Free Health Essays - The extent to which alcohol and drug abuse is currently affecting health and safety at work
The following paper comprises of 2300 words, and discusses the extent to which alcohol and drug abuse is currently affecting health and safety at work. The paper also discusses the size of the problem of drug and alcohol abuse at the workplace, the evidence thereof, and case study of airline pilots. The paper includes a separate page for references, which is outside the above stated word-count.
Introduction
Indeed alcohol and drug abuse is not a new problem, particularly when it is viewed in the context of health and safety of individuals at work. The electronic and print media across the world in general, and the western group of nations including United Kingdom have however rightly raised and highlighted this problem as one of the most vital issues facing the average worker today. The use of alcohol and drug abuse at workplace as an issue has thus found a consensus that it is not only an important workplace problem, but the workplace too offers an excellent channel for utilizing it as a forum for raising awareness, and subsequently developing and resolving the issue through a broad spectrum of partnerships amongst the employers, workers and their families, the respective NGOs as well as the society in general. These partnerships thus provide concrete avenues towards the development of requisite policies and programmes to arrive at preventive measures and possibly find solutions to the myriad problems arising out of substance abuse at workplace.
Discussion
Substance Abuse at Workplace As An Issue
As also reiterated in the opening lines, the problem of alcohol and drug abuse, has been raised and highlighted to such a level today that it is now considered a universal workplace issue. This line of thinking is also duly supported by the International Labour Organization, which has come to recognize that this is an issue faced by a number of countries around the world.
A brief and skeptical view of the not so recent history would show that alcohol and drug abuse at the workplace was traditionally considered as more of a moral percept, hence the practice of dismissing it on moral grounds; or as one would to put it by 'trying to sweep the problem under the carpet'.
In contrast, the current recognition of alcohol and drug abuse as a workplace issue recognizes it as more of a health related issue, raising concerns for the health and safety of workers at their workplace. This is ostensibly because of the new researches and studies, most if not all, of which have placed a strong relationship between alcohol and drug abuse, and the workplace respectively. One of the evidences to support this relationship is the widespread understanding that alcohol and drug abuse at the workplace have been found to be harmful to both the workers' health, as well as the economic health of the respective business entity or organization; in turn this may lead to an adverse and possibly leave ill effects at the national as well as international competitiveness for the respective entity, not to mention the overall negative effect on the respective nation.
Some of the Severe Outcomes From Alcohol and Drug Abuse At Workplace
Having briefed some of the general effects of alcohol and drug abuse at workplace on both the workers as well as their employers, recent studies and researches have confirmed that a rise in drug and alcohol abuse at workplace have resulted in an increasing number of accidents, absenteeism, illness, and mortality with a relative rise in associated costs to the local and national economy. Thus, proving that both safety and health of the workers were put to risk when indulging in either drug or alcohol abuse.
For example studies and researches carried out on the factor of absenteeism show that drug and alcohol abusers are likely to remain absent from work two to three times more than their colleagues who do not indulge in either of the substance abuse.
As regards illness and workers' compensations claims, it was found that workers indulging in drug and alcohol abuse at the workplace, in particular those suffering from chemical dependence problems would claim sickness benefits three times more than their healthier colleagues. In similar set of findings, it was also noted that workers using drugs and alcohol at the workplace are likely to file workers' compensation claims five times more than their healthier colleagues.
Another similar study on drug and alcohol abuse at workplace revealed that a significantly high percentage, ranging from 20 to 25 percent of accidents at work involved workers under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. This high percentage of accidents not only resulted in injuring themselves, but innocent colleagues as well. It was also noted that 'on-the-job' supplies of alcohol and drugs at the place of work resulted in 15 to 30 percent of all accidents at the place of work. (Modell and Mountz, 1990)
The Effects on the Performance, Quality, and Safety At Work
New management sciences, and researches on awareness related to the performance of workers also found that a significant set of factors, those of performance of a worker, quality of work produced, and safety at the place of work were also compromised by those under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Thus, proving that workplace problems associated with substance abuse were not limited to those on drugs and alcohol users; instead those using 'fairly-low' levels of alcohol or drugs are also more than likely to cause an accident at the workplace.
