Role for workplace drug testing

There are some scary figures on drug use in New Zealand. One official source claims 48% of those in full-time jobs are binge drinkers, while one survey says 10% to 15% of people aged between 15 and 64 smoked cannabis in the previous year.

The use of drugs such as methamphetamine and ecstasy, like cannabis, was also said to be the highest in the world, with 2.8% of people having taken them in the previous year.

There was also a report from a Bay of Plenty recruitment agency last month saying up to 30% of its clients fail a pre-employment drug test, mostly because of cannabis.

It is little wonder there are workplace issues.

Workers hung over from drinking the night before are hardly going to be at the top their game.

Drugs and alcohol will take their toll in all sorts of ways.

Productivity will be lost and decision-making impaired.

But the primary concern must always be safety.

Those affected can easily be a hazard to themselves and others.

With increased awareness of the problems, drug testing has been a growth industry, and it would be no surprise to see its use spreading further.

Otago Polytechnic, for example, is considering drug and alcohol testing for most students and staff.

The polytechnic previously only tested its arboricultural students.

It is not necessarily straightforward, nevertheless, for companies and organisations to introduce testing.

For a start, as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment notes, there is no specific employment related law that deals with drug testing in the workplace.

What has to be considered are the potential health and safety risks, whether other workers are likely to be affected and privacy and individual rights issues.

A policy has to be developed and employment agreements looked at.

Although there may be specific reasons to test someone, ''reasonable just cause'', random tests are much more difficult to introduce, even after going through processes on consultation and policy development.

Fortunately, though, case law has developed so such tests are permissible for ''safety-sensitive positions''.

Air New Zealand pioneered the way, and the racing industry successfully brought in tests despite challenges through to the Supreme Court.

The court actually went so far as to say random drug tests were necessary so jockeys were deterred from taking drugs.

It is encouraging the tourism sector seems to be taking the matter seriously, with reports this week from Queenstown of at least four people losing their jobs after failing drug or alcohol tests.

Rightly, demands for adventure-tourism drug testing followed the 2010 Fox Glacier skydive and the 2012 Carterton ballooning tragedies, which together claimed 20 lives.

The balloon pilot tested positive for cannabis and there was also cannabis evidence in the bodies of the two skydive tandem masters.

The coroner, in April, recommended Civil Aviation Authority regulations should require random testing.

Adventure tourism by its very nature involves clients, often from overseas, putting their faith in staff as they pursue ''exciting'' activities.

Any such businesses not already doing so should, as Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd said, be encouraged to consider testing.

A reputation for safety is the lifeblood of the industry, and risks cannot be taken.

Despite the intrusion on individuals of drug testing, employers have the right to expect their staff to be fit to work.

Drug testing has steadily been extended over the past decade, and it is fair and realistic that this continue.

 

It came to pass

The Clyde community has every reason to celebrate its new State Highway 9 underpass.

It was only a year ago the Central Otago District Council resolved it should go ahead, while recognising it was not ranked as a ''high priority'' by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Now, the $500,000 project is all but finished and crossing a main highway for cyclists and pedestrians is much safer and less stressful.

The Clyde School community, in particular, can be proud of its lobbying.

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