Workers at Dubbo City Council face tests for drug and alcohol use under a new safety regime negotiated with union and industry bodies.
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The council has engaged a private contractor to carry out the program to detect alcohol, cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine and THC, a constituent of the cannabis plant.
It reports the move is not in response to any alcohol or other drugs-related incidents.
Instead it was “coming into line with industry safety standards”.
Human resource services manager Maria Crisante said the council had based its policy and testing program on a model created by three unions and Local Government NSW.
The model policy states the four parties involved support “the use of breath analysis for alcohol testing and saliva for other drugs”.
The council confirmed in response to questions from the Daily Liberal it was starting the regime, which would apply to all divisions and roles.
“Anyone who does work for council as defined by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 including employees of council, contractors and volunteers could be tested,” Ms Crisante said.
“The tests are to ensure the safety of council staff and the Dubbo community by testing to determine if workers are impaired by alcohol and other drugs at work.
“There have been no alcohol and other drugs-related incidents which have led to this testing at council.”
The human resource services manager said Dubbo was embarking on the testing regime along with other councils across the state, both metropolitan and regional.
Ms Crisante acknowledged testing was another operational cost, but said it could reduce some other outlays.
“Council has engaged a private contractor to provide an education and testing program and while there is a cost for the program, measures such as this contribute towards potentially lowering workers compensation and other insurance costs and increase public confidence in council’s workforce,” she said.
The model policy outlines voluntary, random, post-reportable incident, reasonable suspicion and targeted random as types of circumstances for testing.
When asked what action would be taken if a positive test was returned, Ms Crisante said: “In accordance with the model policy and industry standards, council will follow its regular disciplinary procedures for a breach.”
The three unions that helped create the model policy were the United Services Union, the Development and Environmental Professionals’ Association and the Local Government Engineers Association of NSW.
