Addressing consumption of alcohol in the workplace is a critical aspect of ensuring workplace safety, as alcohol can significantly impair the ability to drive and operate heavy machinery with accuracy.
ALCO-Safe MD Rhys Evans asserts that workplace interventions such as regular alcohol testing and awareness programmes regarding the health risks of alcohol consumption are effective tools for improving safety in the mining sector.
Mining safety regulations state that a person is not permitted to enter or remain in the mining premises under the influence of alcohol and most South African mining companies have policies that detail a zero tolerance to alcohol in the workplace, laying the foundation for regular, compulsory alcohol testing with breathalyser equipment. ALCO-Safe supplies a range of high-quality, portable alcohol breathalyser tests and equipment that features the latest in alcohol detection technology.
Evans affirms that employee awareness education regarding the dangers of alcohol use, particularly in mining, is an essential part of reducing the prevalence of employees under the influence of alcohol at work. Training includes education about how long alcohol takes to be eliminated from the body and highlighting that drinking heavily the night before work may lead to a failed breathalyser test the following day. Effective education aims to encourage moderate drinking after work hours and create an awareness that alcohol testing is not meant to ‘catch out’ employees but that it is safety-critical. ALCO-Safe has developed a set of easy-to-understand booklets that addresses several health issues that affect employees, including one on the dangers of excessive alcohol use.
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