-sounds-of-silence/

Drug Test Kits

Alcohol Test

At CMM Technology, we offer one of Australia’s largest ranges of workplace drug and alcohol testing equipment. Our comprehensive services and products cater for all industry sectors, including: mining, transport, aviation, engineering, maritime, construction and many others. We also provide quality products, training and policy consulting and advice engineered for the Australian market and to Australian Standards. This helps our clients achieve a far safer workplace, exercise their duty of care and meet their OHS legal compliance obligations. The importance of these objectives is reaffirmed by the following statistics:

According to Work Safe Australia, the latest published estimate for compensated workplace injuries (i.e. serious claims category) totaled 134,105 during 2006-07. In the same financial period, a tragically high figure of 232 compensated workplace fatalities were recorded in Australia.

The ABS published an even greater workplace incidents total of 457, 603 recorded for 2005-2006.

Aside from the primary focus of creating Drug Free Workplace, a secondary benefit realised when instituting CMM Technology’s risk management systems are cost savings. Essentially, by minimising workplace injures, your business can save on their insurance premiums and other related costs. In fact, workers compensation (in addition to employee salaries) is one of the biggest workplace-related costs for Australian employers. For example:

Approximately $6.3 billion was paid to workers compensation schemes during 2007-08.

The Federal Government estimated the cost of work-related injury and disease to workers, their employer, the community and the Australian economy amounted to $57.5 billion during 2005-2006 (equivalent to 5.9 per cent gross domestic product).

With these sobering statistics in mind, it is vital that managers, OHS professionals and business owners approach health and safety issues proactively and consistently. Our helpful and knowledgeable staff can assist you with deciding what instruments and Alcohol Test services are conducive to making your workplace safer, more efficient and more profitable.

With our team of experts and professional assistance, your business can greatly improve its risk management processes, cultivate a culture of compliance and elevate individual performance all vital elements to forging a strong competitive advantage for your business.

OHS Training And Drug Free Workplace

Breathalyser Recalibration Service

It has become a truism almost to state that workplace safety is an important issue for the employee, employer and the community. And yet, despite the best of intentions, many workplaces still fall far short of implementing quality risk management systems. Even in workplaces that have a dedicated OHS department and head, the commitment required to sustain quality OHS programs within a changing and demanding business environment can prove ineffective without proper protocols and external checking mechanisms that ensure an OHS system’s maintained integrity, cohesion and currency. In addition to these concerns, the complexity of OHS law and evolving legislation ensure that OHS managers and business owners (across a spectrum of  industries), have laid before them a daunting task of deciphering OHS law and Standards as well as a great legal responsibility with regard to implementing them in the most practical, economical and streamlined way.

It is for these reasons that OHS related training and professional development should be viewed as the cornerstone to ensuring quality deployment of OHS systems. Properly managed with adequate and ongoing professional support, workplace OHS policy and protocols can certainly make a great difference with regard to: minimising tragic and costly safety risks and accidents, improving employee wellbeing, safeguarding the community, elevating individual workplace performance and boosting profits. In this way, as an OHS professional, HR Manager and business owner, regular training and guidance on industry best practices and OHS legislation is your key to exercising ethical and sound business acumen.

Along with VETAB accredited training, there are many complementary organisations and peak bodies that convene regularly with members and offer professional advice to help guide and design practical ways of implementing OHS legislation, including: Workplace Safety Australia, The National Workplace Safety Summit and CMM technology. Through active participation in OHS training and professional organisations (such as those offered by the aforementioned), businesses can more effectively integrate comprehensive OHS planning into their core business strategy, business systems and processes. Overall, the benefits associated with continuing professional development in OHS include:

• Understanding what currently constitutes quality and ongoing risk assessment management and response in your industry (to safeguard employee health and safety in the drug free workplace).

• Being informed of and actioning your legal responsibilities and duty of care.

• Proactively promoting a culture of compliance.

• Proactively promoting a positive organisational culture and fostering EAP programs that support employee wellbeing.

• Gaining understanding into how effective OHS strategies can enable improved productivity and the reduction of claims.

• Designing strategies that offer real solutions to minimise areas of high occupational safety risks, including: falls and hits by moving objects, fatigue and stress management, workplace drug and alcohol breaches, manual handling, working at heights and occupational diseases.

With the right OHS training and professional guidance, Australian businesses can be far better equipped to face the modern challenges of the new global and competitive business environment. Talk to our team of experts today to see how CMM Technology can help you navigate your business.