Source: Botica Butler Raudon Partners
20 May 2024, Auckland, New Zealand – The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) has released its latest drug and substance training, the “Advanced Drug Awareness Training”. The programme replaces TDDA’s previous Management Training course, and now includes education on the use of and implications of medicinal cannabis, updated testing information, and new risk scenarios covering situations requiring decision making by managers and supervisors.
The Advanced Drug Awareness Training will help businesses stay compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA 2015) and manage workplace risks around the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol.
“We’ve been educating New Zealand and Australian businesses for almost two decades, but recent changes to New Zealand and Australian laws, cartel activity, the availability of highly addictive illicit drugs, and the emergence of powerful synthetic opioids meant our trainings required a real overhaul,” says Glenn Dobson, CEO, TDDA. “Supervisors and managers are having difficulty managing drug and alcohol issues in white and blue collar industries alike. Substance issues affect all industries. From education to manufacturing, decision makers need to be thinking about training.”
Identifying employees under the influence is challenging and fraught with legal pitfalls – especially now that the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme is in full operation. Even when the clues are obvious, many managers and supervisors lack the skills and confidence to deal with delicate and volatile situations that may arise.
The Advanced Drug Awareness Training is a 4-hour drug and alcohol management education programme. It has been designed to provide advanced drug and alcohol training for staff ranging from team members to people leaders. The interactive training is delivered by TDDA’s highly trained drug presenters and gives attendees the confidence and tools to empower them to successfully identify and deal with situations arising from drug and alcohol use and abuse in the workplace.
The session includes:
- Duties under the HSWA 2015 and how to actively manage your company’s drug and alcohol policy
- Drugs tested for, including prescription medicines and illicit substances
- Identifying risks and establishing reasonable grounds
- Understanding drug and alcohol testing in the workplace, when is it warranted and who participates
- New and emerging drug trends and data from TDDA’s reporting database, Imperans
Professional training and education are valuable for staff and supervisors alike. TDDA also offers other training including the Comprehensive Substance Identification Training, a scientifically backed Drugs of Abuse Recognition (DAR) programme. This is the highest level of drug and alcohol training and first of its kind to be delivered in Australasia. It also offers Employee Education, a 75-minute session directed at employees focusing on what to expect with drug and alcohol testing and drug risks and effects.
Training and education sessions such as the Advanced Drug Awareness Training, Employee Education, and Comprehensive Substance Identification Training ensure that every member of the workforce is equipped to maintain workplace safety.
By regularly reviewing and updating policies, conducting thorough screenings and providing staff with ongoing education, businesses can navigate the ever-changing workplace landscape with confidence, while prioritising the well-being of their employees.
