The Alaska Contractor: Fall 2006

As fall closes in, days get shorter
and snow and ice loom on the
horizon, it is a great time of
year to look at your company’s alcohol
and drug program. Alcohol remains a
costly element in running a business
and it is important to make sure you
have a program in place to protect
your greatest assets, your employees.
WORKSAFE
Alcohol - a costly element
Recent studies show alcohol affects
15 percent of the workforce
Even companies that have put
drug-free workplace programs into
effect need to remember that it takes
constant effort to reduce the use of
drugs and alcohol among employees.
A recent study conducted at the University
of Buffalo’s Research Institute
on Addictions shows that workplace
alcohol use and impairment affect an
estimated 15 percent of the U.S. workforce-
or approximately 19.2 million
workers.
The study showed that among employees
who reported that they drank
before work, 71 percent said they did
so once a month or less, 25 percent said
monthly and four percent said they
drank before work on a weekly basis.
For those employees who said they
drank during work, 62 percent did so
less than monthly, 24 percent monthly
and 14 percent did so on a weekly basis.
Researchers also found that men
reported a higher use and impairment
rate than women and that working under
the infl uence of alcohol, or with a
hangover occurred more often among
younger, unmarried workers.
BY MATTHEW FAGNANI
Which occupational groups had
the highest rates of workplace
alcohol use and show the most
impairment?
The results found employees at all
levels abusing alcohol, but cited management
as one of the most frequently
offending groups, along with sales,
media, food preparation and serving,
building and ground maintenance,
arts and entertainment.
“Of all psychoactive substances
with the potential to impair cognitive
and behavioral performance, alcohol
is the most widely used and misused
substance in the general population
and workforce,” said Michael Frone,
the study’s lead researcher.
The institute’s director warns that
supervisors should look at their approach
to alcohol to see if the message
from senior management supports a
tough stand on substance abuse. Simply
having a program is not enough. The
program must be supported through
communication by top management.
How much does alcohol cost
businesses?
The following research from the
U.S. Department of Labor’s Working
Partners Web site illustrates the
scope alcohol abuse has on employers
and employees:
• One in fi ve workers report that
they have had to work harder,
redo work, cover for a co-worker
or were injured as a result of a
fellow employee’s drinking.
• Up to 40 percent of industrial
fatalities and 47 percent of industrial
injuries can be linked to
alcohol consumption and alcoholism.
• Alcohol and drug abuse cost
American businesses an estimat-
74 The Alaska CONTRACTOR Fall 2006