Narcotics Awareness on the Rig

How does the fact that your fellow crew member “sniffs a little coke” or “pops a few pills” to get a “high” affect you?

Think about it!  Drilling is a process where each man must be alert at all times.  The job to be done depends on each man doing his part.  All must work as a team.  Each has a specific job that is interrelated with the other jobs.  Each must be done on time and in the right manner for the overall job to be accomplished.  We have no substitute to send in on the drill floor.

Now what happens when the driller hits the crown with the blocks, or the derrick man allows the pipe to shift or miscalculates on the mud ingredients to be added, or the floorhand steps on the rotary, catches his arm in a cathead, or puts a hand in the tongs?  He may be hurt, yes, but so might you.

You are depending on others for your safety.  Surely this is reason enough for you to be sure that person responsible for your safety is not high or depressed to the point of not responding when you need him.

Drug prevention in the workplace provides a unique and effective opportunity to:

1. Hire and keep safer and healthier employees
2. Find help for current employees with substance abuse problems
3. Provide an assistance program for your employees to help deter future use
4. Help set community standards on substance abuse

Did you know?

1. Untreated, drug and alcohol related problems greatly affect any employer’s bottom line in the form of decreased productivity and increased on-the-job accidents, absenteeism, turnover and medical costs
2. Up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of industrial injuries can be linked to alcohol consumption and alcoholism
3. Alcoholism alone causes an estimated 500 million lost workdays per year
4. Seven out of ten drug users are working in someone’s business
5. One out of four employees has a substance abuse problem or a family member that does

Compared with the average employee, a typical drug-using employee is:

1. 2 times more likely to request early dismissal or time off
2. 5 times more likely to have absences of 8 days or more
3. 3 times more likely to be late for work
4. 6 times more likely to injure himself (herself) or another person at work
5. 5 times more likely to file workers compensation claims
6. 7 times more likely to have wage garnishments
7. 33% less productive
8. more likely to incur 300% higher medical costs

Since most of this cost is passed on to you in the form of higher health insurance premiums or in the prices you pay for things, drug and alcohol use on the job costs you and your fellow workers!