It鈥檚 been more than four months since possession of cannabis for recreational purposes was legalized in Canada, but there are still a lot of questions that remain for business owners regarding policies for cannabis use and impairment while on the job.
An information meeting was held at the 小蓝视频east College鈥檚 Estevan campus on Thursday regarding cannabis and other drugs in the workplace. Chad Secondiak, who is the vice-president of E.C.S. Safety Services Ltd., spoke to a crowd of about 50 people regarding some of the issues that the company has seen.
Energy Safety Canada Saskatchewan hosted the event in partnership with Whitecap Resources Inc.
Secondiak said he hopes people realize that impairment at the workplace, be it by drugs or alcohol, is not acceptable.
鈥淭hey do have the right to stop it, and they should train their supervisors in recognizing the signs and symptoms, so that they have the tools to be able to recognize and stand the people down,鈥� said Secondiak.
Every drug presents its own concerns, but the legalization of cannabis is generating a lot of discussion.
鈥淲e have to educate people that just because it is legal, does not mean it鈥檚 safe,鈥� said Secondiak. 鈥淚t does not mean it鈥檚 safe to drive on (cannabis), it does not mean it鈥檚 safe for people to work on.鈥�
He has been to Estevan five times alone since cannabis became legal last October, although he is quick to point out that Estevan is no different than other communities in Alberta and Manitoba. While the energy sector has made a lot of requests for his presentations, Secondiak said it鈥檚 a concern for all industries, including manufacturing and transportation.
鈥淓very industry has to understand that substance abuse can affect their workplace and it can affect the safety of their employees,鈥� said Secondiak.
The most common drugs that they wind up seeing, outside of cannabis, are cocaine, methamphetamines and opiates.
E.C.S. Safety wants companies to understand they have resources available. Energy Safety Canada has what he called an excellent guide, The Canadian Model, that can help businesses with their policies and procedures on dealing with substance abuse in the workplace.
Among the demonstrations that Secondiak made during his presentation was the ways that people will try to sneak in cannabis and other drugs. They will use soft drink and lemonade cans, or even water bottles.
鈥淭here are a lot of different products that are out there that are designed to either go and conceal or hide (drugs), so that people can bring the paraphernalia or the drugs that they want into the workplace, and use it when they want to,鈥� he said.
He believes it鈥檚 fascinating for people to see that, because it鈥檚 not something that every person would know about.
And he also showed ways that people might get around a drug test, such as a fake urine sample.
Secondiak also pointed out where people might purchase these items, and how employers can respond.
He predicted the normalization of cannabis will be a gradual process, and people will become more accustomed to the drug. That means usage will go up, but it also means the number of people arrested for driving while impaired by drug will also increase.
