 |
Safety and Health Topics |
|
| America's Small
Business at Risk |
|
|
|
When it comes to workplace substance abuse, small businesses
have big disadvantages. They are less likely than large companies to have programs
in place to combat the problem, yet they are more likely to be the "employer-of-choice" for
illicit drug users. Individuals who can't adhere to a drug-free workplace
policy seek employment at firms that don't have one, and the cost of just
one accident caused by an impaired employee can devastate a small business.
The good news is that small businesses have enormous power
to improve the safety and health of their workplaces and employees by implementing
drug-free workplace programs that educate employees about the dangers of drug
abuse and encourage individuals with related problems to seek help. Such programs
help reduce occupational injuries and illnesses and send a clear signal that
employers care about the safety and health of their employees.
Some small businesses do not effectively address the issue due to a lack of
resources, such as staff to seek information about it and provide assistance
to employees who have related problems. This reluctance may be reinforced by
confusion over the cost of running drug-free workplace programs and what action
can be legally taken, particularly regarding drug testing and disciplinary
procedures.
To help small businesses benefit from being drug-free, the Department of Labor
and OSHA's
Working Partners
for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace program offers small
businesses a range of free and easy-to-use tools to help them maintain safe,
healthy and drug-free workplaces:
|
|
Drug-Free
Workplace Advisor Program Builder. Provides
information about the five components of a comprehensive drug-free workplace
program: a written policy, supervisor training, employee education, employee
assistance, and drug testing. For employers needing to develop a drug-free
workplace policy from scratch, the policy section guides them through the
different components of a comprehensive written drug-free workplace policy
and then generates a policy statement based on their selections.
|
 |
Substance
Abuse Information Database (SAID). Online repository of hundreds
of documents related to workplace drug abuse, including sample policies,
surveys, research reports, training and educational materials, and legal
and regulatory information. |
 |
Resource
Directories. Regularly updated lists of national, state and local
resources, including summaries of state laws related to workplace substance
abuse, community-based organizations that assist in making businesses drug
free, and helplines that offer assistance to individuals who have, or know
someone who has, a drug problem. |
 |
Training
and Educational Materials. Resources, such as presentation materials,
articles and fact sheets, and posters to help employers provide drug and
alcohol education in the workplace. |
| |
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
www.osha.gov
