They are not that expensive!!!

[tec0]

Every business has certain obligations to their staff and to the community. Our company is no different. We recently spent an entire weekend at a Rape Crisis Centre physically refurbishing it and then more. So personally I really don't give a damn what one or two people do say. Its not what people think or don't think that matters, it is what you actually do in the workplace and for the community that matters, nothing else !

Exactly right, you are free to do as you please. I am free to do as I please. It is always good to give your time and effort and sometimes invest in something you believe in. I personally fix old computers make them workable spend my own money on them. I know it be used for games and what not. But there will be people that really use it for education. That is good enough for me.

To be inspired to fight the good fight is the best way to brake the cycle. For someone it start with a refuge then an act of understanding and kindness. For someone else it can be a friend that shows they care.

My motivation “I do it because I can” hehehe why not?

[tec0]

Good enough for me too, frankly. I'm inclined to agree that just having the tool there means some people will use it. Probably quite a few even.

It certainly makes at least as much sense to me than this proposal to ban all alcohol advertising that's currently doing the rounds - probably more so.

Change who you can and understand that at the end of the day the "die-hards" are just that - they're going to need a sledgehammer blow to change their ways.

You can't help everyone but you can help someone and that someone will benefit from it and perhaps help someone else. Who knows but it is worth it I think.

[ians]

What always amazes me is that the cops setup road blocks 5 km away from the pub, there are armed response, tow truck drivers and many other ways to figue out routes to get home without getting caught if you have the right contacts. I can never understand why the booze busses are not setup outside the pub.

If you want to catch drunk people sit outside the restaurant or pub or night club and watch as people walk, stagger to the vehicle.

I did a project many years ago at Alusaf Hillside smelter in RB. Every morning I waited at the gate and greeted every single one of the staff as they walked through the gate, if I suspected that they had been drinking or had not sobered up from the night before, I directed them to the office and gave them the choice take the money and leave or go through a process to determine how sober they where, it worked like a charm.

I have a mate who does the same thing, still to this day, every morning he walks around the workshop and greets every single person, by doing this he can determine if they have been drinking or if they have problems. Both companies he has worked for, he has managed to improve productivity by at least 40 %.

Some of the bigger industrial sites it is mandatory to blow in a breathalyser when you get to work.

My opinion, if you need to carry a breathalyser around to determine how drunk you are, maybe you should consider giving up drinking.

[pmbguy]

Banning alcohol advertising is a very very good thing for the health and wellbeing of all. Sport sponsorship might suffer temporarily, some jobs might get lost, but the societal benefit will be in strong evidence especially if you look at long term outcomes, it worked for cigarettes so why not.

[tec0]

Banning alcohol advertising is a very very good thing for the health and wellbeing of all. Sport sponsorship might suffer temporarily, some jobs might get lost, but the societal benefit will be in strong evidence especially if you look at long term outcomes, it worked for cigarettes so why not.

If SA Breweries are clever they can still sponsor sports even on school level. All they have to do is take the beer out of the water and just sell the water with added goodness... It is not an energy drink just a good clean healthy drink that every child in South Africa can enjoy.

Same for the adult sports... SAB Water division! Same logo just a added word and there you go. You make millions selling the product keep people healthy happy AND you still get seen on public events. This time mom dad and children each holding a SAB product.

Think about it...

[adrianh]

Yes, I also think that they shouldn't show images of women because that leads to dancing which leads to lust which leads to sex which leads to STDs and HIV. But thinking about it, they shouldn't show men either because that leads to gay-ness which of course leads to floral shirts which leads to pantyhose which leads to men carrying handbags and driving little pink Mini's.

[Dave A]

Banning alcohol advertising is a very very good thing for the health and wellbeing of all. Sport sponsorship might suffer temporarily, some jobs might get lost, but the societal benefit will be in strong evidence especially if you look at long term outcomes, it worked for cigarettes so why not.

People still smoke. And we still have youngsters starting to smoke.

Stopping the advertising is no silver bullet. Not exactly useless either, but to my mind, the thing that has probably had the greatest effect in recent times when it comes to smoking has been the heightened awareness of the detrimental health effects and addictive properties of the product.

Yes, I also think that they shouldn't show images of women because that leads to dancing which leads to lust which leads to sex which leads to STDs and HIV. But thinking about it, they shouldn't show men either because that leads to gay-ness which of course leads to floral shirts which leads to pantyhose which leads to men carrying handbags and driving little pink Mini's.

[HR Solutions]

Yes, I also think that they shouldn't show images of women because that leads to dancing which leads to lust which leads to sex which leads to STDs and HIV. But thinking about it, they shouldn't show men either because that leads to gay-ness which of course leads to floral shirts which leads to pantyhose which leads to men carrying handbags and driving little pink Mini's.

Ek se ma niks

[CLIVE-TRIANGLE]

I know of three very large companies that have a zero tolerance policy, at least with regards to their operating plant.

Security have meters and do random testing as people arrive for work. Contractors’ staff especially are targeted. Any alcohol at all and you are barred from entrance.

I don’t know how this affects their own staff, but in the case of contractors it something like baseball; three strikes in three months and you are out! Not the person – the company!

This has been in place for quite some time and everybody lives with it. I have on a few occasions entertained the CEOs of contractors who watch the clock and at 21:00 they have their last drink. Usually they leave around midnight but not before they test themselves to check that they may drive, at least. Before they go to site the next day, they test themselves and if they show any alcohol whatsoever, they wait an hour and test again.

These guys all have different rules for their staff, but in all cases they “pull” the a guy from the team if he has been barred once and he is re-deployed, figuring that it is bound to happen again...

