Healthy Workplaces - Alcohol & Drugs
Ensuring safety on a worksite is of paramount importance as an employer. You can’t afford to have employees under the influence of either alcohol or drugs at work – it affects their productivity as well as their ability to carry out duties in a responsible and safe manner. Overlooking this issue could have major implications for your business socially, economically and WorkCover wise. It is estimated that misuse of alcohol costs Australian businesses $6 billion a year.
The workplace is an ideal place to run effective alcohol and other drug prevention programs because the peer support network at a workplace can be used to shape behaviour.
Alcohol
Alcohol is the most widely used drug in Australia, and Australian workers are consuming risky amounts. A survey of construction industry workers showed that their rates of harmful consumption were 64% compared with 15% of the general population. Regular drinking of alcohol can cause health, personal and social issues, which have the potential to impact on work attendance and performance. The harmful consumption of alcohol can also impact on workplace safety. Workplace health programs can address alcohol by implementing a workplace alcohol policy and supporting employees to address high-risk and problem alcohol consumption.
Blood Alcohol Concentration
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the body in grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (g%).
BACs may vary widely
Any one person drinking the same amount of alcohol can reach a different BAC on different occasions. In some instances, BAC will not peak for up to two hours after stopping drinking.
Estimate your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) with this easy-to-use BAC Calculator which will help you to estimate your BAC by answering a few questions
Here's some other handy apps to help you keep track of your drinking and alcohol consumption whilst on the move:
Guidelines for Alcohol Consumption
Guideline 1: Reducing the risk of alcohol-related harm over a lifetime
The lifetime risk of harm from drinking alcohol increases with the amount consumed.
For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.
Guideline 2: Reducing the risk of injury on a single occasion of drinking
On a single occasion of drinking, the risk of alcohol-related injury increases with the amount consumed.
For healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion.
Affects of Alcohol
Alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the walls of the stomach and small intestine, where it is rapidly distributed to all parts of the body including the brain.
The main organ responsible for removing alcohol from your body is your liver, which generally takes one hour to break down the alcohol in one standard drink.
Drinking alcohol:
- slows down your reflexes;
- impedes your judgment; and
- impacts your balance and coordination.
It’s also a depressant, slowing down the central nervous system and inhibiting many of the brain’s functions.
Take a look at this interactive tool to see how alcohol can affect various areas of your body.
Assistance is Available
There are lots of organisations and Government departments offering support, counselling and assistance to anyone needing it - you just need to know where to look:
Alcohol & Drugs
For an Alcohol & Drugs Workplace Wellness Policy template for your business click here
Some of the above information is reproduced from (formerly Happier.Healthier.Workplaces) https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/health-wellbeing
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/atoms/files/alcohol_and_drugs_0.pdf
https://www.drinkwise.org.au/drinking-and-you/what-are-you-really-drinking/#
Page last updated 27/02/2023