Alcohol and Drugs in the Workplace
Together with vhp human performance, Panteia conducted a study on alcohol and drugs in the workplace. The aim was to gain more insight into the scale of the issue of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs at work, and the potential safety risks this may cause. The study also examined the effectiveness of using alcohol and drug testing in the workplace as a preventive measure.
The research focused on six sectors: heavy industry, construction, wholesale and retail, specialist business services, healthcare, and government and education. A total of 1,471 employers from these sectors participated in a telephone survey. Additionally, an online survey was conducted with 317 employees. Two focus groups were also organised—one with experts and one with sector organisations.
The data collected indicates a very limited number of incidents where employers or colleagues directly link working under the influence to safety issues. However, a small number of employers may be facing a significant problem; this mainly concerns companies with high safety risks that employ temporary staff.
For most organisations, testing for alcohol and drug use is likely to offer little or no safety benefit, and other measures provide sufficient possibilities. These may include fostering a safety culture in which colleagues speak up or report concerns to supervisors.
You can find the report and the corresponding letter to Parliament (both in Dutch) here.
