Alcohol is a depressant, which means that people feel more relaxed when they consume it. In small, occasional doses in social environments, alcohol can be enjoyable.  Problems arise when alcohol is consumed in inappropriate environments, at inappropriate times, in large volumes or on a very regular basis.

Alcohol slows down the messages sent between the brain and the body. It impacts problem-solving skills, judgement, concentration, reaction times and coordination. In the workplace, these can be dangerous or deadly.

SafeWork Australia (2007) says that the greater cost to employers stems from moderate drinkers when they occasionally drink to excess or infrequently use illicit drugs, rather than from the behaviour and habits of heavy consumers.  

According to the same report:

• Workers in hospitality and mining are most at risk of high alcohol consumption
• Tradespersons are more likely to be high risk long term drinkers
• Female managers, and women working in hospitality, retail and financial services are more likely to be high risk drinker
• Male workers were far more likely to be high risk consumers. 
• Males are more likely than females to miss work due to alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption is associated with around 4% of work-related deaths. In approximately one third of these cases the alcohol had been consumed partly in connection with work.

4.4% of work-related injuries from falls and road trauma are estimated to be the result of alcohol consumption.  It has been estimated that “hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption is the cause of 7% of occupational and machine injuries.” (English and Holman 1995)

Alcohol consumption also has a major financial impact on the economy, with alcohol estimated to cost businesses $4.5 billion per year, mainly attributable to lost productivity.

Alcohol consumption in the workplace

Alcohol consumption may:

• Impact on ‘fitness for work’ if there is prolonged heavy drinking outside of the workplace.
• Force co-workers to cover for absences or reduced productivity. According to VicHealth (2012), a third of all Australian workers have experienced the negative effects of a co-worker’s use of alcohol. 3.5% reported needing to work longer hours to cover the lost productivity.
• Result in poorer workplace relationships
• Result in higher absenteeism
• Result in a possible loss of skills
• Result in Iower self-esteem
• Reduce productivity and lower concentration due to hangovers. Other impacts might include shakiness, dizziness, headaches, nausea and vomiting, as well as irritability and fatigue
• Result in disturbed sleep and therefore exhaustion at work
• Result in risk-taking behaviour, accidents and falls.

Signs of a problem as a result of frequent alcohol consumption

Around 60% to 70% of people who consume harmful levels of drugs and alcohol are employed full time. This will impact the workplace. If businesses can catch the behaviour early, interventions are possible to help curb alcohol use and problem behaviour.

Some of the workplace warning signs include:

• Unexplained or unauthorised absences from work
• Frequent tardiness
• Excessive use of sick leave
• Patterns of absences (ie. pay day, Monday or Friday)
• Frequent home ‘emergencies’ as excuses for not coming in to work
• Frequent absences from work station during the working day
• Frequently missing deadlines or assignments not being completed on time
• Careless work
• Poor analytical skills
• Belligerence, short tempered or argumentative behaviour, particularly after a weekend or public holiday. People are twice as likely to be physically or verbally abused by a person under the influence of alcohol.
• The smell of alcohol on breath
• Bloodshot eyes
• Excessive use of breath mints or similar
• Sleeping on duty
• People drinking faster than others at company events and/or not being able to stop once they have started drinking
• Memory loss or blackouts

Direct health risks for workers

The health risks associated with alcohol consumption have been widely publicised, however people still engage in the risky behaviour.

The health impacts of heavy drinking might include:

• Liver cancer
• Breast cancer
• Oesophageal cancer
• Heart failure
• Cirrhosis
• Severe swelling of the liver
• High blood pressure
• Irregular pulse
• Enlarged heart
• Inflamed stomach lining
• Stomach ulcers 
• An increased risk of lung infections
• Adverse mental health impacts

Alcohol and surgery

Binge drinking may delay wound recovery time as it reduces the levels of macrophages a particular type of white blood cell. Macrophages help to clean wounds of infection. The activity of the protein which creates microphages is reduced during binge alcohol exposure. 

Additionally, alcohol dependency may result in surgical complications including risk of haemorrhage, infection or cardiopulmonary insufficiency (heart failure, heart disease or myocarditis). There is also a higher rate of post-operative mortality. 

Recovery may be delayed through excessive alcohol use due to the risk of re-injury due to risk-taking behaviours, slower reflexes or poor decision making. Alcohol could also interfere with the effectiveness of prescribed medications.

What can supervisors and managers do?

Employers need to be aware of the legislation regarding employer responsibility with regard to staff consumption of alcohol and its relationship with workers’ compensation legislation.

Being proactive about combatting alcohol issues in the workforce is always more effective than acting only when issues arise. 

The first step is to look at which factors influence and promote the use of alcohol in the workplace. How broadly is it available? What encouragements are there to drink? Does the company reward staff with alcohol when their job has been done well? 

Once identified, the next step involves making the required changes and promoting safe work practices around alcohol use. This could include developing a policy around the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Developing a Policy for use of alcohol and other drugs

It can be helpful for workplaces to develop policy on the use of alcohol and other drugs. Having a policy in place is associated with lower alcohol consumption (Pidd 2003).

Ensure that the policy is easy to understand, written in plain English and applicable to the entire workforce, including the managers. The policy is best created in consultation with workers.

When the document is made available, the best form is in writing. Follow up with reminders about the policy on a regular basis. State that the aim of the policy is to help create a healthy and safe workplace.

The policy could include:

• The consequences for people who fail to comply with the guidelines, including the grounds for transfer, demotion or dismissal, as well as the number of warnings people will be given prior to discipline being imposed. When formal meetings take place as a result of staff breaching the guidelines, detailed records need to be kept.
• The legal position (rights and penalties) of staff and management regarding alcohol use, including at work-related functions
• The counselling and rehabilitation services available in the workplace and externally. Ensure that treatment is made available for people who need it, along with the assurance of confidentiality
• State exactly when it is and is not considered appropriate to consume alcohol in relation to work
• Outline the appropriate use of prescription medication, and the prohibition of being under the influence of illegal drugs in the workplace
• Provide a list of people in the workplace who can be approached by workers for assistance

The employer could also choose to:

• Provide management skills training around handling alcohol-related issues in the workplace
• Provide staff training around the risks associated with alcohol use in the workplace
• Consider implementing drug and alcohol testing measures, particularly for workers operating heavy machinery or transport, if permitted under applicable legislation
• Make information sheets available from organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous
• Consider making drug and alcohol prevention training part of an overall health programme to help de-stigmatise the issue
• Provide training for staff on the reduction of personal stress

Remember that the stability of continuing employment is an important factor in the recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.