UK Safety Experts Urge UK Businesses to Protect Workforce During Festive Season
UK businesses have a legal responsibility of ensuring staff are not over the alcohol limit while at work, to support this, Arco, the UK’s leading health and safety expert, wants to encourage the use of breathalysers in the work place this festive season.
December is statistically the worst month for drink driving in the UK.[1] As everyone winds down over the festive period, more people risk being over the limit. New figures show that 58% of people who have four or more drinks on a night out sometimes drive the following morning, but that only one third of people are aware they could still be over the limit,[2] which is why over 20% of drink driving offences occur in the morning.[3]
Under the Health and Safety at Work, Act of 1974, employers have a legal responsibility to ensure, the health and safety of employees, if the don’t they could be prosecuted. To tackle this, many UK businesses are being advised to adopt a drug/alcohol screening for employees this winter with an emphasis on those in safety-sensitive industries, including jobs that require the operation of industrial machinery or driving and logistics. This is important, as in safety critical areas, drug and alcohol misuse can cause serious accidents which can be life threatening.[4]
Arco recommends that breathalysers are an ideal solution in the workplace as a means of screening and urge businesses to take responsibility to provide peace of mind for workers and employers. If an employee operates machinery while under the influence of alcohol they can pose a risk to himself and also others,[5].
Arco provide a range of breathalysers including the new Drager Alcotest models.
- 45A1700 – Drager Alcotest 5820 (new product)
- 45A1800 – Drager Alcotest 6820 (new product)
- 45A2000 – Drager Interlock 7000 (new product)
For more information on alcohol testing and Arco’s range of breathalysers, please visit www.arco.co.uk/breathalysers