Psychoactive substances at work: risks and prevention plan
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Which substances are involved?
INRS identifies alcohol, tobacco, psychotropic medications, and cannabis among the most commonly used substances by workers. Other products, such as cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, or new synthetic drugs, may also be encountered depending on the environment and situations.
The risk does not depend solely on the substance. It varies with the dose, frequency, combinations, health status, job position, and working conditions.
What effects on work and safety?
Decreased attention, slowed reactions, poor danger assessment, or risk-taking.
Handling errors, loss of balance, difficulty driving a vehicle or operating machinery.
Sleep disorders, anxiety, dependence, conflicts, isolation, or progressive health deterioration.
Delays, absenteeism, incidents, quality decline, or team disorganization.
Work can also promote certain consumptions
Addictive behaviors are not only a private matter. INRS reminds that certain professional conditions can encourage them: atypical hours, stress, difficult public contact, heavy lifting, thermal environments, culture of drinks or business meals.
The five pillars of a prevention plan
- Assess the risk: identify the positions, situations, and professional factors involved in the DUERP.
- Define rules: regulate alcohol, medications affecting alertness, risky behaviors, and, if necessary, the conditions for screening.
- Train: teach managers how to respond to behavioral issues without diagnosing or humiliating the person.
- Organize emergency response: plan who to alert, how to secure the workstation, and when to call emergency services.
- Support: involve the CSE, occupational health and prevention services, and specialized support resources.
What role for screening?
Screening can complement a prevention policy when it addresses a precisely identified risk. It should not become the company’s only tool nor be applied indiscriminately.
- Saliva tests generally detect recent use and provide a presumptive result.
- Urine tests can cover a longer window but are more intrusive and do not directly inform about fitness at work time.
- A positive result must be interpreted according to the instructions and protocol, with guarantees provided for the employee.
How to react to an employee showing behavioral issues?
Safety is the priority, without immediately trying to identify the substance. The person must be removed from a dangerous task, not allowed to drive away, emergency services consulted if their condition is concerning, and internal procedures applied.
Observations must remain factual: incoherent speech, difficulty standing, drowsiness, unusual agitation, or smell of alcohol. A manager must not make a medical diagnosis.
Support offered by AMA Prévention
AMA Prévention offers screening tests, awareness actions, and training for companies. Support can cover device selection, understanding its limits, and operational preparation for a prevention campaign.
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