CRICOS No. 00213J

Exploring ways to better manage substance abuse issues

Safety in the Resources Sector Conference, Brisbane, 27-29 Feb 2012

Professor Jeremy Davey

Origins• Historically by default we have created an

operational environment where the key AOD issue has been testing and not safety, behaviour and culture.

• The tail wagging the dog.• We risk loosing the point the point.

• Many people traditionally want to hear a paper about, testing, technology or the pros and cons of saliva VS urine testing etc .

• This is a good example of how the workplace alcohol and other drugs area has been politicised, commercialised, simplified and myopic.

• Testing has been the dominant issue and response to the AOD issue on site.

• The chemistry used in testing is highly scientific.

• However, overall the resource sector has used little science or research in trying to change workers behaviour in AOD.

• I am not saying testing is not appropriate. In fact it is essential and an important component of an overall strategy.

• However, it is not the long term answer to the problem. In fact it is only a start and an easily implemented strategy to a long term and ongoing problem.

• The industry has been focused on this short term approach for over 20 years and in many case has not moved from this “picking low hanging fruit “approach.

• By default many companies/strategies and policies have more often than not been driven by drug testing companies.

• Is a mine’s operational policy on water guided by pump sellers and manufactures?

• There has been a historical focus on the tools.

Knowledge Vs Myth “It seems like a good idea”

• One of the problems is that corporate officers responsible for the AOD workplace issue (while highly skilled professionals) generally have little professional knowledge of the complex AOD use area.

Changing AOD behaviour• Changing AOD behaviour in the

community is about culture change.• Changing AOD behaviour in the workplace

is about culture change. • Organisational commitment to culture

change (long term) VS organisation commitment to drug testing (tick off and move on).

• Hazardous drinking and other drug use occur in a social and behaviour context. Consequently strategies that target only individual users are likely to have limited impact.

A Prevention Framework

Larger legal and cultural environmentCommunity environment

Family and workplace environmentImmediate drinking environment

Individual factors

(A mine site covers all of the previous domains).

What can drink driving research can tell us

• Education and Enforcement has lead to cultural change.

• Behavioural change now sits in the cultural change mix.

• It is the cultural change that keeps the behaviour, norms and expectations in check.

• Enforcement (testing) is the deterrent. However long term behaviour/cultural change is the macro framework in which this occurs.

• Culture change is about engagement (meaningful).

• Contemporary approach has targeted the need for a “Conversation” about change, expectations and why.

• 4% of active drivers say they have DD in the last 12 months.

• Drivers who have been caught for speeding were more likely to have driven while over the BAC limit.

• 25% reoffended rate.

Site Risk Factors: Know your client

• Male dominated• High paid• Females in high paid, male

dominated• Shiftwork • Periods away from home• Rural regional• Isolation (geo,personal,family,social etc)

• Mines often operate in a broader community culture of high consumption

• Rural and regional areas can consume up to 30% more alcohol per person as compared to their city counterparts.

• What does this mean for the resource industries?

• AOD use will not go away.

Site Research• Comprehensive education and testing

approach in a large workforce (n=1000+).• After 12 months a reduction in self

reported (impaired) 16.5 % to 8.5 %....who were those people that reported a change in behaviour ?

• Education and testing both had impact.• What had the biggest impact ?

Workplace testing statistics VS what we should know

• What % of your workforce know exactly how much a standard drink is?

• What % of your workforce can correctly calculate their dissipation rate for various amounts of alcohol consumed?

• What % of your workforce and calculate their BAC given any amount of alcohol consumed of a period time followed by a period of nil consumption?

• What % of your workforce can calculate the dissipation rate for substances other than alcohol?

What do your +ve people look like ?

• % of those who have miscalculated their dissipation rate.

• % of those who have not calculated their dissipation rate.

• % of those who don’t know how to calculate their dissipation rate.

• % of those people who don’t care.

Developing and communicating appropriate policies

• The actual process of policy development is the foundation intervention into culture change.

• Too many organisations write and develop this policy in isolation.

• Policy development is about education of the rationale behind the actually policy.

• Experience has shown that those policies developed in a consultative process are easily implemented and supported more broadly by the workforce.

• The policy development process can easily revolve around “well we agree to disagree” and consequently the following AOD program and interventions (including testing) start on an adversarial base.

• Organisations are generally not willing to enter into an extended policy development process (project base philosophy).

Future• The resource industry prides itself with it’s

“can do approach”. It has a long and successful history of tackling some of the most difficult engineering, geological, logistical, transport. and commercial challenges in history. It has significant technical and financial resources and is not afraid of using these resources to solve problems. It routinely takes a long term view on operations, infrastructure and investment.

Future • industry shift to more of an informed

approach and move from “the quick fix”.• Research has shown that “a quick fix” and

“one size fits all” responses have limited outcomes in AOD interventions.

• Corporate officers need to be AOD “knowledged up”.

Future • Develop a focused on behaviour change,

analysis and maintenance.• Understand your audience and behaviour

(Use AOD research knowledge). • Implement a behaviour analysis strategy

(eg WHO AUDIT and brief intervention).• Develop a sustained cultural change

context.• Develop more appropriate forms of

message delivery (safety Vs testing)

A CHANGE THEORY

• Pre contemplation• Contemplation• Preparation• Action• Relapse• Maintenance

CRICOS No. 00213J

j.davey@qut.edu.au Exploring ways to better manage

substance abuse issuesSafety in the Resources Sector Conference, Brisbane, 27-29 Feb 2012

Professor Jeremy Davey