Summary

There’s no doubt that drugs and alcohol can negatively affect our alertness, spatial awareness, and reaction times, and may even cause permanent physical and psychological harm. The use of these substances in safety-critical industries – such as construction – can have serious health repercussions for those working onsite, ranging from minor slips on uneven ground to debilitating or potentially fatal accidents when working with heavy machinery, with power tools or at height.

Perhaps not so obviously, the consumption and after-effects of drugs and alcohol can detrimentally impact a building site’s efficiency, by leading to downtime and absenteeism. It can result in increased insurance premiums and damage to company reputation. This all ultimately contributes to reduced profits and lower employee morale and limits the success and growth of a business.

Barratt Developments Plc is the UK’s leading housebuilder and currently oversees more than 350 active sites. It employs approximately 7,000 people directly and has a transient workforce of over 18,000 sub-contractors throughout the country, with staff working in a variety of roles both on and off the construction site.

Claire Simmonds is the Group Head of Health and Safety and Environment at Barratt Developments Plc. In this case study, Simmonds shares how Barratt partnered with Abbott to introduce a tailored drug and alcohol screening programme based on Barratt’s existing policy and unique infrastructure. The companies worked closely together to design a scheme that would satisfy national legislation and ensure the highest level of staff safety.

Results

Working with a single test provider has helped Barratt to simplify communications and centralise data collection and analysis.

The structure of the programme and the easy-to-interpret data Abbott provides, streamlined the assessment of policy compliance and enabled rapid intervention when concerns surrounding substance abuse are raised, as well as providing a clear audit trail and reassuring workers that their privacy is always respected.

Barratt and Abbott have demonstrated their pioneering attitude to workplace safety through this successful collaboration, and their proactive approach to monitoring substance misuse will go a long way in supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of a huge segment of the UK’s construction industry for many years to come.