OM00044 – Drug and Alcohol Policy

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Objective: A work environment in which the safety, welfare and performance of workers are not adversely affected by the use of alcohol or other drugs.

Scope: This policy applies to all workers at A2Z Services, irrespective of their employment arrangement.

Policy: A2Z Services is committed to preventing the misuse or abuse of alcohol and other drugs in the workplace. The Drug and Alcohol Procedure will be used in conjunction with the A2Z Services Drug and Alcohol Policy and will:

• Provide a framework to reduce the costs to A2Z Services of drug and alcohol use in the workplace;
• Identify, assess and control any contributing factors in the workplace;
• Provide workers with access to information and education regarding drug and alcohol use;
• Provide access to counselling and support services to workers who have problems with drugs or alcohol.

Drugs and Alcohol in Aboriginal Remote Communities is strictly prohibited under federal law and can result in Imprisonment, which also means A2Z Services has a ZERO tolerance on drugs and alcohol in these areas, should anyone be found with these in a prescribed area will result in immediate dismissal.

Workers must not perform work duties under the influence of alcohol or any other drug, except where the drug is legally prescribed by a registered medical practitioner to treat a medical condition. Possession of, use, distribution or sale of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs on the premises of A2Z Services, is not allowed.

• Presenting at the workplace or off-workplace job;
• Operating plant or equipment;
• Use of company vehicles.

Work duties include:

Where a worker is on prescribed medication that may impair their judgement or performance, they must notify their supervisor and work will be modified to accommodate impairment.

Workers who are aware of any change in the behaviour of co-workers and have grounds to believe that person’s ability to work safely may be impaired have a responsibility to report it to their supervisor or the Health and Safety Representative, so that action is taken immediately.

If a worker is required to take prescribed medication and is concerned about the health and safety effects of this medication, he/she must discuss the concerns with his/her manager who will determine if there is a need to modify duties on a short-term basis or take sick leave.

Where a worker presents for duty and appears not to be in a fit state to carry out their regular duties A2Z Services reserves the right to remove the worker from the work workplace and seek advice from a medical practitioner on the worker’s fitness for duty.

Supervisors and workers are obliged to ensure that no person commences or continues duty if that person appears affected by alcohol, illegal drugs or medication that may lead to a health and safety risk.

Confidentiality will be observed in these matters.

A breach of this policy or associated procedure may lead to disciplinary action and can result in the termination of employment.

Special note: On occasion, A2Z Services wi ll host social functions, where the Managing Director may permit limited alcohol consumption. At these functions, people must always remember they are representing A2Z Services and must appropriately conduct themselves.

Drug and Alcohol Procedure

Responsibilities:

At A2Z Services the PCBU is responsible for ensuring that:

• A2Z Services provides a workplace where there is a practical, ethical and equitable mechanism in place to prevent and respond appropriately to the unsafe use of drugs and alcohol;
• All workers are trained and familiar with the Drug and Alcohol Procedure.

Managers/Supervisors are responsible for:

• Referring workers requesting assistance for drug and alcohol-related issues;
• Informing workers of the potential work-related problems that may arise from the use of drugs and alcohol; 
• Advising workers of their responsibilities about workplace safety, conduct and performance;
• Managing and monitoring workers whose work performance or behaviour is adversely affected by the misuse or abuse of drugs or alcohol;
• Providing information about referral to counselling, treatment and rehabilitation services where appropriate;
• Appointing and co-operating with an appropriate organisation and/or officer of a State or Federal Authorities to conduct drug and/or alcohol testing if/when required;
• Managing disciplinary action relevant to the circumstances of individual workers if/and when needed;
• Ensuring all workers, including contractors, are aware of and comply with this procedure.

Procedure:

Reasonable Suspicion: “Reasonable Suspicion” is suspicion drawn from specific, contemporaneous, articulable observations concerning the appearance, behaviour, speech or body odours of the individual or reliable information from another source.

