Durg Testing and Tow Motors
LindaS
1,510 Posts
Our current Drug and Alcohol Policy requires a post accident drug/alcohol test in the event of a workplace accident that results in a W/C injury and/or time missed from work.
Last Thursday we had a tow motor operator run into a walkway causing some significant damage but she was not injured in any way (luckily). Upper management personnel who were here at the time sent her to the local hospital, not for medical treatment but for a drug/alcohol test (BTW - she is 5 mos. pregnant). They would not allow her to return to work until the results of the test were received (they came back negative).
Now I have a plant that is in an uproar over the fact that this has NEVER been done before and, in fact, there was another incident with a tow motor the previous week wherein an EE ran a tow motor into a wall causing it to move approx. 4" (never reported to me).
I spoke with upper management about this and my thought is that I agree with this practice but that we need something added to our policy that addresses this type of accident. I have been told that they don't want to "go overboard" with this and that we should employ our "reasonable suspicion" portion of the policy, which is fine but then my question was, whether or not the EE on Friday appeared under the influence and was met with a resounding "no".
My question to you is, what is your policy regarding this type of accident?
Last Thursday we had a tow motor operator run into a walkway causing some significant damage but she was not injured in any way (luckily). Upper management personnel who were here at the time sent her to the local hospital, not for medical treatment but for a drug/alcohol test (BTW - she is 5 mos. pregnant). They would not allow her to return to work until the results of the test were received (they came back negative).
Now I have a plant that is in an uproar over the fact that this has NEVER been done before and, in fact, there was another incident with a tow motor the previous week wherein an EE ran a tow motor into a wall causing it to move approx. 4" (never reported to me).
I spoke with upper management about this and my thought is that I agree with this practice but that we need something added to our policy that addresses this type of accident. I have been told that they don't want to "go overboard" with this and that we should employ our "reasonable suspicion" portion of the policy, which is fine but then my question was, whether or not the EE on Friday appeared under the influence and was met with a resounding "no".
My question to you is, what is your policy regarding this type of accident?
Comments
Anytime we have an accident, incident or near miss involving a powered industrial vehicle of any sort, we test. I recommend you incorporate this into your policy. If I am not mistaken, and I might be, it is an OSHA requirement to do so.
Gene
On a related note, I hope you can work it to where you are ALWAYS involved in this referral process personally.
Hope this helps.