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Tackling increased alcohol consumption during festive season

9th December 2016

By: Nadine James

Features Deputy Editor

  

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The festive season can put companies at risk, as employees are more likely to drink alcohol not only more often but also to the point of excess, says drug and alcohol testing equipment provider Alco-Safe.

Alco-Safe director Rhys Evans notes that, based on first-hand reports by safety managers, more employees test positive for alcohol consumption when reporting for shifts during the festive season.

They also report that there are more incidents of employees drinking alcohol while at work, based on random testing during the day, placing a company and its employees at risk. The reasons for this are many and varied, Evans says, but they include individual socioeconomic pressures and the celebratory mood prevalent during this season.

Evans notes that “drinking is prevalent at and around mines all year round, as the men and women who work there are often isolated from their families and experience immense stress, as a result of their working conditions”.

According to accounts by safety managers who use breathalysers and other alcohol testing equipment on site at local mines throughout the year, between three and seven people a day show up to work while under the influence of alcohol, he adds. This increases to between 20 and 30 people a day between December 1 and January 7 every year.

“In terms of local mining companies’ tallies, between 10 and 15 people a day generally report to work under the influence of alcohol; this increases to between 200 and 300 people a day – in extreme cases – over the month of December.” However, Evans does point out that, while the increase is noteworthy, the number reflects a small percentage of a mine’s staff, as mines typically employ thousands of people.

He also clarifies that this does not mean that more employees report to work visibly drunk showing symptoms such as giddiness, slurred speech or stumbling. It is rather that most of them still have alcohol in their bloodstream. It is also a case of their having consumed too much alcohol the night before and not their having consumed alcohol just before arriving at work.

Evans suggests that one of the main problems pertaining to alcohol consumption is the lack of consistency regarding what constitutes a drink. “If a guy is drinking a quart of beer and another is drinking a can of beer, both will say they’ve only had one drink.”

He states that it is not the quantity, but the alcohol content that needs to be considered. “In terms of alcohol content, one drink constitutes 125 ml of wine with 11% alcohol, a 330 ml can of beer with 5% alcohol or one-and-half tots of whiskey containing 42% alcohol.”

Additionally, employees should take into account that it takes about one hour for a drink to filter through the body’s excretory system. “This means that, if someone consumes six beers, it’ll take them about six hours to sober up.”

Effects of Intoxication at Work
Any percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream above 0% should be considered harmful in the workplace, as it will have some impact on motor responses. Intoxicated employees are affected in a number of ways, subsequently impacting on productivity.

In terms of vision, the lateral field of vision and depth perception are impeded. Evans cites a recent study conducted by Alco-Safe on professional drivers at a private test track to gauge the effects of alcohol on a driver’s depth perception and peripheral vision. It demonstrated that the vision of an intoxicated person deteriorates by up to 44% at the conclusion of alcohol consumption. Five hours later, a 16% deterioration in vision is still evident.

Intoxication also impacts hearing. “Ever noticed how a drunk person will keep increasing the radio’s volume, or how they tend to shout after a while? This isn’t because they are feeling boisterous – their hearing’s been impaired.”

Evans notes that this combination of hearing and vision loss could be particularly catastrophic around mobile equipment and heavy machinery. Additionally, intoxication also impacts on response reflexes, induces fatigue and increases blood pressure.

Most notably, intoxication affects judgment, he says. “Intoxicated people take more unnecessary risks. This, in addition to the hindrances caused by impaired vision, responses and hearing, will result in dangerous situations. Most of these intoxicated employees will get away with making stupid mistakes, but eventually there will be a casualty.”

Evans states that companies should react proactively to this seasonal increase in drinking. “They need to plan ahead, with more stringent measures . . . to detect this issue, reducing the risk of employees working while intoxicated.”

He notes that companies should start implementing stricter measures in November and introduce random testing throughout the day to act as a disincentive to alcohol consumption during work hours. Further, compulsory alcohol testing for all employees should occur on entering and exiting a facility during the festive season.

Alco-Safe has been supplying drug and alcohol testing equipment to the local mining industry since 2008 and can meet any mine’s alcohol testing requirements, says Evans.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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