Drug recognition training for the workplace

Australia’s Annual Overdose Report?found that someone dies from a drug overdose every four hours. Non-fatal overdoses are thought to occur at around thirty times this frequency, with them generating massive fallout for the individual and for the people and society around them.?

In New Zealand there are over forty deaths from accidental opioid overdoses a year, and the total cost of drug related harm is estimated to cost around $813m a year. The main method for keeping drugs out of the workplace has been and will remain to be drug testing. Whether it is a pre-employment test, a random test, or any of the other tests that we offer, a comprehensive drug screening and laboratory analysis ensures a business is compliant with HSWA and is managing risk appropriately.?

We know that not only can drug testing identify risks before something happens, but it plays an imperative part in the ‘deterrent’ of taking substances full stop. However, training supervisors and managers to recognise when someone is under the influence from substance use is becoming increasingly valued. It adds another layer of protection for your employees and your business.?

With substance use and deaths from substance use expected to rise in both New Zealand and Australia, companies are going to be forced to invest in more preventative measures beyond drug tests. Training and education is the logical next step for any business. Investing in employees is an excellent tactic. There is value in having managers who can visually recognise drugs and paraphernalia, associate symptoms and behaviours with drug classes, and recognise potential drug use and someone who is under the influence. This aids businesses in reducing their risk profile.

Recent proceedings in the US have found that law enforcement and trained officers can be trained to competently perform all of the scientifically based steps in the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) protocol, that they are able to reliably observe and report on results of someone under the influence and that the quality of their reporting and diagnosis is on a par with medically trained professionals such as clinical technicians and EMT’s. Even more importantly, DRE protocols have been found to be on an almost equal level to medical and toxicological reports when it comes to the veracity of their conclusions.?

DRE and other drug management training is best done in person. With covid restrictions loosening, in-depth, in-person training is back on and it’s particularly important for teaching how to recognise drug and alcohol impairment. Nuance and subtleties can be lost in an online setting. Due to the increasing demand for the level of protection that DRE and drug management training affords, TDDA has developed a specific training program to allow managers to be better skilled at identifying workplace drug-use. The specialised (CSi) courses will be available from March 2023 throughout Australia and New Zealand.?

If the US is anything to look toward we will potentially have a rising tide of drug use, drug deaths, as well as more drugs entering Australia and New Zealand via unscrupulous groups and organisations, the extra line of workplace defence that proper training offers is essential. Having managers and employees who have been rigorously educated and are confident in their ability to make informed, assessments of an individuals’ condition goes a long way in reducing harm in the workplace.?

Smart organisations are already seeking this training. TDDA’s drug recognition experts are the nation’s top trainers. Our classes give other managers the confidence and skillset to evaluate whether or not an employee is behaving in a way that demonstrates a level of risk and is unsafe to have in the workplace.?

Editors note:?TDDA is a leader in the field and has?ISO17025:2017?cross Tasman accreditation for workplace drug testing. The certification denotes TDDA's offices and mobile clinics meets rigorous international standards in quality management and competence. (see NATA and IANZ websites for further detail).

About The Drug Detection Agency?

TDDA was established in 2005 and provides Australasia with end to end workplace drug testing, education and policy services and solutions. Its process and technologies provide clients with safer workplaces. TDDA is a leader in workplace drug and alcohol testing with more than 50 locations and a fleet of over 100 mobile health clinics throughout Australasia.