The Entrance Breathalyser System in conjunction with FireFly Access Control from Gensys Workforce Systems – A Health and Safety Measure which prevents intoxicated persons entering the work-place
Over R240 billion equivalent to 10% of the country’s GDP is the amount of money the country loses due to alcohol abuse annually. This is according to a study carried out by the South African Medical Journal in 2009. This enormous figure represents the estimated sum of all the different dimensions through which alcohol abuse deducts from us. >From workplace incidents that cost and maim lives, to absenteeism, fraudulent leave and reduced productivity. Yet even with this mammoth loss, most employees would gladly not take any alcohol and illicit substance tests in their places of work.
In South Africa employees are the primary beneficiaries of legislation that provides for health and safety standards in the workplace. The Law that governs general workplace safety is the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993 (OHSA) and in the Mining Industry, safety is governed by the Mine Health and Safety Act. Although the OHSA was poorly written and has often been misinterpreted, it is the Law that we have to work with and it has been in effect for over two decades. The OHSA directs how safety is enforced and over time, as with all legislation, the act has been amended to suit the needs of evolving workplaces. In short, its objective is to “provide for the health and safety of persons at work.” The act empowers employers to formulate policies that will ensure that employees work in safe conditions that do not threaten their health in any way. These policies are the available instruments that all employees should be able to openly discuss with their employers on a continuous basis. The policies may deal with and include issues like substance abuse, alcohol testing, safety resources, training and frameworks for action in response to substance abuse, intervention and counselling.
Some company policies provide for voluntary alcohol testing, while other companies test all employees entering their place of work. In industries which include mining, manufacturing plants that use heavy machinery, maritime and the transport space, alcohol testing is often mandatory. As a prerequisite to the operation of machinery, all employees must be sober and tested when arriving for work. For these industries, testing is usually done at the entry point at the mine shaft or plant or factory.
The Alcoscan Entrance Breathalyser System (EBS010) when fully integrated into an access control system is the perfect alcohol compliance solution for all types of workplaces. The FireFly Portable Container Solution is an instant Access Control, Time Management and Compliance Management Enforcement Point for Existing, Developing and Temporary Mining Sites or alike.
While Alcoscan Entrance Breathalyser EBS010 can be connected to virtually any turnstile and access control system to work hand in hand to identify an employee, capture a test result and log it against their record in the time and attendance database Gensys Workforce Systems has put all the integration together to provide a one-stop solution. When the EBS010 detects any amount of alcohol in your breath, you are automatically prevented from entering the premises. From this point, the company policies will then direct proceedings, whether it calls for a second confirmatory test or suspends the employee for the day without payment or calls for disciplinary action. In all instances, there is a zero tolerance of alcohol which when defied will be met with stringent disciplinary action as being under the influence of alcohol in the workplace will threaten the lives of others as well as of that individual.
Key Solution Benefits:
- Customisable
- Robust Solution
- Small Footprint (Ecologically Sensitive Areas)
- Portability
- Plug and Play (Instant Setup)
- Compliance Standards Met
- Security
- Per SQM Cost Saving
An innovative method to curb alcohol consumption within the workplace is to also ensure that employees are tested on their way out of the company premises due to instances where employees have passed the breathalyser test when entering a site, but have then consumed alcohol during the day and beer can have been found within the operating environment. Generally, when employees leave work, there are no measures put in place to detect if there is alcohol in their breath. Testing for alcohol on the way out using the FireFly and EBS010 system ensures that those that smuggle alcohol into premises are dealt with to preserve the safety of others. The barrier of outbound testing using the very same EBS010 used for inbound testing acts as a deterrent for all those who think they will be able to consume alcohol on site and get away with it.
Misfortunes resulting from alcohol abuse and misuse do not distinguish who is affected and can cost the life of anyone from the ground up to the CEO. Therefore, it is imperative to keep in mind that alcohol abuse and misuse in the workplace is nothing less than a deathly wish that can be completely averted. If not for families and loved ones, then for the good of the business and ultimately the economy of our country.
