About this session
A colleague seems unusually drowsy before operating equipment. A driver is concerned about a new medicine. Someone asks for help with alcohol use. These situations need different responses, but each involves safety, dignity and clear responsibilities.
Participants examine how alcohol, other drugs, medication effects and lingering aftereffects can interact with demanding work.
They distinguish observable safety concerns from assumptions about substance use, recognizing that illness, fatigue and other conditions can produce similar changes. The immediate question is whether the work can continue safely, not whether a coworker can identify a diagnosis.
The session also covers private conversations, emergency escalation, support pathways and recovery at work. Longer programs develop practical improvements to reporting, supervisor response, scheduling and access to help.
Participants learn to maintain clear safety expectations while treating people respectfully and keeping medical decisions with appropriate professionals.
What your people take away
- Recognize how substance effects and task demands can combine to create safety risk
- Distinguish observable changes from assumptions about substance use or a diagnosis
- Respond promptly to unsafe work and recognize when emergency help is needed
- Use respectful conversations and factual reporting within the appropriate role
- Connect employees with support while protecting sensitive information
- Strengthen work design, response arrangements and recovery-supportive practices
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Understand Substance-Related Risk at WorkA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work: separate use, impairment and a health condition, connect effects with the task and account for aftereffects and combinations.
- Separate use, impairment and a health condition
- Connect effects with the task
- Account for aftereffects and combinations
Covers 3 of 4 points in Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Substance-Related Safety EssentialsA focused introduction to substance effects, medication awareness and observable safety concerns. Participants work through a pre-shift scenario, distinguish immediate danger from a support conversation and leave knowing how to raise a concern without guessing its cause.
- Substance use, impairment and diagnosis
- Safety-critical tasks and functional changes
- Alcohol, other drugs and medication effects
- Aftereffects and next-shift readiness
- Observation rather than assumption
- Unsafe work, medical emergencies and safe handover
- Private support and reporting routes
- Pre-Shift Safety Decision Exercise
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Recognize, Respond and Connect SupportThe extended session adds role-based response decisions, observation-based conversations, factual documentation and referral. Participants examine medication concerns, possible impairment and emergency warning signs, using the workplace's response arrangements without conducting testing or attempting clinical assessment.
- Substance effects and task demands
- Medication warnings and professional advice
- Nonspecific signs and possible medical causes
- Worker and supervisor response roles
- Pausing unsafe duties
- Emergency activation and overdose awareness
- Private conversation practice
- Objective documentation and limited information sharing
- Testing and fitness-for-work boundaries
- Safe transport and support handoff
- Observation-to-Action Scenario Review
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work and Recognize Concerns and Protect Immediate Safety.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work, Recognize Concerns and Protect Immediate Safety and Respond Respectfully and Connect With Support.
Full day
Full Day — Workplace Safety and Support WorkshopAn applied workshop covering all four modules. Participants compare response choices, review fictional incident notes, map confidential support and examine the work pressures that can undermine prevention. They leave with a role-specific response map and an improvement plan for review by the responsible workplace leads.
- Module 1 — Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work
- Module 2 — Recognize Concerns and Protect Immediate Safety
- Module 3 — Respond Respectfully and Connect With Support
- Module 4 — Strengthen Prevention and Sustainable Work
- Safety-Critical Task and Effect Map
- Medication and Next-Shift Scenario
- Observation Versus Assumption Exercise
- Immediate Risk and Emergency Decision Review
- Private Safety Conversation Practice
- Factual Incident Note Exercise
- Support Route and Safe Handover Map
- Work Pressure and Recovery Barrier Review
- 30-Day Safety and Support Action Plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work
Every length- Separate use, impairment and a health conditionSubstance use, current impairment and a substance use disorder are different questions.
- Connect effects with the taskAlcohol, cannabis, opioids, sedatives and other substances can affect functions needed for safe work, although their effects differ.
- Account for aftereffects and combinationsRisk can continue after the original use: hangovers, disrupted sleep and lingering medication effects may affect the next shift.
- Ask about medicines before safety-critical workSome prescription and over-the-counter medicines can cause drowsiness or affect coordination, even when used correctly.
Recognize Concerns and Protect Immediate Safety
90 minutes and longer- Observe the change without assuming the causeUnusual drowsiness, confused responses, poor coordination or unsafe actions can justify concern, but they do not prove substance use.
- Address the risk before investigatingParticipants distinguish a worker's duty to raise a safety concern from the designated supervisor's responsibility to manage the response.
- Recognize a medical emergencyUnresponsiveness, slow or abnormal breathing, seizures or collapse require immediate emergency help, whatever the suspected cause.
- Arrange a safe next stepAfter urgent medical needs are addressed, the designated responder follows the agreed process for supervision, handover and safe transport.
Respond Respectfully and Connect With Support
3 hours and longer- Open a private, factual conversationUsing fictional cases, participants compare an accusation with an observation-based opening.
- Document facts and limit sharingParticipants separate direct observations, reported information and assumptions in a worked incident note.
- Keep testing and fitness decisions in the right handsDrug testing, diagnosis and fitness for a specific task answer different questions.
- Make the route to help usableParticipants map employee assistance, occupational health, healthcare and specialist substance-use services, including how to access them and understand privacy limits.
Strengthen Prevention and Sustainable Work
Full day only- Address the work conditions that add riskInjury, ongoing pain, exhausting schedules and difficult working conditions can contribute to substance-related problems or make safe recovery harder.
- Make safety expectations and responsibilities clearEmployees need to know how to raise concerns, who responds, how unsafe duties are paused and where help is available.
- Support recovery while maintaining safe dutiesPeople can recover from substance use disorders and contribute successfully at work.
- Plan work events and follow throughWork events, travel and on-call arrangements deserve deliberate safety planning.
Tools and materials
- Safety-Critical Task and Effect Map
- Medication and Work Questions Guide
- Observation Versus Assumption Worksheet
- Immediate Safety and Emergency Decision Map
- Response Ownership and Safe Handover Planner
- Private Safety Conversation Guide
- Factual Observation and Action Note
- Support Route Map
- Work Conditions and Support Barrier Review
- Safety and Support Action Plan
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Substance Abuse and Workplace Safety
How long is Substance Abuse and Workplace Safety?
Substance Abuse and Workplace Safety runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work: separate use, impairment and a health condition, connect effects with the task and account for aftereffects and combinations. A 60-minute session covers Understand Substance-Related Risk at Work in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Recognize Concerns and Protect Immediate Safety. A 3-hour session adds Respond Respectfully and Connect With Support. A full-day session adds Strengthen Prevention and Sustainable Work. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Substance Abuse and Workplace Safety be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Substance Abuse and Workplace Safety?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Substance Abuse and Workplace Safety to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.