Workplaces and Substance Use: Safety-Sensitive Positions

Provides key context, data, and recommendations on improving the substance use health of employees for employers and other partners (e.g., unions, associations, health professionals) from industries with safety-sensitive positions, based on input from the focus group study with workers in safety-sensitive positions within these industries. This brief is part of the Workplaces and Substance Use series.

Three key points of interest you will find in the document:

• About 1 in 5 (19%) workers and managers in safety-sensitive positions thought that it was generally acceptable by their work culture to drink alcohol or use cannabis before or during work.
• About 1 in 5 (20%) workers and 2 in 5 managers (35%) in safety-sensitive positions reported consuming alcohol or other drugs within two hours before work, during work, or being hungover, intoxicated or feeling high while at work.
• Additionally, between 21% and 40% of workers and managers thought that substance use in general was an issue in their workplace.