Surveys show that substance abuse remains one of the most serious safety issues facing U.S. employers. Statistics tell us that: over 6 million active alcoholics are on the payrolls of American businesses; some 73% of all current illegal drug users aged 18 and older are employed; employees working under the influence are over 3 times more likely to have an accident than sober workers; and up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of industrial injuries can be linked to alcohol abuse. Substance abuse in the workplace is a critical issue because working under the influence affects just about every faculty an employee needs to work safely. In addition, According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, as much as 38 to 50% of all workers’ compensation claims are related to substance abuse, and substance abusers are 5 times more likely to file workers’ comp claims.
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W. Barry Nixon is the COO, PreemploymentDirectory.com the leading background screening information portal and online worldwide directory of professional background screening firms and Suppliers to the background screening industry. He co-authored the landmark book, Background Screening & Investigations: Managing Hiring Risk from the HR and Security Perspective. He also is the publisher of award winning newsletters, The Background Buzz and The Global Background Screener, and the author of the Background Checks column in PI Magazine.
In addition, Barry is a past recipient of the elite ‘Top 25 Influential People in Security’ by Security Magazine and past Co-Chair, International Committee for the National Association for Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). He currently serves as a Global Ambassador for NAPBS.
You can contact Barry at 1-949-770-5264 or online at wbnixon@preemploymentdirectory.com