Further and detailed studies on alcohol users or alcoholics showed that individual alcoholics and heavy drinkers were found to be more than likely to be a cause, or directly cause an accident at the workplace, even though their numbers were found to be comparatively smaller than the occasional and moderate drinkers. In contrast, those workers drinking moderate, or low levels of alcohol were found to be less of a problem for their employers. However, since the number of moderate and low level users of alcohol was significantly higher, this group was responsible for the largest proportion of workplace problems and alcohol-related accidents respectively.
Similar studies into the relationship between alcohol abuse and performance level at the workplace also confirmed that performance of workers was severely impaired, even though the workers under the said studies consumed fairly low levels of alcohol. (Modell and Mountz, 1990)
Case Study of British Airline Pilots
A study carried out on airline pilots before and after the consumption of alcohol during routine tasks in a simulator showed three totally different and revealing results. According to this study carried out in 1990, the first portion of the study noted the performance of pilots who had not consumed any alcohol. Amongst the first group, 10 percent failed to perform all the requisite operations as was desired.
In the second part of the study, pilots were given alcohol, and their blood alcohol concentration levels duly tested. After the blood alcohol concentration had reached 0.10/100ml, some 89 percent failed in all their given tests.
In the final part of the study, the pilots who had been given alcohol were given a 14-hour rest period, so that the effects of the alcohol would eventually wear off. They were then given the same tasks in the simulators. According to the results of these tests taken after 14 hours, it was found that 68 percent still failed in all the operations. (Modell and Mountz, 1990)
The above findings thus provide credible evidence that there exists a wider need to focus on broad-based prevention and problem management programmes for both drug and alcohol users, instead of focusing on the singular area of identifying drug and alcohol users, or rehabilitating them.
Work And Workplace: A Cause or A Solution for Drug and Alcohol Abuse
One of the salient aspects revealed from a number of researches on the extent of effects at the workplace from drug and alcohol abuse is the very act of work, and the workplace. This implies that since there are numerous alcohol drinkers as are drug-takers, majority of whom work, hence the issue of drug abuse and alcoholism cannot be at all isolated from the workplace; making both work and the workplace a potential avenue for ending drug abuse and alcoholism respectively.
One may note the issue of drug and alcohol abuse is as much of a problem for a given community, as is the issue for the workforce within the same community. This brings us back to the workplace, which can and in majority of places works as both a channel for prevention as well as remedial action. The workplace thus offers a two-fold opportunity; first it allows various social groups, NGOs and other organizations to address and reach workers with alcohol problems and drug abuse; second, the workplace also allows, through the workers, to reach members of the workers' families in addressing as well as moving towards solving problems arising out of alcoholism and drug abuse. A workplace also provides an excellent avenue for introducing various community-based programmes, such as those catering towards changing attitudes on drug and alcohol abuse. (ILO, 2000; ILO, 2002)
Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Category/Sectors Affected
Studies and researches on the extent of drug and alcohol abuse at the workplace has also brought forward and made some distinctions where the workers are particularly more at risk. For example, a number of researches revealed that industries including, but not limited to food and catering industry, transportation, the maritime sector, construction, assembly line workers, military personnel, and recreation and entertainment services were more prone than other sectors for their workers to indulge either in drug or alcohol abuse.
This also implied that young workers and males, belonging to the lower strata of society were specially at a higher risk for drug and alcohol abuse. This certainly does not imply that workers of lower grades only fell victim to, or were prone to drug and alcohol abuse. In contrast, working populations belonging to higher professions, such as company directors, lawyers, doctors as well as police officers were also found to be indulging in drug or alcohol abuse.
In similar context, the very nature of work, the responsibilities and other characteristics of a job also allowed for an increased consumption of, or abuse of alcohol and drugs respectively. Included in these areas are factors of stress at the workplace, occupational and co-workers norms, and the ever-important factor of easy availability of both drugs and alcohol at the workplace.
