1. Ice in the Office
An electric staple through a thumb many not
get a lot of attention (who has not stapled
their finger at least once in life), but getting a
tie caught in a shredder can get downright
dangerous. These are the types of office
injuries that do not get a lot of thought
because the first one seems painful but
minor, and the second one does not happen
very often (as far as we know). However,
each of these white collar injuries sustained
in office settings usually lead to medical
expenses and lost productivity as the injured,
and those around them, deal with the injury
or emotional trauma. The first real-life
incident involving the stapler was attributed
to fatigue, whilst the worker who got his tie caught had been drinking during
lunch.1 That is not the end of the story because a taking a sleeping pill the night
before and having two drinks at lunch are stereotypical pictures of office worker
drug use. The reality is that drugs like meth amphetamine (ice) are increasingly
used by all workers, including white collar employees, smashing the stereotypical
image of a drug offender.
Using words like “crystalline” and “ice” to describe a form of meth seems so
deceptive, and that is the point. Calling a dangerous drug by a nice-sounding name
is a diversionary tactic appealing to the emotions. Anyone who has not seen the
pictures of what crystalline methamphetamine does to the body will be shocked by
its effects. Ice is a powerful, destructive drug that causes hallucinations, body
sores, psychosis, paranoia, weight loss, and a host of other problems. An office
worker can use the drug for a while, but eventually the symptoms will become
painfully obvious to others and loss of job is inevitable. Until that point is reached,
office workers addicted to meth are just as likely as the lunch-drinker and the
sleeping-pill taker to get injured at work.
Bad Decisions All Around
Every job requires being alert. It is wrong to think that office employees are not
subject to injury risks. Though jobs in the mining, construction, and aviation
industries have a higher safety-risk, there are millions of dollars in unaccounted
productivity losses due to on-the-job drug and alcohol use. There are arguments
made against drug and alcohol testing of office workers because they have a
reduced risk of injury. Those arguments make little sense to the co-workers of
substance users who are subjected to injury also. How many co-worker fingers
have been slammed in drawers or how much equipment has been started before it
was safe to do so because someone was on drugs or had been drinking during

2. business meetings? In fact, it is interesting to speculate on the number of bad
business decisions that have been made by substance users.
Much more dangerous are drug and alcohol employees who drive to meetings with
co-workers in the vehicle. Drug users and addicts no longer fit any particular
stereotype, and ice can be added to the list of common drugs used by office
workers. There is now widespread recognition that offices might be turning into safe
havens for drug dealers because employers see these positions as low safety risk
jobs and thus drug and alcohol test is not as frequent. Law enforcement staff
members recently attended training session on identifying ice users because of the
rapid growth in the meth market. The Department of Justice hopes that better
training will help them identify the sources of meth and other drugs. One of the
places targeted as a possible drug dealing venue is the innocuous office setting. 2
Nothing Quick About Drugs and Alcohol
As the rates of illicit drug use and alcohol abuse grow, it is clear that substance
abuse testing will apply as much to the office as it does the mine or construction
site. Any employee under the influence presents a risk of injury to themselves and
to others. One drink on an empty stomach or a quick ice fix to get through the day
can lead to problems that last a lifetime. Drug and alcohol use, including ice, is
pervasive, and those who deny this fact are not admitting the reality of the
situation.
There are many types of supplies and equipment for drug testing that are suitable
for use in office settings. CMM Technology (cmm.com.au) professionals can help
office managers select the right saliva testing and breathalyser equipment to
support a zero tolerance workplace.