The whole issue is included in their employment contracts and naturally if a guy has been barred from a site, he has unwittingly incapacitated himself.

Personally, I have been known to consume vast quantities of wine most nights, so it would be a real problem for me. On the upside, if I have even a single drink when we go out, I don’t drive. Never ever. Fortunately my wife drives and never touches alcohol.

[tec0]

I know of three very large companies that have a zero tolerance policy, at least with regards to their operating plant.

Security have meters and do random testing as people arrive for work. Contractors’ staff especially are targeted. Any alcohol at all and you are barred from entrance.

I don’t know how this affects their own staff, but in the case of contractors it something like baseball; three strikes in three months and you are out! Not the person – the company!

This has been in place for quite some time and everybody lives with it. I have on a few occasions entertained the CEOs of contractors who watch the clock and at 21:00 they have their last drink. Usually they leave around midnight but not before they test themselves to check that they may drive, at least. Before they go to site the next day, they test themselves and if they show any alcohol whatsoever, they wait an hour and test again.

These guys all have different rules for their staff, but in all cases they “pull” the a guy from the team if he has been barred once and he is re-deployed, figuring that it is bound to happen again...

The whole issue is included in their employment contracts and naturally if a guy has been barred from a site, he has unwittingly incapacitated himself.

Personally, I have been known to consume vast quantities of wine most nights, so it would be a real problem for me. On the upside, if I have even a single drink when we go out, I don’t drive. Never ever. Fortunately my wife drives and never touches alcohol.

It is a far cry from the old days if you think about it. Remember the time where strip-clubs was basically mandatory in any negotiation alongside vast quantities of alcohol and strippers. Then there was always the question about bribing.

I have to say the mining industry cleaned house for the most part. Those corrupted people are all gone now. Now if you want to talk business it will happen in the office. .. Bribing is a thing of the past! The rules are stricter but well worth it as you get paid on time.

So yes I am all for the more “Formal” negotiation system as you don’t have to make promises that will sink your company you don’t have to give up your family life to be a business man. I am very thankful for the way businesses are run today.

I like it when it is good and fair and clean. Yes you don’t always get the contract but if the contractor that got it screwed up they actually phone you ask you to come in talk about how to fix and give you your chance!

It is awesome! And much thanks to whomever cleaned house! You did a stunning job!

[tec0]

I see you get places that can put your company logo on the breathalyzers. Cost is well within reason and the device is actually smaller then I would imagine. Very nice...

[adrianh]

So here is an idea, why don't you give away breathalyzers, condoms, clean needles, baby powder, bum cream and toilet paper to all your staff. Each one will get a monthly "mommy looks after her little baby package"

I mean, its not as if you employ adults who are able to think for themselves, who take responsibility for their own wellbeing, let alone the wellbeing of their co-workers and the public at large.

eish dude...putting a band aid on a symptom adds no value, to the contrary, it allows the disease to spread. Drinking too much is a symptom of a larger deeper problem, treat the core of the problem rather than a possible outcome.

It is like saying people could drive at 200kmh in town so we must give those people their own personal alarm so that they can be warned when the go over 60kmh....don't you think that it is absurd to give a person a gadget so that he is able to do what he is supposed to, which incidentally, responsible people are already capable of doing themselves.

You must spend a bit of time and look this term up on Google "Locus of control" this term explains our different views on who is responsible for our wellbeing.

[wynn]

I always say no to alcohol,
It just doesn't listen.

Dilbert

[tec0]

So here is an idea, why don't you give away breathalyzers, condoms, clean needles, baby powder, bum cream and toilet paper to all your staff. Each one will get a monthly "mommy looks after her little baby package"

I mean, its not as if you employ adults who are able to think for themselves, who take responsibility for their own wellbeing, let alone the wellbeing of their co-workers and the public at large.

eish dude...putting a band aid on a symptom adds no value, to the contrary, it allows the disease to spread. Drinking too much is a symptom of a larger deeper problem, treat the core of the problem rather than a possible outcome.

It is like saying people could drive at 200kmh in town so we must give those people their own personal alarm so that they can be warned when the go over 60kmh....don't you think that it is absurd to give a person a gadget so that he is able to do what he is supposed to, which incidentally, responsible people are already capable of doing themselves.

You must spend a bit of time and look this term up on Google "Locus of control" this term explains our different views on who is responsible for our wellbeing.

Despite popular believe I am not stupid.

The problem with alcohol starts in areas where there is no control over who can buy alcohol. They are unlicensed and very profitable so there is no real short term effective solution. Limiting the amount of alcohol that a single person can buy would be a start but I question the effectiveness.

Realistically the police can’t be everywhere and yes you get people that tip the police but it takes a few weeks and you will have new people replacing them because it is profitable. I really don’t like the idea but some say the only way to stop alcohol abuse is to stop it at its source but history showed that this is also a bad move.

Prohibition (law) a law forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages in the 1920s was ineffective also job scarcity as it is it would be a massive blow to our economy. Education fails because people want to get drunk they want to forget and become irresponsible. For them drinking is an escape.

So really is there a realistic effective solution to this problem? No there is not... Now does that mean you have to give-up?

You are right it might be a band aid.

You can’t force people to do anything but you can remind them that we are sharing the space. We don’t need a drunk dude on the road. An active approach may well be our only real solution and even that will take time.

[adrianh]

Dude, there is simply one thing that this country needs and that is discipline, it should be this simple, you get caught and you get your nuts ripped off. I bet that only 3 people will get caught and the $h1t will stop.

You need to learn that the best therapy for people who are to stupid to think for themselves is slap therapy.