The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has decided to uphold the termination of a worker who tested positive for cannabis by Woolstar Pty Ltd, saying the levels of THC, the most active compound in cannabis, found in his system during a workplace drug test is “a matter for alarm”.
A survey conducted by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC) has revealed that one out of three people employed in companies with drug-testing programs in place continue smoking cannabis, believing they are unlikely to be ever tested.
The Fair Work Commission has ruled against urine testing because, unlike oral swabs, urine testing is unjust and invasive, but don’t really offer more than what oral swabs provide.
It’s heartening to know that many companies are now taking the health and well-being of their employees seriously by implementing well-being programs. Considering that providing medical checks, vaccinations, fitness programs, and even gym memberships were hardly a priority in the past, these programs that help ensure a healthy workforce are a welcome addition in the lives of employees of all ages and rank.
However, for all the benefits that well-being programs offer employees, they should not be the end-all and be-all of an organisation’s WHS or Work Health and Safety management system. Unfortunately, many employers today seem to put a lot more emphasis on well-being programs than those that concern overall workplace safety.
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A ferry master, dismissed after he tested positive for marijuana use the night before the ferry he was operating met an accident, was ordered reinstated by the Fair Work Commission despite the zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy of his employer.
The Victorian government is now requiring random testing for drug and alcohol use on people working on all Victorian Government construction projects, according to a press release posted on the Premier of Victoria website.
Drinking alcohol is admittedly an important part of Australian culture. Alcohol-related illnesses, however, kill 15 Australians daily, according to a study jointly commissioned by Victoria Health, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre and the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. Unless we make a serious change in our attitude towards alcohol, that figure is bound to increase in the years to come.
Here is a welcome news to all contractors, service operators, and engineers in the HVAC & R (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and refrigeration) industry: Pro-Visual Publishing has released the latest edition of the annual HVAC & R Industry Guide to Workplace Safety. (more…)