Pubdate: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2003 The Daily Herald-Tribune Contact: http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804 CURBS ON DRUG, BOOZE TESTING OF WORKERS OILPATCH CONCERN RED DEER (CP) - Policies that prevent sweeping pre-employment drug and alcohol testing are causing problems for oil and gas companies that want to ensure safe worksites, says an industry spokesman. ''It's becoming very frustrating for us,'' said Patrick Delaney, director of health, safety and government relations for the Petroleum Services Association of Canada. ''I think for a lot of us, we'll take our lumps with wrongful dismissals.'' Delaney told an association conference this week that without such testing, employees and the public are at risk from potential accidents. According to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, pre-employment alcohol or drug testing and random testing of employees in non-safety-sensitive situations is not acceptable. However, Delaney said the association favours policies that would allow all employees to be tested. Currently, testing may only occur when a person has disclosed an existing drug or alcohol problem or where a medical examination indicates there may be a problem. Other permissible testing includes random alcohol testing of employees in safety-sensitive situations, drug or alcohol testing if there are reasonable grounds or following an incident, and periodic or random testing after the disclosure of a current drug or alcohol problem. Meanwhile, Delaney said companies must accommodate employees with substance abuse problems by holding their jobs while they're in treatment and finding suitable jobs they can perform, although there are exemptions for small firms. Complaints about how companies are forced to foot the bill for drug treatment and how rules over testing have tied corporate hands drew applause from the audience. Audrey Dean, legal counsel for the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission, explained that while safety is a concern, people should not be discriminated against. However, she did note that the issue of testing hasn't been high on the list of employee complaints submitted to the commission, unlike the volume of calls received from employers seeking advice on alcohol and drug testing. Drug testing, she said, is not an effective way to determine how people will perform their duties. She encouraged companies to look at alternatives such as supervision and peer monitoring. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart