TOOL BOX TALKS Drugs and Alcohol WHS Legislation

TOOL BOX TALKS Drugs and Alcohol

WHS Legislation • Section 19 requires an employer to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of workers and others in the workplace. All places where work is undertaken by a worker is regarded as the workplace • Section 28 of the WHS Act 2012 places a legal obligations on all workers to ensure their own health and safety and the health and safety of others whilst at work.

Organisational commitment to safe and healthy workplace • Management commitment • Responsibilities of employees and others • Concerns for health and safety of workers and participants

Effects of drugs and alcohol • Impaired coordination • Impaired judgement • Impaired intellectual capacity and ability to act quickly • Blurred vision • Impaired problem solving ability • Trouble concentrating • Move and think more slowly • Impaired ability to relate with others

Facts and Myths • Eating whilst drinking alcohol will slow down the time required to reach maximum intoxication but not the level of intoxication • The liver metabolises 95% of ingested alcohol thus eliminating it from the body • The metabolism rate is set by the weight, age, level of fitness of the individual • A person eliminates between 7 ml and 12 ml of alcohol from the body per hour – average of 9. 5 ml/hr. • Even for chronic users with higher tolerance levels functional impairment will still be present.

Personal and lifestyle stresses that contribute to drug/alcohol problems • • • Marital or personal relationship problems Grief and bereavement Trauma or stress Health issues or concerns Gambling or financial problems Habituation or addiction

Employee Assistance Program • Counselling service with expertise with drug/alcohol problems • Confidential service • Free of charge for ? Sessions • Referral procedure • Contact phone number ………… • Sick leave provisions for users of service

Company Policy Provisions • • • Acceptable/not acceptable behaviour Reporting Observed Impairments Managers/supervisors’ responsibilities Counselling/Disciplinary Procedure Testing practices if applicable Privacy