drugs testing

[drpeterwardle]

I think this is a serious issue as well.

Peter Wardle

[troll]

Good morning Dr Wardle.I find this thread a little too much.On a site that claims to be one of the best archaeological resources available and, is an open public forum, claims that a majority of professional archaeologists use drugs at work is not clever and not even remotely funny.What individuals choose to do in their own time is one thing and I would defend their rights to the hilt-what on earth are we presenting to visitors(including children) to this site by allowing such sweeping and potentially damaging statements about the profession as a whole? I take offence when a subscriber deems it necessary to include me in their child-like outpourings.As it happens-said subscriber is not an archaeologist but someone using this forum to repeatedly advertise his business.

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[drpeterwardle]

Troll,

Can you email me off line drpeterwardle@yahoo.co.uk about this

The internal message system seems not to be working.

Peter

[troll]

Have just done so sir.

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[trowelfodder]

As the person who started this whole thread off, i have to agree with troll. The train of thought was started as a non specific way of questioning how the policy possibly implimented by the contractors of a specific unit affected its diggers.

It was never sugguested that there is any place onsite for drugs!

I have been digging for 4 years and have only come across one instance where drugs were consumed on site and i think some of the claims made by trowelhead are greatly exagerated and definatly give the wrong impression.

Sure lots of us are recreational drug users but that is in no way limitied to archaeology, and is not carried out on site.

[Emjem]

i got caught up in a situation where i was witness to my 'supervisor' smoking on a site...i pretty much left it bar telling one manager what i had seen....my point is not so much about drug taking but this....i then got told that i had the OPTION of making a formal complaint, i said no as the person i had observed was leaving soon anyway...a bit later i got told that i would HAVE to explain what i saw to upper management as they said they could be held culpable if they knew it was going on and nothing was rectified, ie if person asked for reference and nothing was mentioned yada yada yada.....A third person told me that the OPTION to tell was always mine and i should not have been co-erced into spilling the beans as it were....Did I have the choice? I really don't know, could someone help with this?[?]

[troll]

Trowelfodder-good day.It goes without saying that no-one could hold you responsible for the words of others and your opener on this thread was and is entirely relevent and an important one.Threads do have the habit of drifting and to a certain extent (as a moderator) I have to shoulder some of the responsibility for not keeping an eye out.It is however, up to Mr Hosty ultimately so I have not been tempted to edit anything until I hear from him.
Emjem-greetings. It is for senior management to shoulder ultimate responsibility for the behaviour of their staff-not ours.Whilst I am not versed in law of this nature, I would say that no-one can force an employee to make formal complaints about senior site staff.I also have to say that you did the right thing.Your safety comes first-the recreational desires of what should be-senior field staff with a duty of care to yourself and others-matters not a f**k.Good for you.

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[Emjem]

Thank you Troll[:I]

[BAJR Host]

OK peeps... as has been rightly pointed out to me... this is a serious issue which has been allowed to drift.

Lets get some things clear...

The use anything that impairs your ability on site is dangerous (not only for you but others) This can range from a pint at lunchtime to cannabis or even some cough medicines. If it impairs you... don't do it.


The debate about drug use is interesting in itself, but lets remember what the law says... if you use/supply/carry drugs of any form, then you are breaking the law. (as it stands in the UK)


The issue for this thread was the compulsorary testing for drugs and alchohol and if this was a breach of human rights... many people who would pass easily would still not agree to it as it is a dangerous precident.

So now we know where BAJR stands, and where this thread should go... can we get back on track?

thanks


Another day another WSI?

[troll]

A few thought on drug testing at work.....
1. If I`ve just sat at a bus stop next to someone smoking something, I am a passive intaker of their crap.Does drug testing have a discrimination system to account for this or do I have my career destroyed because my test goes positive?
2. My bodily fluids are my own-try forcing me and you lose a member of staff-or teeth whichever is the sooner
3. I would also want details of the analysis methodology, details of who, when and where the analysis is to take place
4. What other substances might be seen as "illegal" but are in fact-prescription medicines when viewed in a sample?
5. When do we as archaeologists have the right to sample some of the half-pissed Sun reading muppet builders/developers that consistantly put our lives at risk?
6. In view of the many occasions that I have had to deal with alcohol ridden curators/developers/consultants (post-lunchtime imbibing) who saunter onto site without PPE or a brain cell-what about breath testing for the many pi**-heads out there in suits who see themselves as above rules and regs?

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)