Page 32 - November December Issue
P. 32
Elite Investigative Journal
Alcohol and Drug Abuse at Work, pg 32-34
©2014-2015 Press Enter Resolve, LLC
Alcohol and Drug Abuse at Work
By Mara Thorne
Photo Courtesy of collections.infocollections.org
According to a recent UK survey of more than 2,500 increased risk of having a road trafic accident. And
workers in ofices, factories, retail establishments in a factory or on a building site, the consequences of
and the public sector, 85% admitted being drunk in operating machinery or working at height while not
the workplace in the last twelve months, and over fully focused on the task at hand could be fatal. Just last
a quarter admitted using drugs at work - whether month a client advised me that one of his company car
“legal highs” or illegal substances such as cannabis. drivers had been involved in an accident while driving
Of those who used alcohol in the workplace, over home after a party. Both the company car and the other
a third of respondents conirmed that their capacity vehicle involved in the collision were damaged beyond
to do their work was affected by drinking at least repair, although mercifully nobody was injured. It could
once a week, and 14% of factory workers admitted have been so much worse.
to drinking alcohol at lunchtime and then operating
machinery in the afternoon. I was reminded of a situation at work many years ago.
An employee was driving back from a football match
I must confess to being rather shocked by these on a Saturday evening with his two young children and
indings; I had hoped the days of the boozy lunch a family friend, when their car was hit by a Land Rover
were by now rightly consigned to history - along that was out of control. The employee was stone cold
with exhortations to have “one for the road”. sober; the other driver was three times over the limit.
Apparently not. The employee was saved by the airbag. Everyone else
was killed instantly. The employee spent ten weeks
For an ofice worker, the consequences of not being in hospital and the best part of a year recovering from
entirely compos mentis at work might just be feeling his injuries. He rang me at lunch time needing to talk.
drowsy and making more errors than usual - which Silent tears streamed down my face as I listened to him
could be detrimental to the business, but is hardly describing his children’s funeral, all of them innocent
a life and death situation. Some people might ind victims of somebody who was drunk behind the wheel.
the thought of their boss or a senior colleague It was certainly beyond my capability to imagine how he
tripping over their words, giggling uncontrollably, must be feeling.
or letting their guard down in some other way, rather
amusing... Case Studies
But if that ofice worker is still under the inluence Over the years I have dealt with numerous other
when it is time to drive home, they are at an workplace situations relating to alcohol and drugs,
32
Alcohol and Drug Abuse at Work, pg 32-34
©2014-2015 Press Enter Resolve, LLC
Alcohol and Drug Abuse at Work
By Mara Thorne
Photo Courtesy of collections.infocollections.org
According to a recent UK survey of more than 2,500 increased risk of having a road trafic accident. And
workers in ofices, factories, retail establishments in a factory or on a building site, the consequences of
and the public sector, 85% admitted being drunk in operating machinery or working at height while not
the workplace in the last twelve months, and over fully focused on the task at hand could be fatal. Just last
a quarter admitted using drugs at work - whether month a client advised me that one of his company car
“legal highs” or illegal substances such as cannabis. drivers had been involved in an accident while driving
Of those who used alcohol in the workplace, over home after a party. Both the company car and the other
a third of respondents conirmed that their capacity vehicle involved in the collision were damaged beyond
to do their work was affected by drinking at least repair, although mercifully nobody was injured. It could
once a week, and 14% of factory workers admitted have been so much worse.
to drinking alcohol at lunchtime and then operating
machinery in the afternoon. I was reminded of a situation at work many years ago.
An employee was driving back from a football match
I must confess to being rather shocked by these on a Saturday evening with his two young children and
indings; I had hoped the days of the boozy lunch a family friend, when their car was hit by a Land Rover
were by now rightly consigned to history - along that was out of control. The employee was stone cold
with exhortations to have “one for the road”. sober; the other driver was three times over the limit.
Apparently not. The employee was saved by the airbag. Everyone else
was killed instantly. The employee spent ten weeks
For an ofice worker, the consequences of not being in hospital and the best part of a year recovering from
entirely compos mentis at work might just be feeling his injuries. He rang me at lunch time needing to talk.
drowsy and making more errors than usual - which Silent tears streamed down my face as I listened to him
could be detrimental to the business, but is hardly describing his children’s funeral, all of them innocent
a life and death situation. Some people might ind victims of somebody who was drunk behind the wheel.
the thought of their boss or a senior colleague It was certainly beyond my capability to imagine how he
tripping over their words, giggling uncontrollably, must be feeling.
or letting their guard down in some other way, rather
amusing... Case Studies
But if that ofice worker is still under the inluence Over the years I have dealt with numerous other
when it is time to drive home, they are at an workplace situations relating to alcohol and drugs,
32
