The Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) has raised concerns over the lack of deterrents to prevent plant operators from working under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to the association, operators who fail a drug or alcohol test are often sent home driving the vehicle they arrived in. Even if an operator is dismissed after a failed test, poor record-keeping across the industry means they can easily find employment elsewhere.
In a letter addressed to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), SPOA President Callum Mackintosh expressed disappointment that the council did not appear to see the issue as a priority. He also noted that the CLC has not produced a policy on the issue, which he considers the bare minimum.
To reduce the risk of serious harm, the SPOA has called for the removal of competence cards from plant operators who fail a drug or alcohol test. The association has been campaigning on the issue for the past three years and believes that mechanisms are already in place to introduce a scheme under which cards could be suspended or revoked.
Mackintosh believes that the industry should approach this issue in the same way as any driver who drives while under the influence. Failure to tackle this issue, he says, is a ticking timebomb with a serious accident waiting to happen on a construction site. He cited research by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, which found that 59% of those surveyed had concerns over the effects of drugs and alcohol in construction, and 35% had witnessed colleagues under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The SPOA President also noted that a quarter of respondents agreed that drugs and alcohol had affected them personally at work through tiredness. He warns that when operators take advantage of the system’s weakness, there is a substantially increased risk of accidents or deaths on the site, not only to the operator but also to those working around them.
The CLC has the power to take action through the withdrawal of competence cards. The industry is now looking to the CLC for leadership on the issue. Mackintosh urged the council to exercise its power to introduce revocation processes, saying that there is an industry need for it.
In response, a spokesperson for the CLC said that the issue had been discussed at previous council meetings. Members have highlighted good practice that exists in the sector, and the council is reviewing how this can be disseminated to companies to support a better understanding of the issues and to drive improved performance.