Rank: Forum user 
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Hi everyone
My client would like to amend their H&S Policy that states 'Attending work whilst under the influence of alcohol is strictly forbidden.' To 'Having a beer on a Friday afternoon in the office is ok at the strict discretion of the MD'.
Has anyone come across this situation and can anyone help with advice please?
Thanks in advance
DHM
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I was asked once on producing a alcohol policy... "Is it still OK to have wine at board meetings?"
The obvious answer... am I invited?
I also had a job where we were required to occasionally drink at work! How awesome is that!
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Rank: New forum user 
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To be honest I think its a dangerous road to go down.
There's a time and a place and in my opinion work isn't the place to have a "cheeky" beer.
What's the limitation, 1 beer, 2 beers, a short? What if a persons on medication that they don't declare because everyone else is having a drink and they then have to drive home?
Do they have to operate machinery? is it one rule for staff and one for shop floor?
It can open a can of worms and problems and really should be discouraged.
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Rank: New forum user
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Rank: Super forum user
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See what your insurers say?
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Rank: New forum user
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That's a great leaflet for dealing with Alcohol related issues at work but doesn't include giving your employees alcohol in the first place :0)
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Rank: Super forum user
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Times have changed. In my much younger days, I worked at a chemical plant where it was common practice to go to the social club at lunchtime for a couple of bevvies, then back on the plant in the afternoon. Fast forward many years to more recent times, and as a consultant I advised a major client that they should stop serving alcoholic drinks in their bar/restaurant during the day, and this was primarily an office environment.
Then again, in my younger days we used to wash paint brushes in benzene and pipette potassium cyanide solution by mouth, so just because we used to do something doesn't make it right or safe.
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Rank: Super forum user
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biker1, ahh the good old days! I too used to go to the Social Club. It was a challenge to drink four pints in an hour but, with a big push, I managed it.
I recall going back to work and washing my hands with Arklone/Genklene. I wonder if that is why I now have dermatological issues?
The good old days maybe not so good!
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Rank: Forum user
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I agree with others that this is tricky. How about this for a pragmatic solution: let the current policy stand and the MD can take everyone to the pub round the corner on a Friday afternoon (with no return to work after, if machinery etc is involved).
Ian
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks everyone for some useful thoughts on this. I have taken the pragmatic route, the policy remains unchanged. I have advised that on an occasional Friday they all finish early and the MD takes them to the pub at 4.30pm. Apparently the business would require an 'on licence' for the supply (not just sale) of alcohol.
Have a great weekend everyone,
DHM
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Rank: Forum user
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Rank: Super forum user 
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It aint tricky for gods sake get a grip. Alcohol on the premises, in the pub at lunchtime or the night before work is an ABSOLUTE NO NO. I feel the blood in my veins boiling as I type this. God help me alcohol = [expletive deleted]ing accidents.
SCREAMS OUT LOUD
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Bigmac1 wrote:It aint tricky for gods sake get a grip. Alcohol on the premises, in the pub at lunchtime or the night before work is an ABSOLUTE NO NO. I feel the blood in my veins boiling as I type this. God help me alcohol = [expletive deleted]ing accidents.
SCREAMS OUT LOUD Depends on the job u do!
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Rank: Forum user
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I can never see the point in lunch time drinking. If i have a beer i want to get on it and not have to go back to work. I'd rather have none than just one or 2....just saying
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Rank: Super forum user 
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35+ years ago I used to work in the labs at Guinness at Park Royal
There were "free pumps" in the canteen so we had one with every meal.
I can't remember it ever being abused
Today, I'd agree any alcohol is not acceptable before or during the working day.
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Rank: Forum user
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Many many moons ago we used to got to the NAAFI on a Friday lunchtime, throw 4 pints down our necks and to go back work. It was stopped, not because of safety, but because one of the lads fell asleep at his desk 3 weeks on the trot!
I find it difficult to see a time when alcohol would be acceptable in the modern day workplace. Whilst most would probably not abuse it, all it takes is one and the potential consequences do not bear thinking about.
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Rank: Forum user
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I'm with Bigmac1. Alcohol consumption before or during working hours is a big no, NO!
Yes, we all did it years ago and some paid the price: drunk driving, alcoholism, falling asleep at work, rudeness/abuse to colleagues etc and some were on the receiving end of that behaviour. Very unpleasant for everyone.
In this day and age it is not acceptable. By all means go out AFTER work but not on the premises (what kind of a message does that send out) and not during working hours.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Invictus wrote:Bigmac1 wrote:It aint tricky for gods sake get a grip. Alcohol on the premises, in the pub at lunchtime or the night before work is an ABSOLUTE NO NO. I feel the blood in my veins boiling as I type this. God help me alcohol = [expletive deleted]ing accidents.
SCREAMS OUT LOUD Depends on the job u do! No it doesnt, not even bouncers are allowed to drink.
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Rank: Super forum user
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A friend on mine works in the labs of a well known park brewery in Glasgow. She has to taste each batch of the product as part of her job. Yes.... she is suppose to spit it out, but my point is that Invictus make a point, it does depend on the job.
Why would bouncers be allowed to drink?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Toe wrote:A friend on mine works in the labs of a well known park brewery in Glasgow. She has to taste each batch of the product as part of her job. Yes.... she is suppose to spit it out, but my point is that Invictus make a point, it does depend on the job.
Why would bouncers be allowed to drink? Your friend spitting is not drinking. Bouncers arnt allowed to drink but some do. Alcohol and drugs should not be allowed in any workplace full stop.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Bigmac1 wrote:Toe wrote:A friend on mine works in the labs of a well known park brewery in Glasgow. She has to taste each batch of the product as part of her job. Yes.... she is suppose to spit it out, but my point is that Invictus make a point, it does depend on the job.
Why would bouncers be allowed to drink? Your friend spitting is not drinking. Bouncers arnt allowed to drink but some do. Alcohol and drugs should not be allowed in any workplace full stop. But you are saying 'alcohol and drugs should not be allowed in any workplace' in which you are clearly wrong because the brewery is a workplace. BTW I work in the health and social care environments and there are drugs in every workplace premises we operate in.
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Rank: Super forum user
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quote=Bigmac1] Invictus wrote:Bigmac1 wrote:It aint tricky for gods sake get a grip. Alcohol on the premises, in the pub at lunchtime or the night before work is an ABSOLUTE NO NO. I feel the blood in my veins boiling as I type this. God help me alcohol = [expletive deleted]ing accidents.
SCREAMS OUT LOUD Depends on the job u do! No it doesnt, not even bouncers are allowed to drink. It does! if you go out the night before and turn up a bit worse for worse should we say and turn up at the office, it is not the same thing as getting behind the wheel of a truck, digger etc or working with machinery! Alchohol doesn't always equal accidents, accidents happen for a numnber of reasons in fact most accidents I have dealt with over the years were based around the lack of forsight or care.
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Rank: Super forum user
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The problem with many posters here is they don't consider the depth and breath of the H&S community posting here.
Invictus is correct, large numbers of the workforce are doing jobs that are in no way safety critical.
I can see, sat at my desk, folks who clearly have had a rough night but as they are only in charge of a keyboard and mouse nothing bad will happen.
However at the workface where safety critical tasks are underway we constantly monitor peoples mental performance and back up with drugs & alcohol testing were required.
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Rank: Super forum user
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The old days are gone & common sense must say that neither D nor A [unless medicallly needed & then appropriate management systems are needed] are not to be used during a working day [or before where the work could be effected] and even a spelling /grammar mistake undertaken by office staff who have had a drink at lunch can cost a company lots of dosh as has happened!?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Bob, take on board what you are saying but I wasn't saying it is or isn't acceptable, I was merely pointing out that drinking alcohol the night before effects people in different professions and like most things in safety throwing a blanket over everything is not the best approach.
Just my humble opinion!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Consider the salesperson in France at lunch with their target customer - unthinkable to refuse wine; also in Italy the grappa and coffee is obligatory.
Wholly agree that alcohol and much work is incompatible but there are occasions when both Invictus & Walker's posts are very valid.
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Rank: Super forum user
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David Bannister wrote:Consider the salesperson in France at lunch with their target customer - unthinkable to refuse wine; also in Italy the grappa and coffee is obligatory.
Wholly agree that alcohol and much work is incompatible but there are occasions when both Invictus & Walker's posts are very valid. Your not in France or Spain or Italy. Too much drink has consequences no matter your profession, people on here are supposed to be professionals and to hear an argument for allowing drink at work boils my [expletive deleted]. Try telling an HSE Inspector that alcohol is acceptable and then see if your compamy is on thier radar.
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Rank: Super forum user
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quote=Bigmac1] David Bannister wrote:Consider the salesperson in France at lunch with their target customer - unthinkable to refuse wine; also in Italy the grappa and coffee is obligatory.
Wholly agree that alcohol and much work is incompatible but there are occasions when both Invictus & Walker's posts are very valid. Your not in France or Spain or Italy. Too much drink has consequences no matter your profession, people on here are supposed to be professionals and to hear an argument for allowing drink at work boils my [expletive deleted]. Try telling an HSE Inspector that alcohol is acceptable and then see if your company is on their radar. Just to reassure everyone I am a professional, but I also have my own opinions, and I do believe that ther are occasions when it is acceptable. Please see below Having high blood pressure can also lead to accidents or your own death. I for one didn't say drinking in work time was acceptable I said having a drink the night before and arriving at work is different in different professions. If I drink I get the train to work and sit in my office, if I was a lorry driver,. Working machinery I might view this differently and go home earlier or go out earlier drink just as much and then go home early. It might make peoples blood boil but we have to face facts that different professions require different measures of control.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Bigmac1 wrote:David Bannister wrote:Consider the salesperson in France at lunch with their target customer - unthinkable to refuse wine; also in Italy the grappa and coffee is obligatory.
Wholly agree that alcohol and much work is incompatible but there are occasions when both Invictus & Walker's posts are very valid. Your not in France or Spain or Italy. Too much drink has consequences no matter your profession, people on here are supposed to be professionals and to hear an argument for allowing drink at work boils my [expletive deleted]. Try telling an HSE Inspector that alcohol is acceptable and then see if your compamy is on thier radar. We have an office in France, loads and loads of French people drink a bit of wine at Lunch times. Its quite normal and socially acceptable to do so wheter working or not. They dont all die or injure themselves because they have had a little tipple. People need to chill out a little bit :)
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Interestingly France has a road death rate about 80% higher than the UK and has an industrial fatality rate about 4 times higher. I know there's probably lots of reasons for this, but it would be a bold person who would say it's got nothing at all to do with a bit of wine at lunch-time...
John
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Bigmac1 wrote:It aint tricky for gods sake get a grip. Alcohol on the premises, in the pub at lunchtime or the night before work is an ABSOLUTE NO NO. I feel the blood in my veins boiling as I type this. God help me alcohol = [expletive deleted]ing accidents.
SCREAMS OUT LOUD Really Bigmac1? I agree about the alcohol on the premises and maybe in the pub at lunchtime - I'm not a great drinker but if I want a glass of wine or three in the evening of a school night then I will have them. I'm 50 years old and I don't get rolling drunk but to suggest a couple of glasses of vino is going to impair my judgment the next day is, frankly, ridiculous!
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Rank: Forum user
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Bigmac1 wrote:David Bannister wrote:Consider the salesperson in France at lunch with their target customer - unthinkable to refuse wine; also in Italy the grappa and coffee is obligatory.
Wholly agree that alcohol and much work is incompatible but there are occasions when both Invictus & Walker's posts are very valid. Your not in France or Spain or Italy. Too much drink has consequences no matter your profession, people on here are supposed to be professionals and to hear an argument for allowing drink at work boils my [expletive deleted]. Try telling an HSE Inspector that alcohol is acceptable and then see if your compamy is on thier radar. I think you are looking at this from the viewpoint of a traditional workplace, a construction site, a hospital or factory maybe where everyone has a safety critical role? This isn't where most people work, so whilst I agree drinking at work, or coming into work under the effect of booze in these workplaces is not to be accepted (and having a couple of beers the night before shouldn't do this), it is a world away from many people in the UK. There is an issue about drink driving and professionalism so in many organisations its easier just to ban drinking. For many though (leadership and management) booze is part of the landscape, work isn't at a 'site' or even 9-5, rightly or wrongly. Take someone who works in a close-knit office and uses public transport, there is little in the way of harm in the team going for a couple of beers on a Friday afternoon, although I'd always suggest finishing early and getting away from the workplace instead. It's easy (and sometimes right) to ban alcohol at work, but its not always as clear cut as you think it is.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I was against it earlier in the week, but I'm warming to the idea as the day /week progresses. Coffee is no longer enough. Alcohol or not, I think more than a few brain cells have given up the ghost today.
This would be a fantastic job if only we didn't have to deal with idiots.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Chris42 wrote:I was against it earlier in the week, but I'm warming to the idea as the day /week progresses. Coffee is no longer enough. Alcohol or not, I think more than a few brain cells have given up the ghost today.
This would be a fantastic job if only we didn't have to deal with idiots. Cheers Chris, You've just triggered the inspiration to come a with a new job title. from now on I will be known as a Cretin Shepherd
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Rank: Super forum user
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umm
Is it me or the other idiots need shepherding ?
I don't mind, just want clarification.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user
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All this talking about Friday drinking is making me very thirsty.
Beer 'o' clock is looming!
Simon
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Rank: Forum user
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Rank: Super forum user
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Rank: Super forum user
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havent heard that in ages.
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Rank: Super forum user
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This thread is enough to drive anyone to drink.
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