A new report released today by the Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare (AIHW), shows 17% percent of workers had a
binge-drinking episode at least once a month that placed them at
risk of harm, including injury or death, and 9% of workers had such
an episode at least weekly.
The report, Alcohol and Work - patterns of use, workplace
culture and safety, looks at previously unexamined aspects of
the 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey and highlights the
strong links between alcohol use and adverse workplace events, such
as absenteeism and attending work under the influence of
alcohol.
The report shows that nearly 7% of the workforce had attended
work while under the influence of alcohol at least once in a 12
month period.
Nearly 4% of the workforce had at least one day off work in a
three month period because of alcohol use, with drinkers who
regularly consumed high levels of alcohol up to 19 times more
likely to have taken a day off work than workers who drank at low
risk levels.
The report found high levels of both regular and binge drinking
in particular industries and occupational groups.
Report author Dr Ken Pidd of the National Centre for Education
and Training on Addiction, said women in the paid workforce were
more likely then men to drink alcohol at levels that placed them at
risk of long-term harm to their health. And female managers and
supervisors were more likely to drink on a weekly basis than their
male counterparts.
'Hospitality industry workers were more likely than those in
other industries to regularly consume high levels of alcohol and
were more at risk for long-term harm to their health,' Dr Pidd
said.
High levels of workplace abuse or intimidation by persons
affected by alcohol were also found in certain occupations and
industries.
Nearly 14% of all reported incidents of 'being put in fear by a
person under the influence of alcohol' occurred in the workplace.
This was particularly true for workers employed in the health
services, for whom 42% of all such events occurred in the
workplace.
The report provides essential information for developing
relevant policies and interventions related to alcohol in the
workplace, and it identifies workforce development strategies to
address work-related alcohol problems.
28 June 2006
Further information: Dr Ken Pidd, National
Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, tel. 08 8201
7692.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the Alcohol and Work -
patterns of use, workplace culture and safety report.