VICTORIAN BUILDERS TO UNDERGO DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING

Source: Safe to Work

By Margaret Tra

Victorian building employers will be able to force their workers to undergo compulsory drug and alcohol testing.

The ruling established by Fair Work Australia found that requiring drug and alcohol tests was a 'reasonable request from an employer, reported in the age.

'And compulsory drug and alcohol testing is, of itself, not so extraordinary that it could not be argued to be a reasonable employer instruction,' said Fair Work Australia.

This decision came after contractors Thiess and Wagstaff Piling were appealing an earlier verdict that found mandatory testing was not required, as this was not part of any workplace agreement.

The issue came to light after employers from the Victorian building industry made several complaints about drug and alcohol abuse, highlighting a cause for concern.

Master Builders Association of Victoria executive director Brian Welch told the age the decision will ''reverberate'' through the Victorian industry. '