A drug treatment facility has a warning for employers about the dangers of permitting alcohol consumption on the job. The Florida-based Novus Medical Detox Center calls alcohol an on-the-job safety issue because it affects the body within minutes of hitting the bloodstream. Risks for employers include:

• Workplace injuries;
• Decreased productivity;
• Low coworker morale;
• Increase in insurance claims; and
• Negative image for the company.

Novus cites examples of alcohol-related workplace injuries, including a crossing guard who was relieved of his duties after being found legally drunk on the job. The guard initially said he’d had one drink, but when tested, he admitted to having had more than a few drinks, putting his life and the lives of others at risk.

In another case, a restaurant wine steward left work and subsequently crashed and killed another driver. It was revealed that the wine steward had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. A lawsuit brought by the victim’s family cost the restaurant $1 million.

According to Novus, the problem is that when consumed even moderately, alcohol shuts off the self-censoring part of the brain and inhibits a person’s ability to make sound decisions.

Novus offers residential alcohol and drug treatment programs.