Alcohol testing equipment supplier ALCO-Safe has added two devices to its service offering.

The first product is a wall-mounted device that aids access controls at the entrances of sites. This device links to the access system, through WiFi, local area networks and/or Bluetooth, and can integrate with operating systems, making it possible for companies to receive employee data to conduct a test, allocate a pass or fail and send the results back to the access control system.

The company has also introduced an application platform that enables companies to conduct breathalyser tests through a breathalyser that connects with a mobile phone with Bluetooth connectivity, which can link the results to a cloud-based server, once the test has been conducted.

ALCO-Safe laments the widespread use of alcohol and asserts that this is a significant contributor to workplace accidents. “From the studies that we’ve done with our clients and the test results we’ve seen over the years, about 40% of incidents can be directly related to alcohol use, and [a] further 60% of those incidents would be fatal,” asserts ALCO-Safe MD Rhys Evans.

He

notes that there is an increased awareness by companies to implement the correct alcohol- and drug-testing policy guidelines.

Evans adds that this cognisance has influenced the overall reception to ALCO-Safe products, and stresses the importance of employee representatives understanding how the products work and why they are necessary.

The continued involvement and collaboration among ALCO-Safe, employee representatives and labour unions is also viewed as a positive step and a means of building trust.

Evans stresses that the implementation of these measures is not punitive. He notes that the company sometimes receives pushback from unions, despite the extent of their involvement, owing to a lack of consensus over drug and alcohol policy guidelines.

Consequently, he stresses their importance in assisting with the development of suitable guidelines.

ALCO-Safe offers various sessions – comprising alcohol- and drug-awareness sessions, as well as management sessions to address employee wellbeing – to numerous corporates.

“In those sessions, we teach employers how to identify problems that may arise. You might find that a person has general work stress or they [have experienced] a traumatic incident at home. So, the point of the sessions is to empower management and employees to come forward and receive assistance when they need it,” Evans highlights.

The company also assists in the counselling and rehabilitation of employees who test positive, ensuring that they are continuously supported, but aware of the implications of repeated offences.