Why This Matters
Drug and alcohol awareness is about safety. In our work, employees drive trucks, operate equipment, use tools, work around traffic, and interact with coworkers, customers, and the public. One impaired decision can lead to serious injuries, damaged equipment, lost licenses, lost jobs, or even death.Impairment does not only affect the person using the substance. It can put everyone around them at risk.
What Is Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse is the harmful use of alcohol, drugs, chemicals, or medication in a way that affects your body, mind, judgment, or ability to work safely. It can involve illegal drugs, alcohol, marijuana, prescription medication, or even over-the-counter medicine if it is misused or causes unsafe side effects. What starts as recreational use, prescribed use, or “just this once” can become a serious problem that affects your health, relationships, job, and future.
How Impairment Affects Work
Impairment can show up in different ways. A person may have slower reaction time, poor judgment, trouble focusing, poor coordination, mood changes, drowsiness, confusion, or unsafe behavior.
On the job, those signs matter. Someone who is impaired may miss hazards, make poor driving decisions, operate equipment incorrectly, skip important steps, or put themselves and others in danger.
Even if a person feels “fine,” drugs, alcohol, or certain medications can still affect reaction time, balance, perception, and decision-making. That is why no one should ever drive, operate equipment, use tools, or perform safety-sensitive work while impaired.
Common Substances That Can Cause Impairment
Legal or illegal, any substance that impairs you can create a safety risk. Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances. It is legal, but that does not make it safe to use before or during work. Alcohol slows down the central nervous system and can affect judgment, balance, coordination, perception, and reaction time.
Opioids are powerful drugs used to block pain signals in the brain. Some are prescribed by a doctor. Others are illegal. Common examples include heroin, fentanyl, and oxycodone. Opioids can cause drowsiness, slowed reaction time, poor judgment, breathing problems, and addiction.
Benzodiazepines, also called benzos, are medications that affect the brain and nervous system. They are often prescribed for anxiety, sleep issues, or other medical conditions. Common examples include Ativan, Valium, and Xanax. When misused, they can cause drowsiness, confusion, poor coordination, slowed reaction time, and impaired judgment.
Cannabinoids are substances related to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. They can create a high, but they can also affect memory, focus, coordination, reaction time, and decision-making. Marijuana laws vary by state, but Service Sanitation’s safety expectations still apply. Being legal does not mean it is okay to be impaired at work.
You should never report to work under the influence or perform job duties while impaired.
Service Sanitation Drug and Alcohol Standards
Service Sanitation prohibits employees from reporting to work under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or any medication that creates a safety risk.
That includes prescription or over-the-counter medication if it causes drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, slowed reaction time, or any other side effect that could make the job unsafe.
If you take medication that may affect your ability to work safely, notify HR before performing safety-sensitive work. Never drive, operate equipment, use tools, or perform safety-sensitive work while impaired. One bad decision can lead to serious injury, equipment damage, loss of your license, loss of your job, or even death.
Possessing, using, sharing, receiving, or distributing controlled substances or related items at work is strictly prohibited. If you are prescribed a narcotic, you must wait 24 hours after your last dose before returning to work.
Failure to follow the Service Sanitation Drug and Alcohol Policy may result in discipline, up to and including termination. If you have questions or need a copy of the policy, contact your manager.
Testing Requirements
Service Sanitation and the Department of Transportation require drug and alcohol testing in several situations. This may include pre-employment testing, random testing, reasonable suspicion testing, post-incident testing, return-to-duty testing, and follow-up testing when required.
Refusing a required test, failing to complete a test, or failing to receive a clear negative result is treated as a failed test and may result in termination.
DOT-regulated employees who violate drug and alcohol testing rules must be removed from safety-sensitive work immediately. Before they can return, they must complete the DOT return-to-duty process with a qualified Substance Abuse Professional, also known as a SAP. For CDL drivers, violations and return-to-duty information are recorded in the Federal Motor Carrier’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
The Clearinghouse is a national database that tracks DOT drug and alcohol violations. These records remain in the Clearinghouse for at least five years, or until the required return-to-duty process and follow-up testing are completed.
Service Sanitation Drug and Alcohol Standards
Service Sanitation’s drug and alcohol policy states that the following are a violation to the standards of conduct. This includes reporting to work while under the influence of: intoxicating beverages, controlled substances, or medications (prescribed or over the counter) that may lead to drowsiness or have other side effects that may pose a safety problem.
Attempting to work while under the influence is not only dangerous to you, but to those around you. Never attempt to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, operate equipment, or use a tool while under the influence as it could lead to serious injury, a loss of your license, a loss of employment, or even worse a loss of life.
Possession, consumption, transmittal, receipt, distribution, dispensing, or use of any controlled substances and paraphernalia is 100% prohibited. Any employee prescribed a narcotic must allow a 24 hour period for this drug to pass from there last dose before returning to work.
It’s important that you ALWAYS notify a member of our compliance or human resource team if you’re taking medications (prescribed or over the counter) on a regular basis. This information should be regularly indexed and updated in your medical file should an emergency arise.
Failure to comply with the Service Sanitation Drug and Alcohol policy will result in discipline, up to and including discharge. If you have any additional questions regarding this policy or would like to receive a copy of it, please contact your manager.
Testing Requirements
Service Sanitation and the Department of Transportation require drug and alcohol testing in several situations. This may include pre-employment testing, random testing, reasonable suspicion testing, post-incident testing, return-to-duty testing, and follow-up testing when required.
Refusing a required test, failing to complete a test, or failing to receive a clear negative result is treated as a failed test and may result in termination.
DOT-regulated employees who violate drug and alcohol testing rules must be removed from safety-sensitive work immediately. Before they can return, they must complete the DOT return-to-duty process with a qualified Substance Abuse Professional, also known as a SAP. For CDL drivers, violations and return-to-duty information are recorded in the Federal Motor Carrier’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
The Clearinghouse is a national database that tracks DOT drug and alcohol violations. These records remain in the Clearinghouse for at least five years, or until the required return-to-duty process and follow-up testing are completed.
Getting Help
If you or someone you know is struggling with drugs or alcohol, ask for help early. Do not wait until there is an accident, a failed test, a policy violation, or a life-changing mistake. You can reach out to HR if you need help or have questions about support options.
Take Away
Drug and alcohol abuse can change a person’s life fast. What starts as “just this once” can lead to serious consequences for your health, your family, your coworkers, your license, and your job. The safest choice is simple: do not report to work impaired, do not operate equipment impaired, and do not ignore warning signs. Stay alert, follow the policy, and ask for help before a problem becomes an emergency.