• Approaching a worker who may be under the influence:
• Only (Insert name of responsible person/role) should approach a worker who may be under the influence. “Reasonable Suspicion” should be assessed before approaching a worker suspected of being under the influence;
• Take care when making this judgement in case the worker is ill or injured, taking prescribed medication or in some other form of distress, which may account for their behaviour;
• When approaching an apparently intoxicated worker, it can be more effective and less confronting to talk concerning their approach to safety and general work performance rather than their alcohol or drug use;
• As far as is possible discuss the matter with the worker in a private location away from other people;
• Explain to the worker that they have been approached for a breach of the Drug and Alcohol Policy;
• Make clear that there is reasonable suspicion that the worker is impaired by drugs and/or alcohol; 
• Give the worker the opportunity to explain the observed behaviour;
• After speaking with the worker, if there is no reasonable suspicion and no further action required, the worker can return to duty;
• Explain to the worker that refusal to submit to reasonable suspicion testing is a violation of this Procedure, which can lead to discipline, up to, and including, termination of employment;
• Where reasonable suspicion is confirmed, advise the worker that they are to leave the workplace;
• Suitable arrangements will be made to get the worker home safely;
• If drug or alcohol testing is not to be carried out:
• Inform the worker that they are to return to work unimpaired by drugs or alcohol on his/her next scheduled work period;
• The worker must report to (Insert name of responsible person) upon return to work before returning to their work duties;
• A meeting will be arranged upon the worker’s return to the workplace between the worker and (Insert name of responsible person) to enable consultation to occur regarding any monitoring and management of the worker, or disciplinary action, as per the applicable HR policy and procedure;
• Drug or alcohol testing:
• Provide workers suspected of being under the influence of illicit drugs or alcohol at work with the opportunity to undergo testing by a medical professional. Testing will include blood and urine tests;
• Testing will be carried out per the Australian Standard AS4308: 2008 “Procedures for Specimen Collection and the detection and quantisation of drugs of abuse in urine.”;
• All health and medical information will be strictly confidential and stored per the National Privacy Principles established by the Privacy Act 1998 (Commonwealth).

Disciplinary Action: Workers whose behaviour has placed the safety of themselves and others at risk will be subject to disciplinary procedures following the relevant award and/or employment agreement.

This process will involve the conduct of an interview between the manager, worker and union representative (if applicable) or health and safety representative (if applicable), a discussion of the unacceptable behaviour, offer of counselling assistance and verbal warning initially followed by written warning if the behaviour continues.

When conducting drug and alcohol testing on an individual worker and a 1^st positive test result returned: Repeated positive test results will accumulate for two (2) years from the date of the first positive.  Three (3) positive test results in two (2) years of the first positive will lead to a review of the worker’s employment status, which may include termination of their employment.

Support Services: Workers who believe that they may have a problem with illicit drug or alcohol consumption should approach (insert person’s name) who, after consultation may arrange suitable leave or other duties. Offer counselling services to workers undergoing disciplinary action for being under the influence of illicit drugs or alcohol while at work.

Forms and Registers

Document Number	Document Name
OR0031	Drug and Alcohol testing Register

Amendment Record

Issue#: 1 Issue Date: 13/7/2022

Rev#	Date	Section#	Para.#	Description of Change	Prepared By	Approved By
1
2
3

Click here to download OM00046 – Drug and Alcohol Policy in PDF Format

Disclaimer: This documentcontains material to assist in meeting environmental management, Work Health and Safety and Quality obligations under the International Standard ISO AS/NZS ISO 9001:2016,14001:2016 and other legislative bodies. This document contains material sourced from Safe Work Australia. Any such material remains subject to copyright © Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/copyright. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information at the time of publication, it is provided as guidance only and does not provide legal advice on meeting your obligations. This document and its contents are © A2Z services 2018 and or the originating source authors and no permission is given for its duplication or copying, in part or in its entirety, for use outside its original purposes as stated within the company.