One of the biggest is ignoring the problem of alcohol abuse. Drug abuse has gotten much of the employer attention, but the problem of alcohol abuse on the job is at least as significant and probably more so. Of course, employer programs designed to deal with drug and alcohol abuse aren't new. Many programs go back decades, Stutman notes. However, workers compensation costs and traditional job safety are just the tip of the iceberg.
Substance abusers are five times more likely to injure themselves.
The problems are not limited to industrial companies, he adds. Of course, industrial employees such as heavy equipment operators and manufacturing line workers are the likely prospects for substance abuse problems. The same is true for transportation industry workers. They work in unsupervised settings where drugs and alcohol may be available. They are often traveling between appointments.