Definition - What does Impairment Awareness mean?
Impairment awareness is a dynamic system that aims to educate and train staff members about factors known to cause impairment on the job. Alcohol, cannabis, and opioids are examples of substances that can impair judgment. Mental and physical stress also play into the mix, leading to chronic fatigue and burnout. As a result, people may show decreased alertness and slowed motor responses, which can pose a liability.SureHire explains Impairment Awareness
An approach to impairment awareness is a multi-tier format between managers, supervisors, and employees. A top-down infrastructure will help breed a culture of health and safety maximized to curb the rate of accidents in the workplace. Survey reports give different factors to observe based on the causes, signs, and symptoms of impairment. These might include absenteeism, human error, and injuries beyond the norm. In turn, this often leads to higher workers' compensation claims. Impairment cases can be costly for employers fielded by objective data to help stem the tide. An in-house network of resources and tools pivots off an impairment awareness campaign with the know-how to stay ahead of the curve.
A good rapport between all players helps align a company and its workforce with core values that follow an impairment awareness model. The following list can serve as examples to consider:
1.) Reasonable Cause/Suspicion.
2.) Drug-free workplace.
3.) Fatigue Risk Management.
4.) Incident Reporting.
