One More for the Road: Alcohol and the Workplace at Christmas

Rochdale & Oldham Groundwork Trust

With the festive season fast approaching Rochdale & Oldham Groundwork Trust has alerted local businesses to the hidden danger of the 'morning after effect', that is, the dangers of alcohol still being in the bloodstream the day after consumption.

Darren Amos of Groundwork says: "At staff Christmas parties people will make the most of the opportunity to relax and have a few drinks. What is often not considered is the effect of alcohol the following day, and the repercussions of employees still having alcohol in their systems whilst operating machinery or driving."

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is how much alcohol you have in your blood. This is described in milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, and depends on how much you have drunk, how fast it was consumed, and your size and gender. Most people will process one unit of alcohol per hour out of their blood. For example, a male employee drinking 8 pints (the equivalent of 16 units) will in theory take 16 hours to reduce his BAC to safe levels for working with machinery.

According to new research by the Chartered Management Institute, most organisations have no policies in place regarding alcohol or drugs. This corresponds with a £3.5bn estimated annual cost to UK industry, and yet many managers are still not equipped to deal with this issue in the workplace.

It is suggested that any work parties are arranged so the next day isn’t a working day. Where this isn’t possible, it is important to consider keeping employees away from machinery for the morning, perhaps offering a training session instead.

For more information about dealing with alcohol related workplace health and safety issues businesses should contact Groundwork on 0161 624 1444.