Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine (Sept. 2016)
As the federal government moves forward with pot legalization, the national safety association for the upstream oil and gas sector is demanding the continued prohibition of marijuana use among employees in the industry, citing the drug as a workplace hazard.
In a letter to the Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Secretariat dated August 29, 2016, Calgary-based Enform claims that alcohol and drugs have been “a pressing safety concern” for the organization over the past decade. An upstream petroleum worker’s use of drugs “has the potential to create unacceptable safety risks,” Enform president and chief executive officer Cameron MacGillivray writes in the letter, “Given the carry-over effects of drugs, including marijuana, these risks can occur regardless of whether use occurs at work or in close temporal proximity to when an employee will report to work.”
MacGillivray adds that pot legalization will have a negative effect on workplace safety in oil and gas and suggests that any new legislation on marijuana “must address the obligations of employers to maintain a safe work environment and the workplace safety risks associated with marijuana use and abuse.”
My opinion
Here we are in 2023 and things have really changed. Marijuana use is legal and, in the province of British Columbia, heavy drugs like cocaine and heroin are now legal.
I guess this Alberta claim is really outdated. It is funny how things change in 6 or 7 years.
HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.
Ensure your workplace is a safe place.
Remember – In Canada, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”
‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.
Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Advanced Level
CEO & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.
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