Pubdate: Wed, 10 Aug 2005
Source: Bay Of Plenty Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2005 Bay Of Plenty Times.
Contact:  http://www.mytown.co.nz/bayofplenty/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2926

DRUGS RIFE AT WORK

Alcohol or drug impairment could be affecting as many as four out of
every 10 workers in the Bay.

And, of that group, one in 10 is classified as an alcohol or drug
abuser.

These are the official figures being used by Hanmer Clinic in
Tauranga, a specialist group that picks up the pieces after people
realise they have a problem.

The statistics were presented at a major work safety conference in
Tauranga this week by Ken Branch, an addiction counsellor at the local
clinic.

"That's the community picture," he advised delegates at the Baycourt
event, "and what you see there is reflected in your workforce.

"Three out of every four substance abusers hold down jobs and they are
five times more likely to injure themselves or a co-worker.

"Statistically (in 2003), they cause 40 per cent of all industrial
fatalities."

He said fellow workers had the right to go to work at a safe work
site. "The abusers can cost you your job - or your life," he warned.

Mr Branch said methamphetamine, or P, was the latest drug to cause
concern.

"People can become addicted very quickly - even after just one hit. It
is then used with increased frequency and in increasing doses."

Speaking after the conference, he said the "word on the street" is
that P is in the workforce.

"No statistics are being gathered that I know of, so I can't say how
prevalent it is in the Tauranga area but we see the results."

However, he advised employers not to shift their focus on to P at the
expense of cannabis and alcohol programmes.

"Cannabis is the most-used illicit drug, with 50-80 per cent of the
population saying they have tried it," he said. "The latest version of
the drug is 60 per cent more potent than the cannabis of the 1960s.

"It causes difficulty in concentration, fatigue, psychological
dependence and paranoia."

Employers should not take a one-size-fits-all approach to substance
abuse in the workplace, he said, because many of the symptoms could
have a more innocent cause, such as prescribed medication.

He said there were other costs associated with substance abuse,
including absenteeism or "sickies" taken by impaired workers and those
taking time off for medical treatment.

"There is also reduced on-the-job productivity."

Alcohol at work was evident in delayed reaction time, impaired
co-ordination, reduced memory or cognitive functions and a decreased
ability to concentrate and communicate, he said.

The startling statistics were backed up by reality for some of the
delegates at the conference.

"Anybody with a reasonable-size workforce who says they haven't got
abusers on staff is fooling themselves," said Toll Owens health and
safety co-ordinator Allan McIsaacs.

"It's out there - it's happening."

He said the figures discussed at the conference were "a pretty good
indication" and justified his company's concern.

Toll Owens has a well-established drug-alcohol programme, based in
part on work he did in a similar role at Fletcher Challenge Forests
before joining Toll Owens.

All would-be employees have to agree to pre-employment testing for
drugs, he said.

At any time during their employment, anyone who fears they have a
problem can phone an 0800 number to arrange counselling and
rehabilitation.

"We don't have any knowledge of who they are. We just pay up to six
visits and get no information back."

The company also has a reasonable cause clause in its contracts,
should it suspect a worker is abusing drugs or alcohol. There have to
be two separate incidents, he said, before the company can act. There
were also post-accident drug and alcohol tests.

In both these events, if a positive test was returned the worker must
agree to rehabilitation or the company would start serious misconduct
proceedings with a view to dismissal.

"We have to keep our staff safe. Stevedoring and log marshalling are
pretty dangerous industries.

"We are using a very fair policy, no random testing and we are
offering help all the way until they don't want to help themselves,
then we don't need them."

Toll Owens has about 650 employees in New Zealand at 11 ports,
including Tauranga, and four inland log marshalling centres.

This week's conference was organised as part of Safety NZ Week by the
Department of Labour and ACC and was supported by the Chamber of Commerce.

Nikki Burley from Nikki Burley & Associates also addressed the
conference to explain employment contracts, employer obligations and
workers' rights and Fiona Brown from the Engineering, Printing &
Manufacturing Union presented the union's viewpoint.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin