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Discuss the governing of Random Drug Testing in the workplace.
Drug and alcohol use in the workplace is covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000. The Act requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees and any other in their workplace. ...
Drug and alcohol use in the workplace creates a range of problems. The problem is not the drug use itself but the risk attached to drug use. Since the 1960・s the consumer (the drug user) has emerged as a problematic entity. ... P, 2003) A drug problem is ．a challenge to the boundaries we have constructed between mind and body, reason and emotion, self and other・ (Manderson, 1995). Employees with drug and alcohol problems can cause injury to themselves and others and damage their physical and mental health. Workmates of a drug or alcohol user are faced with a risk of accidents, covering poor work performance, disputes and the need to ．dob・ in a mate for their own good. ...
The workplace is an ideal place to run an effective drugs and alcohol prevention program because of the support provided by other employees. Employees have a better chance of recovery of drug and alcohol problems if they are still working. A policy for the management of alcohol and drug related problems in the workplace should include information and procedures on measures to reduce alcohol and drug related problems in the workplace. This can be done through consultation between the effected individual and the employer and measures to prohibit or restrict the availability of alcohol and drugs in the workplace. There should also be preventative measures such as education and training sessions and awareness programs, measures outlining the availability of treatment and rehabilitation for employees in the workplace relating to alcohol and drugs, including the disciplinary procedures up to and including dismissal. ... If a drug and alcohol policy is brought into the workplace, it needs to be seen as assistance for the employee and not just as compliance. If drug and alcohol testing was introduced this would need to be random and not done after all reported accidents as it could lead to non reporting of accidents of a minor nature that are indicators of a more severe problem.
Although random drug testing (RDT) in the workplace seems a positive step in controlling such a problem under new guidelines being developed by union, police, Health department and Work Cover representatives, discourage RDT. ... au, 2002) The NSW Labor Council has brought together health and safety experts to draw up advice to employers after several companies tried to introduce policies that subject their staff to random testing. The Australian Workers Union is taking action in NSW Industrial Relations Commission against BHP・s plans to conduct drug testing at its Port Kembla steel operation. Storeman and labourers at Brambles・ Sydney depot went on strike for 48 hours recently in protest to its drug testing proposal, while the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has been campaigning against efforts to introduce random testing of rail employees. ... European studies showed many testing devices gave results that would not stand up in court, she said.
Approximate Word count = 2556
Approximate Pages = 10.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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