The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has published a free drugs and alcohol policy template to help construction companies assess and manage the risks associated with impairment in the workplace.
The template has been developed by members of CIOB’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisory Panel, with support from K2 Occupational Health, following feedback from SME leaders who said they felt ill-equipped to manage drugs and alcohol-related risks.
It provides guidance on definitions of drugs and alcohol, expectations for employees and managers, drug and alcohol testing, and the potential consequences of failing to comply with a company policy.
Ben Powell, chair of CIOB’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisory Panel, said the consequences of drug or alcohol use could be particularly serious in construction, where workers may be operating machinery.
“While most larger companies have expert HR and legal teams to draft and uphold policies on matters such as drugs and alcohol use, many SMEs don’t,” he said.
CIOB is also calling for better data collection on the role of drugs and alcohol in workplace accidents. It says there is currently no definitive UK figure because the RIDDOR reporting system does not require employers to state whether drugs or alcohol were involved.
The institute is calling for RIDDOR to be amended so that such involvement is recorded, arguing that better data would help the industry understand the scale of the problem and develop more effective interventions.
The policy template is available to download free from CIOB.
