Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/231234
WORLD FENCE NEWS • JANUARY 2014 • Establishing a drug-free workplace Editor's note: Several years ago at one of the FENCETECH shows, Tony Rosa, at the time president of San Diego Fence Co., presented one of the best programs on establishing a drugfree workplace that we had heard. Sadly, Tony has passed away, but his valuable information bears repeating. He did not present this as actual legal advice, and even suggested that you obtain such before putting any program in place. But he detailed some of his experiences and made some suggestions. What made us think we might have a drug problem? • A constant increase in injury accidents, such as an employee shooting the same thumb twice with a nail gun and another shooting himself in the knee with a nail gun, with both tools having double safeties; employees falling off ladders; falling down embankments; or trying to lift huge objects without leverage. (The kind of accidents that rarely happen to sober people.) • Constantly losing skill saws, extension cords, grinders and even ladders, and always blaming it on the other crafts on the jobsite. • Blowing engines in company trucks because of failure to keep them filled with oil. • Damage to equipment or trucks, followed by explanations that just did not make sense. • Unexplainable mistakes on jobs that shouldn't happen. • Labor overruns on repetitive work. • Chronic tardiness and absenteeism. • Complaints about the way our trucks were being driven. • Reduced job margins. • Increased problems with verbal and written instructions being carried out accurately. • A worsening attitude toward our customers and their needs, as well as toward fellow employees. Five steps to take in providing a drug-free workplace 1. Decide that you really want a drug-free workplace. 2. Decide what you want your policy to be, and put it in writing. A. Passive 1. Provide education and counseling to the "Say No to Drugs" concept. 2. Provide an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that offers privacy to those who want help with their problem. B. Active 1. Provide a screening program to identify users. 2. Make users accountable, and subject to consequences. 3. Introduce the program to your employees. A. Explain why you are installing a program. 1. What the benefits will be. a) Safety is the most common reason for a drug-free workplace. B. Give employees who don't want to change their lifestyle 30-60 days to find employment elsewhere. 4. Give each employee a written copy of the policy and have him or her sign one for your personnel files. 5. Be gentle and loving in your handling of the problem. The key is not what you do that gets you in trouble, but how you do it. Your goal is not to fire, but to help them change their lifestyles so as to become the best persons they can be and the persons you thought you had hired in the first place. How we benefited from our drug testing program • We went from the worst safety record in our Workers' Compensation group with the Building Industry Association to the very best in just one year. • We received a $56,000 dividend back on a premium of $128,000 for one year, and dividends each year since. • Our experience MOD dropped from 1.52 to 1.09, and was still dropping. • No more lost tools, nail guns, digging bars, extension cords, skill saw, etc. • No more careless damage of equipment. • No more blown engines. • We had an overall better class of employee. • We turned at least three lives around, and saved at least one marriage. • Our employees seek us out. • When we do get foul-ups, they are human errors, not unexplainable errors. • We enjoy better communication and morale. • The quality of work has vastly improved, and we see more pride in workmanship. • The speed of work has greatly improved. • No traffic citations for improper driving of our vehicles. • No complaints about the way our trucks are driven. continued on page 78 See us at FenceTech 2014 Booth #903 59