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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
JULY 2015
38
T
he trucking and transportation sec-
tor is vital to the economic wellbeing
of South Africa, ensuring the flow of
goods between provinces for both local
consumption and export. However, it is
also an industry that sees prevalent use of
alcohol and drugs among truck drivers. A
comprehensive substance abuse program,
which includes on-going random testing
and importantly an educational component
for employees, is essential in reducing the
dangers associated with substance abuse
on the roads. The benefits of such a pro-
gram lie not only in their ability to reduce
risk and liability for employers, but also
in improving the lives of their employees.
By reducing substance abuse, drivers can
become healthier, more alert and more re-
sponsible, cause fewer accidents, be more
motivated and productive – and educating
drivers as to these benefits can greatly im-
prove employee response to alcohol and
drug testing policies.
Truck drivers, particularly those who are
involved in long-haul transport, face long,
lonely hours on the road, often spending
days at a time in their truck and sleeping on
the side of the road or at truck stops. They
are frequently away from their families and
must stay awake and alert at all times while
driving. This increasingly leads to the use
of alcohol and/or drugs as a coping mech-
anism. The difficulty here is that substance
abuse of any type can severely impair a
person’s ability to properly operate equip-
ment and vehicles. Alcohol is one of the
primary culprits, but drug use, particularly
THE BENEFITS OF ALCOHOL TESTING IN THE
TRANSPORT SECTOR –
for employers and their employees
By Rhys Evans, Director of ALCO-Safe