From a psychological perspective too, it is becoming evident that workers spending longer hours outside the family environment, the level of awareness and responsibility at the workplace, and development of attitudes for staying away from drugs and alcohol also played an important role in both reduction of drug and alcohol usage; this turn implies a better and a healthier community of individuals both at work as well as in the community. (ILO, 2000; ILO, 2002)
Sectors/Organizations Addressing Drug/Alcohol Abuse
Having determined the extent of, and the effects of drug and alcohol abuse at the workplace, it is only imperative that various sectors/organizations across the world in general, and the United Kingdom in particular have developed their respective strategies to tackle and address the subject issue.
Taking British airline pilots as an example, as also mentioned in the above case study, British Airways too has announced its somewhat stringent set of policies for controlling drug and alcohol abuse. With more than 47,000 employees, the British Airways claims that it is the first airline in Europe to commence their own "on-the-spot-tests" for addressing the issue of drug and alcohol abuse. Though, the British Airways had to overcome 4-years of opposition from unions, the airline finally succeeded and has at last appointed an external agency M/s Med screen to carry out tests on any worker suspected to be under the influence of either drug or alcohol at the workplace. In addition, there will be a continuous monitoring of up to 6 months for every new employee, including tests on a regular basis for those returning from a drug or alcohol rehabilitation programme. (O'Neill, 2004; ILO, 2000; ILO, 2002)
Conclusion
From the above discussion on the extent of drug and alcohol abuse at the workplace, it is imperative to note that drug and alcohol abuse is no more a trivial problem, as workers and their families, employers and the local/national economy cannot afford to ignore it, but more importantly all the said groups are equally affected. A phenomenon that is today prevalent in majority, if not all the countries of the world, the drug and alcohol abuse today has become one of the leading causes for accidents, absenteeism, health problems, theft, lower productivity as well as job losses. On the individual level, a worker may face a falling performance, host of health problems, work-related injury to self or colleagues, disciplinary action, family disputes/problems, poverty and social deprivation. For the employers, drug and alcohol abuse can result in rising safety problems for its workers, the workforce, adverse affects on the community, rising costs, lower levels of production, and a failure to achieve a competitive edge. Hence, ignoring drug and alcohol abuse at the workplace is truly not a viable option, particularly when today's globalized economy is in pursuit of innovative means to acquire new skills and newer markets simply to remain competitive and alive. The solution to end drug and alcohol abuse thus is found in the development and implementation of consensual partnerships at the workplace between the workers, their employers, and the members of the community. The said groups can thus strive to arrive at designing and implementing result oriented programmes, which are not limited to the workplace, rather are expanded to bring improvements in the entire community. These groups, also called social partners can thus join hands with other actors of the community to develop and implement joint drug and alcohol abuse prevention initiatives. Though a number of countries have commenced their own programmes, one of the prime examples, which also serves as a guideline for other countries is International Labour Organization's Code of Practice duly adopted in 1995 in Geneva. A brief on the summary of this Code shows that it recommends that "drug and alcohol policies should cover all aspects of the prevention, reduction and management of alcohol- and drug-related problems and that the relevant information, education and training programmes be integrated, where feasible, into broad-based human resources development, working conditions or occupational safety and health programmes" (ILO, 2000; ILO, 2002).
References
· Modell and Mountz, (1990), "The problem of alcohol use by pilots", writing for New England Journal of Medicine, issue of 1990.
· O'Neill, Roy, (2004) "BA crew face drug and alcohol tests", published in the "Hazards" magazine, issue of 3rd July, 2004, and available at
http://www.hazards.org/articles.htm and
http://www.hazards.org/workstyle/drugshaz55.htm
http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-8412-f0.cfm#o7
· International Labour Organization (ILO) (2000): “Infocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment”, written foe “Safework” magazine issue of August 2000
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/drug/impiss.htm
· International Labour Organization (ILO) (2002): “Infocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment”, written for “Safework” magazine issue of 21 March 2002, and available at
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/drug/codepr.htm
Additional Readings
· Unknown author, (2001), “Drunk or disordered”, written by TUC Publications, and available at www.tuc.org.uk/publications
· Drugs and alcohol: Working out a sensible drugs and alcohol policy, written for “Hazards” magazine issue No. 77 of January-March 2002.
· A potent cocktail, TUC response to the Cabinet Office and the Department of Health consultation on a National alcohol harm reduction strategy, 18 February 2003. TUC news release, and available at www.tuc.org.uk/publications
