A "Humanistic" Approach to Workplace Substance Abuse

For more than 20 years, an innovative program for substance-related education, awareness, and intervention known as Operation RedBlock has been keeping impaired Amtrak workers off the job. Developed by unions and embraced by management, RedBlock is based on the idea that employees have the right to a drug- and alcohol-free work environment.

Program goals include:

• Promoting a substance-free workplace
• Preventing employees from reporting to work under the influence
• Saving lives and jobs in a humanistic way
• Reaching out to the community

The program was developed in the aftermath of a deadly rail accident in 1987 that killed 14 passengers and 2 employees. Members of a Conrail locomotive crew responsible for the accident tested positive for marijuana. The incident led to mandatory random drug testing for all employees in safety-sensitive jobs in industries regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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How the Program Works

An employee impaired due to the use of drugs or alcohol and unable to report for duty may call a toll-free number and ask to be marked off with an Operation RedBlock designation. The action carries no management retribution.

The employee is given an excused absence without pay and is contacted by a trained peer who takes a variety of possible actions. If a worker suspects a co-worker may be impaired, that individual is offered a ride home and peer intervention.

“Let’s say it’s ‘one of those days,'” says Bobby Bonds, one of the creators of the program, “and you’re going through a terrible divorce and you’ve gone to the local taproom to bury your sorrows. Rather than come in impaired, you call the confidential, 24/7 line and give your name, Social Security number, job assignment, and phone number.” The individual answering the line destroys the employee information after turning the caller over to a RedBlock coordinator who handles the intervention.

In most cases, a single incident is enough to change behavior, says Bonds. But if the individual is found to be suffering from a chronic condition, a different level of intervention, such as a union-based plan or EAP intervention, is recommended.

Bond characterizes the program’s success as “phenomenal.” Since Operation RedBlock was implemented nationally, Amtrak has experienced 41 line-of-duty deaths. None of those fatally injured was determined to have been using drugs or alcohol.

Research suggests the railroad has avoided $50 million in costs related to injuries, property damage, employee discipline, and retention. Bonds notes that there have been about eight Amtrak presidents since the program was introduced and all have enthusiastically embraced it.

The program has been adapted for use by the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Army, airlines, and other organizations.

“The therapeutic value of a peer relating to a peer is unprecedented,” says Bonds. “Really, it’s the most effective bang for the buck” in terms of intervention.

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Safety Training for All Occasions

If you’ve been looking for an awareness training component for your drug- and alcohol-free workplace program, look no farther. BLR’s Safety Meeting Repros has a fully prepared, ready-to-use session suitable for all employees in your organization.

You’ll also find in this single volume many other training sessions covering the broad range of employee safety and health training you need.

In all, Safety Meeting Repros offers 50 completely turnkey safety meeting modules, each responsive to a key OSHA regulation, with trainee materials in reproducible form. Just check off the outline items as you proceed through the meeting and you won’t miss a single point of importance. Then follow up with the fully prepared quiz (with instantly available answers) and illustrated handouts that also come with each lesson. You’ve completed a full training cycle, with little more work than running a copier, at a cost equivalent of under $6 a session.

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