With recreational cannabis now available across Canada, employers are working to establish health and safety measures to address workplace concerns in many sectors.
Solutions for safety-sensitive workplaces
Canadian Fuels Association joined an employer coalition earlier this year in a call to lawmakers to implement a regulatory framework for alcohol and drug testing in safety-sensitive positions, establishing clear rules throughout Canada.
“We are seeking a legislated approach, as in other jurisdictions,” the Coalition urged in a media release. “Our members employ air traffic controllers, pilots, train conductors and crane operators, to name just a few. That no clear rules exist in this space, when the evidence demonstrates cannabis usage is going to increase, is a serious workplace and public safety concern.”
The Coalition points to a precedent-setting framework imposed in the Canadian nuclear industry. The Fitness for Duty Regulations include random alcohol and drug testing. It also points to Transportation Safety Board recommendations in a report on the Carson Air crash in 2017 and U.S. practices in the transportation sector that permit alcohol and drug testing.
“We recommend that Bill C-45 be amended to include a regulatory alcohol and drug testing framework to monitor and address employee fitness for duty in safety-sensitive industries (including pre-employment, post-incident, reasonable cause, random and return to work testing),” the coalition says.
Impairment: Research in the area is increasing
As employers seek legislation to help maintain workplace safety, the legalization of recreational cannabis is also prompting more research on the impact of cannabis in general.
A recent McGill University study commissioned by Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) finds young Canadians (18-24 years old) are more at risk of a vehicle crash for five hours after ingesting cannabis, observing a decrease in reaction time, decision accuracy, ability to stay in a line, vigilance, and ability to avoid obstacles.
“This new trial provides important Canadian evidence that cannabis can affect the skills needed to drive safely even five hours after consuming,” CAA Chief Strategy Office Jeff Walker writes on the CAA website. “The message is simple. If you consume, don’t drive. Find another way home or stay where you are.”
Studies like these further emphasize the need for workplace legislation that keeps people safe on the job, whether that’s driving a bus, flying a plane, conducting a train or working in complex manufacturing facilities such as a refinery.
[Caption: Derived from an image from Shell]
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