October/November 2019 (vol. 16/3)

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Drug and alcohol testing at work

Policies, procedures and ethical practice

Summary:

In the first of a two-part article Helen Vangikar explains how organisations should approach drug and alcohol testing at work, its justifications and appropriate policies.

Only three countries in Europe have legislation that includes at least some provision for workplace drug testing: Finland1,2, Norway3 and the Republic of Ireland (although Ireland has yet to prescribe regulations to enable this)4. All other countries rely on a combination of laws covering health and safety, privacy and data protection, and employment. Workplace drug testing in the UK is neither mandatory nor is it banned. Some industrial bodies have chosen to introduce testing as a mechanism to fulfil specific industry legislation, as is the case with the railways...

 

Helen Vangikar is an independent toxicology consultant and independent technical assessor for the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. She has developed a number of training courses, including accredited Medical Review Officer courses for occupational health professionals.

 

Author: Vangikar H

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Occupational Health at Work October/November 2019 (vol. 16/3) pp27-30

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