Wamuziri, S (2011) Evaluation of workplace drug testing in UK civil engineering construction. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 164(3), pp. 147-157. ISSN 17514312
Abstract
The legal position regarding workplace drug testing in the UK is assessed. Workplace drug testing in construction appears to be legally defensible provided the procedures meet certain criteria. The various forms of employmentrelated drug testing programmes are outlined. These include pre-employment testing, random testing, post-accident testing, and post-treatment testing. Previous research on the influence of workplace drug testing on occupational safety is reviewed. Results of a survey to evaluate the extent to which workplace drug testing has been implemented by UK contractors are analysed. Reasons that have led contractors to introduce workplace drug testing include: to promote the safety of their employees; because drug testing is seen as an effective deterrent; and company concerns about their liability for drug-related incidents. The factors that have influenced the decision for some companies not to implement workplace drug testing include: concerns for increased legal liability and employee opposition to drug testing. There is also the belief that drug testing is an invasion of privacy and that it is not effective in reducing occupational accidents. The effectiveness of workplace drug testing in construction remains debatable.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | health & safety; management; safety & hazards |
| Index terms: | privacy, effectiveness, employment, occupational accident, liability, testing, programme, survey, occupational safety |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, professional ethics, performance management, occupational health and safety management, health risk and incident analysis, project controls, management, liability law, professional practice |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Legal Issues, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Time Control, Human Resources, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here