Drug and alcohol use in the Australian construction industry: A case study

The Australian construction industry was within the top three industries in Australia with the highest rate of work related fatalities in 2012. The 2010-11 data show that 12,985 serious workers' compensation claims were recorded in this industry. There are anecdotal evidences for the impact of drug and alcohol use. However, this needs further investigation. This paper investigates the extent of drug and alcohol use in a large construction project in Australia. It explores the extent of the exposure to the risk, age group, work experience, and occupation of the users. It also examines the workers' perception toward random testing, and seeks the underlying causes. A mixed method approach was adopted. Quantitative data were collected through survey of 72 construction workers. The results showed that 22% of respondents admitted to being under the influence of drug and 47% admitted to being under the influence of alcohol while at work. 35% of respondents have seen someone at work under the influence of drug or alcohol in the last 12 months. The majority of the users were labourer. In regard to prevention policies, a random test would not bother 86% of the respondents. Five interviews with safety and project managers were also conducted in order to gain in depth knowledge and find underlying causes. Some of the causes mentioned include: long working hours, work stress particularly at high risk work, mental health issues, recreational purposes, cultural norms and peer pressure, education level, and family stresses. The study confirms the previous research in this area and provides an evidence for the high drug and alcohol use in the Australian construction industry. It demonstrates the random testing as an immediate preventive method would be acceptable by the workers. However, eradicating the problem would need a more comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying causes.