When we talk about “Fit for Duty”, we are usually talking about managing the physical fatigue of working shift work. This week however, I want to direct your attention to a growing threat, off hours consumption of alcohol.
XPAT has moved all non-CDL employees into a separate pool, with only our employees, so random testing will be more frequent than in the past.
XPAT reserves the right to conduct alcohol and drug tests at any time, without prior notice. All of our clients can also conduct alcohol and drug tests at any time on any job site.
Here are some alcohol related facts:
- It can take up to 18 hours to flush all the alcohol from your body.
- A regular bottle of beer has as much alcohol as a shot of liquor.
- 7 percent of the US population have a “diagnosable” alcohol abuse disorder.
- 4 to 5 drinks in a 2.5 hour period for an average size individual will result in a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, or legally drunk.
Remember, IF you are a CDL holder, and your blood alcohol content is 0.04%, you are legally drunk. What does this have to do with Fit for Duty? If you are drinking alcohol after work and getting less than 8 to 10 hours of sleep before going to work, then you are not Fit for Duty! Any employee caught driving a company vehicle while impaired, will be terminated.
XPAT Standards from the HSE Manual:
An employee shall be determined to be under the influence of alcohol if:
a. the employee’s normal faculties are impaired due to consumption of alcohol or if
b. the employee has a blood-alcohol level of .04 or higher or if
c. the employee is a DOT CDL licensed driver who has a blood-alcohol level of .02
or higher.
All XPAT employees are on-call on a 24 hour basis. That means you must be Fit for Duty at any time during that 24 hour period. Unless you have been “released” from duty by the Operations Department for that day, you are considered “available” for work.
Our current Substance Abuse Policy, (SAP), does not prohibit off-the-job use of alcoholic beverages by an employee, however, if that use adversely affects the employee’s ability to perform their job, then the employee may be found in violation of the SAP. This SAP does prohibit off-the-job use of alcoholic beverages by any employee wearing company attire, or on company premises. Re-read that last part. If you live in company housing, then you are not supposed to consume any alcoholic beverages on company property.
It has been managements’ view that all employees are adults, and should know how to control consumption of alcoholic beverages, and therefore we have let employees slide on that part of the policy. Unfortunately. the actions of a few can and will affect everyone else.
Do not let the actions of a few, mean everyone else loses a privilege.
You can read more of the SAP in the Employee Handbook.
Conclusion:
Read XPAT’s SAP and make sure that you are in compliance. Non-compliance means no job with XPAT.
Questions
- If I am on-call, I can have as many alcoholic beverages as I want, as long as I am not working. True or False?
- How many hours does it take to flush all the alcohol from your body?
By submitting this form, I agree to abide by XPAT’s SAP, and realize that by violating the SAP, my employment with XPAT will be terminated.