NDRI contributes to new drug and alcohol tool for construction industry
Construction workers and their employers have a new tool to tackle alcohol and drug use and help create a safer workplace.
Launched last month, safeconstruction.org.au is designed to guide and educate industry about how alcohol and other drug consumption can drastically affect performance and safety on the construction site.
The website is the direct result of a two-year project Safety Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drugs in Construction run by the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (SBEnrc), with project partners from the National Drug Research Institute, the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (Queensland University of Technology), the National e-Therapy Centre (Swinburne) and lead industry partner John Holland.
A national survey undertaken during the research phase identified a need for the construction sector to be able to access information and tools when dealing with employees who consume alcohol or take drugs. The website provides information as to how organisations and workplaces can develop alcohol and other drug consumption awareness, policies, and practices of overall health, safety and welfare benefits to individual employees. Website participants can complete online modules which identify risks and offer prevention strategies. Although primarily designed for the construction sector, the website is also applicable to other industries.
NDRI’s Professor Steve Allsop was involved in the research and consultation phases of the project and led the content development of the new website. Professor Allsop also presents the opening video on the website.
The research report Safety Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drugs in Construction is available on the SBEnrc website.
Posted on: 1 May 2015
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