By Glenn Dobson, CEO, The Drug Detection Agency
The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) has just released its latest training program, Advanced Drug Awareness Training. The program teaches team members, supervisors, and managers how to manage drug and alcohol issues in the workplace. It also covers the use and implications of medicinal cannabis, updated testing information, and new risk scenarios covering situations requiring decision‑making by managers and supervisors.
Those in the infrastructure sector will find a lot of value in the program as it helps businesses stay compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA 2015), and manage workplace risks around the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol. On site or in the head office, Advanced Drug Awareness Training has you covered.
TDDA has been educating New Zealand and Australian businesses for almost two decades, but recent changes to New Zealand and Australian laws, cartel activity, the availability of highly addictive illicit drugs, and the emergence of powerful synthetic opioids meant training required a real upgrade.
If you are in infrastructure, you are managing people with high wear‑and-tear and high-stress jobs. This is part of the reason why supervisors and managers may have difficulty managing drug and alcohol issues in the industry. That’s also why now is the time to be thinking about training to ensure a safe workplace, especially when employees are on the roads, and using heavy machinery, and are surround by risk.
Identifying employees under the influence is challenging and fraught with legal pitfalls – especially now that the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme is in full operation. Even when the clues are obvious, many managers and supervisors lack the skills and confidence to deal with delicate and volatile situations that may arise.
The Advanced Drug Awareness Training is a four-hour drug and alcohol management education program. It has been designed to provide advanced drug and alcohol training for staff, ranging from team members to people leaders. The interactive training is delivered by TDDA’s highly trained drug presenters, and gives attendees the confidence and tools to empower them to successfully identify and deal with situations arising from drug and alcohol use and abuse in the workplace.
The session includes:
duties under the HSWA 2015 and how to actively manage your company’s drug and alcohol policy
drugs tested for, including prescription medicines and illicit substances
identifying risks and establishing reasonable grounds
understanding drug and alcohol testing in the workplace, when is it warranted and who participates
new and emerging drug trends and data from Imperans, TDDA’s reporting database.
Professional training and education is valuable for staff and supervisors alike. TDDA also offers a range of other training, including the Comprehensive Substance Identification Training, a scientifically backed Drugs of Abuse Recognition program. This is the highest level of drug and alcohol training, and the first of its kind to be delivered in Australasia. TDDA also offers Employee Education, a 75-minute session directed at employees, focusing on what to expect with drug and alcohol testing, and drug risks and effects.
Training and education sessions, such as the Advanced Drug Awareness Training, Employee Education and Comprehensive Substance Identification Training, ensure that every member of the workforce is equipped to maintain workplace safety.
By regularly reviewing and updating policies, conducting thorough screenings and providing staff with ongoing education, infrastructure businesses can navigate the ever‑changing workplace landscape with confidence, while prioritising the wellbeing of their employees.