Can the food and beverage industry afford not be testing for alcohol in the workplace?

Opinion Piece: Can the food and beverage industry afford not be testing for alcohol in the workplac... 

Most of the food and beverages we consume today pass through a factory at some point in their production cycle. These factories are hives of activity, typically filled with heavy and dangerous machinery, which requires a safe and sober operation. The consequences of a single error in the food and beverage manufacturing process can be catastrophic for the company, its employees and consumers. Food and beverage manufacturers need to ensure that their employees are completely reliable and able to function optimally. This applies to all staff from those who program ingredients for automated production, to those who physically operate the machinery and even the cleaning staff. For this reason, having staff who are working under the influence of alcohol is something that cannot be risked.

An employee who is in any way less than completely sober poses a risk not only to their own safety as well as their colleagues safety but also to the consumer who receives the final products. Food and beverage organisations therefore, need to ensure that they are taking the necessary steps to reduce the risk that alcohol consumption poses to their operations.

The risks of not testing for alcohol

Mincers, slicers, automated bottlers and canners, industrial blenders and forklifts are just some of the types of machinery that can be found on a food or beverage factory floor. These machines are already dangerous to operate and manoeuvre without the additional clouding influence of alcohol.

Alcohol is known to inhibit a number of human senses, such as eyesight and hearing. Depth perception is critical when operating machinery such as a forklift, and a person who has alcohol in their system may easily misjudge distances and cause a major accident. Hearing is equally important. An inebriated person, for example, may not be tuned in to the sound nuances of various machines, or may not hear a warning alarm. A pending problem may therefore go unnoticed and could cause a halt in production.

A person’s judgement and response times are also impeded by alcohol consumption. Employees under the influence of alcohol may make errors in judgement or have slow responses which could lead to a number of dangerous situations. Slow responses in particular, cannot be afforded on a factory floor. A slow response in a butchery for example, where sharp knives, grinders and mincers are at play, can result in serious injury.

There are more risks than those contained to the factory however. Mistakes in the ingredients of a product can lead a multitude of problems, all of which lead to unhappy customers and a damaged reputation. As alcohol consumption impedes judgement, someone under the influence of alcohol could unknowingly add a poisonous substance to the batch, which can cause serious damage to consumers. Imagine accidentally adding cleaning fluid to a beverage, for example.

The impact of using breathalyzers

There are many potential consequences that arise from mistakes made by employees who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They include:

• Health and safety: There are strict health and safety standards in the industrial sector, and even more so when working with consumable foodstuffs. An inebriated person on the work floor endangers their lives, and those of their colleagues and the business’s consumers.
• Revenue loss and expenses: Mistakes caused by a person under the influence of alcohol can lead to lost or delayed productivity, which costs the business money. Then, there are costs associated with repairing or replacing damaged equipment, an unproductive workforce, and possible medical expenses and legal action where an employee is harmed. In some instances, businesses cannot recover from the high costs and have to shut down.
• Reputational damage: Arguably the biggest impact that alcohol induced errors have on a food and beverage company is reputational damage. Where consumers are impacted, they lose their faith in the product, which leads to a loss of revenue. Having a product on the shelves that is potentially harmful or poisonous can have serious implications. These scenarios often cause irreparable damage and can cause a business to collapse entirely.

Prevention by testing for alcohol

Food and beverage organisations should be ensuring that they have a strict zero tolerance policy towards alcohol and drugs, and working under the influence of both. These policies need to be backed up by regular testing, with the best solution being daily testing. Employees should be tested for alcohol prior to admittance to the premises and denied access if they test positive.

It is important that this testing is supported by both disciplinary measures as well as education on alcohol and drug abuse. Many factory workers may not be aware of their alcohol levels, erroneously believing that their drinking on the night before will not impact their daily tasks. If they are educated as to the quantity of drinks they may safely consume the night before working or what constitutes a unit of alcohol- they can better control their drinking habits and reduce the possibility of being unable to work the next day.

There are many solutions available in the market to safely and discreetly test for alcohol and drugs while taking minimal time from both the business and the employee. Breathalysers are effective screen testers, and saliva test kits are available for the detection of drugs. There are also a number of educational courses and pamphlets available which help employees to control their own drinking and understand the impact of alcohol in the workplace.

In an industry where a mistake can cost the business money, time and reputation, and where a mistake can lead to grim consequences, can the food and beverage industry afford not to be testing for drugs and alcohol?

Editorial contacts
ALCO-Safe
Rhys Evans
Managing Director
Tel: 012 343 8114
Email: rhys@alcosafe.co.za

Evolution PR
Lee Wanless
Tel: 011 462 0628
Email: lee@evolutionpr.co.za