Demanding working conditions and copious potential safety concerns contribute to the Construction Industry being an environment of high-risk, but making the construction industry even more dangerous is the rise of drug and alcohol misuse among construction workers. This significantly increases the risk of accidents or even death on site.
While Drug and Alcohol misuse can be a big issue for companies in every industry, there are several sectors where an employee misusing drugs or alcohol can pose a serious risk to the health and safety of themselves and others, with the construction industry firmly in that group.
Why are you singling out Construction?
Data from HSE shows that Construction is second in the list of industries with the highest rate of self-reported non-fatal workplace injury with just under 3% of workers reporting an injury in the last 12 months.
Whether unloading materials, clearing hazardous materials, or operating heavy machinery, the risks in construction if workers don’t follow health and safety regulations can be serious.
Drug and Alcohol abuse is on the rise in the construction industry, with a survey conducted by Considerate Constructors Scheme consisting of over 1200 participants finding that 59% agreed there is an issue with drugs and alcohol in the industry.
- 39% agreed that the issue could be handled better in their workplace.
- 65% disclosed they had never been tested for drugs and alcohol.
- 35% admitted to being aware a colleague has been under the influence while at work.
- 25% agreed drugs or alcohol affected them at work through tiredness.
- 23% admitted their attention during work was decreased due to drugs or alcohol.
- 19% agreed they were less productive as a result.
It’s clear that workers using drugs and alcohol are putting themselves and those around them at a much greater risk. Safety on site is compromised significantly if just one person on that site is under the influence, especially if that person is in a role deemed to be safety-critical.
The number of employers within construction that see not only the necessity but also the benefits of introducing drug and alcohol testing is increasing, with the knowledge that implementing testing to all employees can massively decrease the level of drugs and alcohol misuse onsite. This in turn will substantially lower the risk to all employees and any associated economic impact.
By implementing a drug and alcohol testing policy and then regularly testing employees, not only will you be adhering to your obligations regarding Health and Safety, but also helping to care for the wellbeing of your employees too.
How can Aardvark help?
With our fleet of Mobile Medical Centres we can come to your site with everything we need, including the space required to perform our services, and perform drugs and alcohol testing on your employees, either as a standalone service, or as part of your regularly required Health Surveillance.
Aardvark vs. GP
