Company Announcement - The Liviero Group is South Africa’s largest privately owned multi-disciplinary construction company, and consists of multiple specialised operating companies, including Liviero Building, Liviero Civils, Liviero Mining, Liviero Drill & Blast and Liviero Plant. The diverse nature of the Group enables it to deliver construction and engineering solutions in the Civil Engineering, Building and Mining sectors. Liviero has been involved in several notable projects, including the Gautrain and the FNB Soccer Stadium, to name a few.

As a construction company, the Liviero Group is bound by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which stipulates a zero tolerance policy towards intoxication in the workplace. Without a standardised means across sites to regularly test for alcohol and drug use onsite, Liviero was in danger of non-compliance with this act. The company turned to ALCO-Safe, a major local supplier of quality electronic alcohol and drug detecting equipment, to provide the solution. “Previously, we had no consistent method of regularly testing for alcohol and drug intoxication, which increased our risk. We took the initiative and followed the example of the mining sector, who are pioneers when it comes to drug and alcohol testing to improve safety. After conducting due diligence, we identified ALCO-Safe as our supplier of choice. Their reputation in the market is outstanding, and their equipment, while it may carry an initially higher capital outlay, is of the best quality and will last for many years,” explains Tania Bezuidenhout, SHEQ Manager at Liviero Civils.

ALCO-Safe supplied the Group with Lion AlcoBlow devices, Lion Alcometer 500P units and Concateno portable Drug Detection Systems (DDS). These solutions are used in conjunction with each other to deliver a comprehensive drug and alcohol screening solution that enhances safety onsite while improving compliance and ensuring all workers are fully sober for maximum productivity.

Employees are tested at the site entrance using the AlcoBlow device, which delivers high-speed pass or fail testing without the need for a mouthpiece or physical contact between the subject and the device. It can also be used to test the air above liquids for the presence of alcohol, ensuring no contraband substances are brought on to site. If employees ‘fail’ this first point of entry test, they are taken to the site office for testing with the Alcometer. This device gives an accurate reading of the level of alcohol in the test subject’s breath, and also provides a printout of all of the subject’s details and levels of intoxication. Employees are then tested one final time to ensure that no foul play or unfair practice occurs, and then appropriate action can be taken.

The DDS system is used to conduct random onsite drug testing in addition to the annual physical checkups performed. This highly portable system can be taken to the different sites, making it very cost effective. In addition, it uses saliva samples rather than urine, which means it is non-invasive and does not require any special testing considerations. Using one swab, the DDS can test for the presence of five commonly abused narcotic substances. “The construction industry can be dangerous, and compliance with the OHS Act is of the utmost importance when the lives and safety of your workers is potentially at stake. Utilising a combination of testing equipment, Liviero is creating a safer workplace for all employees, while reducing risk and ensuring compliance with the OHS Act,” says Rhys Evans, Director of ALCO-Safe.

In addition to supplying the equipment, ALCO-Safe also conducted appropriate training for all safety officers as well as site agents and several contracts managers. By including higher-level authorities such as managers, Liviero ensures that no unfairness or unorthodox practises occur, and that all tests are conducted correctly to ensure accurate results. The success of the screening practices deployed by Liviero can be seen in a greater feeling of safety onsite, as well as in improved compliance with OHSA.