How does drug and alcohol abuse affect workplace health and safety?

Drug and alcohol abuse can contribute to accidents and ill health at work. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there are no figures on how many workplace accidents involve alcohol, but alcohol affects judgement and physical coordination. The charity Alcohol Concern estimates that up to one third of serious accidents are drink-related. In safety-sensitive jobs, drinking even small quantities of alcohol will increase the risk of an accident.

Drug and alcohol abuse can also affect co-workers' morale and productivity and damage the public image of a company.