NEWS - ILLEGAL DRUG USE - 13.02.2006

Don’t be a dope

Common place. The stereotypical image of a cannabis user being a spaced out hippy is completely inaccurate. If you were to survey your staff on who uses cannabis on a regular basis, you’d probably be amazed at the results. According to the Home Office, there are around 15 million people in the UK who admit to having tried cannabis, with between two and five million regular users. Don’t be fooled into thinking it will only be younger staff either; the same survey found that the sharpest rise in use is amongst older adults. But what are the safety implications?

Health and safety implications. It’s long been agreed upon that a pint of beer at lunchtime isn’t acceptable in environments such as manufacturing and construction. But more recently, a pint seems to have been substituted for a cannabis joint and the dangers are almost the same. Cannabis has an affect on reaction times and the alertness of an individual, as well as judgement. If someone who is in such an altered state is allowed to operate machinery or plant, not only will they be putting themselves at risk, but also those around them.

Appropriate action. Don’t overreact. Anyone who is using it during lunch breaks, for example, is probably unaware of the risks and doing so because they haven’t been told they can’t. If you adopt an overly draconian approach such as drug testing and dismissing anyone with cannabis in his or her system, apart from being unnecessary, this approach may leave you very short-staffed. After all, if there are five million users, there’s a good chance this may include some of your staff.

Tip. You’ll first need to make your staff aware of the risks and then make it clear that if they’re under the influence whilst at work it could lead to disciplinary action, including dismissal.

For the full Home Office report and an information sheet on the associated risks of cannabis use visit http://healthandsafety.indicator.co.uk (HS 04.10.01)