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The ACTU does not condone the use of alcohol or drugs at work. However, the ACTU does not support to random alcohol and /or drug testing at work. There is no law, apart from general road traffic laws, and rail safety laws in some states, which requires any person to comply with random testing for alcohol and/or drugs.
Employers may say that, for health and safety reasons they need to test workers for ‘impairment’ due to alcohol, drugs or medicines. However, the role of alcohol and/or drugs in work-related deaths or injuries has not been shown to be high and we believe these issues can and should be addressed without the need for testing.
Workers can also be ‘impaired’ by other conditions in the workplace, such as long hours – causing fatigue, or exposure to chemicals such as solvents, which could make people drowsy or confused.
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