INTRODUCTION
All operatives who hold PTS certification or are holders of Safety Critical Work posts should be aware that while working on Managed Infrastructure, additional legislation is applicable to them and their work. In particular the Transport and Works Act 1992 Part 2 Section 27 specifically notes the need for employees to be free from the effects of Alcohol and Drugs. The requirements of Network Rail Company Standards NR/L1/OHS/051 and TfL Standards S1257 & S1251 apply. Results of drug and alcohol testing shall be recorded on the Sentinel and/or Oracle database.
These standards were introduced to enforce the requirements contained within the Transport and Works Act 1992, but it should be noted that the limits of acceptance for alcohol are set at the lower levels of:-
• The person’s D&A certificate and Sentinel Card will be confiscated or cancelled;
• The circumstances will be reported to Network Rail, the BTP and the Sentinel Register;
• The person’s employment or contract will be immediately terminated.
POLICY
The Company fully appreciates the potential danger presented by the combination of the effects of drugs and/or alcohol and the hazards of railway operations. It actively supports compliance with NR/L1/OHS/051 and takes appropriate measures to detect the use of these substances by observation, unannounced testing and pre-employment screening. All persons offered employment by the Company will be required to take a screening test by a RISQS approved Screening Provider.
Certificates previously issued will NOT be accepted as evidence of compliance unless there is record of one having been issued within the previous 3 months. Any person suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be immediately suspended and removed from the work site pending a blood or urine test conducted by a Network Rail registered agency.
Unannounced random screening by Network Rail, Railway Safety or first line contractors may also take place at any time on-site. If the test proves positive, or if a person is found to be in possession of drugs or alcohol, the following actions will be taken:
• The person’s D&A certificate and Sentinel Card will be confiscated or cancelled;
• The circumstances will be reported to Network Rail, the BTP and the Sentinel Register;
• The person’s employment or contract will be immediately terminated.
Operatives may also be required to attend an unannounced D&A screening organised by the Company as part of their annual regime. They will be required to attend at a specified location with no notice. Testing will be carried out in a period anytime following the RISQS audit and at least one month before the next again RISQS audit provided the period is no longer that 12 months. A refusal to provide a specimen or to co-operate in reasonable enquiries will be considered as a positive result and the actions described abo Logical Personnel Solutions activities will also be carried out.
Operatives are required to inform their Supervisor and the Client’s Site Supervisor of any medical condition or medication that could affect their work. Candidates who are called to undertake a drug screen must declare if they are taking any over the counter medicines and their brands before the test. Operatives are strongly advised to inform their Doctor (GP) when being prescribed medicine that they are employed in railway work and are subject to random drug sampling.
For-cause screening will be carried out with no notice if there are reasonable grounds for someone to be suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs or if their behaviour prompts it or if there has been an incident or accident in the work area. If laboratory analysis reveals the presence of prohibited substances consistance with a therapeutic dosage of undeclared medication the donor will be interviewed to establish the reason for non-declaration. If the Medical Officer is satisfied a ‘negative’ result may be given. If not satisfied this will recorded as a No Result and the donor must be re-tested immediately and will not be allowed to work on Managed Infrastructure until a negative (pass) result is achieved. Network Rail also has a policy of unannounced screening for which no notice will be given.
Operatives are required to report any illness or condition that may develop during a working shift to the supervisor and/or COSS and if the safety standard of their work is likely to be affected withdraw from the work site.
