OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH - 16.06.2010

World Cup hangover

Had a few? The sun is out, the football World Cup is well under way - so there’s every reason to have a few drinks. But, unfortunately, according to research carried out by Drinkaware, many workers are not stopping at a “few”. Its survey has indicated that, each day, over 500,000 staff are arriving at work with a hangover. So, as this could be happening in your workplace, what should you be doing about it?

Survey findings. The survey identified that, on average, workers arrive at work suffering from the effects of too much alcohol three times a month. Of those, one-in-five state that whilst they’re suffering, they make mistakes and struggle to keep on top of their duties.

What about the safety implications? If your member of staff sits at a desk, the chance of them being involved in an accident because of their hangover is remote. However, if they’re working on a construction site, in a production area, operating plant or a vehicle, the likelihood increases dramatically.

Note. In general, those suffering from a hangover may still have significant amounts of alcohol in their blood systems. In many cases, it will be enough to affect judgement and reaction times.

Tip 1. Your response should reflect the level of risk. So if your staff are desk-bound, you needn’t impose strict rules on alcohol consumption. However, if staff are in safety-critical roles, e.g. machinery operators, you should make it an explicit rule that they don’t arrive at work whilst suffering from a hangover. This rule should be included in your risk assessments and terms and conditions of employment. Anyone failing to observe it should be subject to disciplinary action.

Tip 2. Ask managers (especially during the World Cup) to be extra vigilant and to look out for staff demonstrating the signs of a hangover. Any who are deemed to be in an unfit state should be sent home or moved to a non-safety-critical task.