Safety & PerformanceAddressing Substance Abuse

In the Workplace

Robert R Blakely

Canadian Building Trades

October 6th, 2003

Canadian Canadian Building TradesBuilding Trades

Hobson’s Choice• Invasive & Dignity• Insurance• Duty to Supply

‘competent people’• Potential ‘Risk’ to

union• Responsibility to

Client• Lifestyle choices vs.

Right to Safe work vs. Society’s lack of tolerance

“Rights”

• Members know they’ve got them!

• Demands to be represented – DFR

• Conflict of Regulation– HRC vs. OH&S

• Failure of Government to set rules

• Courts haven’t made it better

Impairment at the Workplace

• Alcohol – no sweat• Fatigue – also no

sweat• Cocaine and other

drugs – usually no sweat

• Cannabis – THC – with respect to the Scientific Community…

Altruism

• Defy anyone– No smoking in

explosive hazard areas

– Tie-off– Lock-out– Trenches

• No dope or booze on site or in worker

The Needs

• Consistent Message to the Work Force– No double standards

• Continued Education to those who apply

• Regulation by Government

• Fix the failures• Coming together of

the parties

Thank You

• This is a difficult issue and you’re the only Province to attacking it head on

• Governments needs to grow a set of balls and do something– They can’t continue to

leave us in the dark or subject to the vagaries of competing agencies