Reducing Drug & Alcohol Risk in the Workplace

Both legal and Illicit drug and alcohol use is widespread in South Africa, with over 50% of drug users in current employment.

This training course will give you an understanding of the impact of drug use, drug-free work place policies, harm reduction techniques and whether or not testing is appropriate for your workplace.

This Drug and Alcohol Awareness Training has been designed to equip employers, managers, and employees with the knowledge to recognise the signs and symptoms of substance abuse; to understand the effects addiction has on both physical and mental health; and to make clear the impact substance abuse has on a workplace and their legal responsibilities regarding it. 

• Gain an understanding of different drugs being used/abused and their impact on the workplace
• Have a better understanding of the negative effects of drugs & alcohol
• Understand your responsibilities regarding drugs and alcohol
• Learn what can be done about the problem through people and policies
• Understand your legal rights and responsibilities as an employer under OSH and employment legislation
• Learn how to safely and ethically implement workplace drug testing in your organization 

HR Managers and those responsible for occupational safety and health/ human factors in workplace safety in the following industries:

• ·       Transport/airlines

• Earthmoving/heavy industry
• Hospitality
• Construction
• Warehousing
• Factories
• Forestry
• And any industry where drug or alcohol abuse creates a risk to staff and customers 

Training Methodology

This intensive 3-day master class will combine tutorial sessions and case studies with interactive learning exercises. All attendees will be provided with a workbook and a certificate of completion.

Course Topics Include:

• A framework for analysing alcohol problems in the workplace
• The extent of the problem – alcohol
• Drugs and drug abuse – an introduction
• Extent of the problem – drugs
• Causes of the problem – psychosocial, environmental and cultural 
• The risk assessment approach: managing alcohol and drug misuse within the organisation
• The effects of alcohol on the individual
• The effects of drugs  
• Objective ways of identifying trends of substance abuse problems in the workplace
• Legal obligations of employees, employers and trade unions
• Testing – identifying alcohol and drug problems and intoxication in the individual employee
• Legal aspects of pre-employment screening
• Legal aspects of testing employees 
• Fair discipline
• The role of the occupational health professional
• Treatment – the employee patient
• Treatment of the organisation
• Treatment – employee assistance programmes
• The workplace as a setting for substance abuse prevention initiatives
• Introducing new alcohol and drug procedures and rules
• Proposed substance abuse policy and procedural agreement