Employee Assistance Program and Workplace Safety

EAP Work Accidents, Cost of Drug and Alcohol Use in the Workplace

Feb 22, 2009

Workplace safety is an all-encompassing term that includes many different factors, all of which impact the safety and health of employees.

Addressing workplace safety includes how organizations manage environmental hazards inherent to the job, working conditions, work practices and processes, drug and alcohol issues, and potential for violence.

Employers should routinely assess safety records and revise safety goals - not only because of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, but also because safety directly affects a company's bottom line. How an organization approaches workplace safety ultimately impacts profits through employee morale and retention, productivity, workers' compensation claims, insurance rates and legal costs.

EAP Role in Drug Free Workplace

"Early interventions with employee performance issues generally result in an improved prognosis for the employee, but it also makes sense for the organization, said Kurt Neumann, M.A., LISW, SAP. "Early intervention is extremely important in regards to minimizing safety and litigation concerns, while expediting a return to normal levels of productivity."

An EAP can help develop drug-free workplace policy and implementation; they also provide a convenient and confidential means for employees who voluntarily seek assistance for drug/alcohol abuse, along with providing mandated counseling when appropriate.

Drugs and Alcohol Impact Workplace Injury Rates and Theft

To exemplify this point as related to drug and alcohol safety-related issues, in 2001 W. Atkinson reported in EAP's: Investments, Not Costs, that over "14 million Americans use illegal drugs. As workers, they are 3.6 times more likely to be involved in an accident at work and 5 times more likely to file for worker's compensation benefits than non-users." And, according to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, a co-worker is injured 40 percent of the time when an accident is caused by a substance user.

Additionally, 2001 Ohio BWC statistics estimate that 47 percent of industrial injuries and 40 percent of industrial deaths were directly linked to alcohol consumption -- a legal drug.

Other Costs of Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace

Commonly associated with employees who abuse alcohol or other drugs, some issues may include:

In fact, the Ohio BWC estimates that approximately 50-80 percent of all pilferage, theft and loss is due to substance-abusing employees.

Any one of these issues will negatively affect job performance, overall company productivity, and eventually, profits -- more so if the problems are widespread, prolonged or not addressed by management. In the worst-case scenario, situations such as the ones mentioned above can result in liability and legal issues for the employer.

Effective EAP Vital to Workplace Safety and Human Resource Management

An EAP should also assist with a myriad of other work-life issues that affect safety in the workplace. For example, if an employee is distracted due to job, home or financial stressors, this may result in increased safety risks while on the job. Consultation with an EAP counselor could help this employee manage the stressors, so that he/she could return to normal attention patterns, therefore reducing the safety risks associated with a lack of focus while at work.

"Unfortunately, many managers relegate their EAP to only addressing difficult employee issues once they have become full blown problems," Neumann said. "This is certainly well within the job description of any good EAP, but it negates the powerful prevention aspect of the EAP.

"Activities like making suggested EAP referrals, calling to schedule a management consultation with an EAP professional and scheduling various trainings for your staff are all good proactive examples of the prevention potential of your EAP."

The copyright of the article Employee Assistance Program and Workplace Safety in Human Resources Management is owned by Valerie Nosek. Permission to republish Employee Assistance Program and Workplace Safety in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.