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CIOB says the template was produced by members of its Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisory Panel with support from K2 Occupational Health. Employers can download it through CIOB’s website and should adapt it to their workforce, sites, contracts and applicable law before issuing it.
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What CIOB has published
CIOB’s announcement describes a free digital policy template for construction companies, particularly useful for small and medium-sized employers that may not have specialist occupational-health or HR resources. The institute says it received feedback from SME leaders who felt “ill-equipped to manage the risks associated with drugs and alcohol impairment at work.”
The template was created by members of CIOB’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisory Panel, with support from K2 Occupational Health. CIOB presents it as a way to help companies set expectations, assess risks, carry out appropriate checks, respond when problems arise and support people who may be struggling with addiction.
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The full file is not reproduced in the announcement. That means employers should read the downloadable document itself rather than assume it contains a particular test, consent form, disciplinary process or legal wording.
The announcement and download information are available in CIOB’s release, “CIOB publishes free drugs and alcohol policy template”, updated 6 October 2026.
What the template is intended to cover
CIOB identifies four main areas. The release confirms the subject matter, but not the exact clauses or procedures in the file.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| Area described by CIOB | What an employer should check in the downloaded template | Why it matters on a construction project |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions of alcohol and drugs | How the policy defines alcohol, controlled drugs, prescribed medicines, over-the-counter medicines and impairment; whether “use,” “possession,” “supply” and “being under the influence” are distinguished. | Workers may be affected by legal medication, residual effects, illicit substances or alcohol consumed away from work. Clear definitions reduce arguments about what the policy is addressing. |
| Expectations for employees and managers | Responsibilities for reporting fitness for work, declaring medication where relevant, supervising work, escalating concerns and keeping records. | Construction work often involves plant, vehicles, lifting operations, work at height and changing sites. Managers need a consistent response when a safety concern appears. |
| Management of testing | When testing may be considered, who authorises it, how consent is obtained, how samples and results are handled, and what happens after an initial or disputed result. | Testing can affect privacy, employment relations and data protection. A policy should not promise a process the company cannot operate reliably. |
| Consequences for non-compliance | How suspected breaches are investigated, how immediate safety is protected, how disciplinary decisions are made and where support or rehabilitation fits. | Workers need to know the consequences of unsafe conduct, while employers need a fair process that does not punish someone before facts are established. |
These headings are a useful checklist, not a statement that every item is legally mandatory in the same form. The appropriate wording depends on the employer’s activities, workforce, contracts and jurisdiction.
Why construction employers are paying attention
Impairment can create immediate hazards when a person operates machinery, drives, works at height, enters an excavation or makes a safety-critical decision. It can also affect attendance, concentration, reaction time and the ability of a team to coordinate work. A written policy gives supervisors a route to act before a concern becomes an incident.
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CIOB reports that a 2016 Considerate Constructors Scheme survey found one third of workers had seen colleagues under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work. This is a survey finding about what workers said they had seen; it is not a measure of how many workers use substances, nor does it count accidents caused by drugs or alcohol.
CIOB also cites an estimate from the Institute of Alcohol Studies and other organisations that alcohol-related productivity losses in the UK cost roughly £7 billion a year, including absence and underperformance. That is a UK-wide estimate, reported for 2020, rather than a construction-only calculation.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBen Powell, chair of CIOB’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisory Panel, referred in the 2026 release to a 28% rise in drug-driving offences between 2022 and 2025. The announcement does not identify the underlying data series, and the figure should not be treated as a workplace or construction statistic.
There is also an important evidence gap. CIOB says the scale of UK workplace accidents involving drugs or alcohol cannot currently be stated definitively because RIDDOR reporting does not require employers to disclose that involvement. CIOB is calling for reporting that would make the scale easier to understand. A company should therefore avoid presenting any single national number as a complete measure of the problem.
What the template can—and cannot—do
It can provide a starting framework
A ready-made structure can help a smaller contractor move from informal expectations to a documented policy. It can prompt discussion between directors, site managers, HR, occupational health and worker representatives. It can also make gaps visible: for example, a company may have a rule against attending work impaired but no agreed process for a supervisor who is worried about a worker’s immediate safety.
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It cannot guarantee compliance
CIOB’s announcement is a resource notice, not a detailed legal guide. It does not establish the rules that apply to workplace testing, consent, medical information, disciplinary action, dismissal, equality considerations, health and safety duties or data retention in every part of the UK. Adopting the template unchanged does not prove that an employer complies with every applicable requirement, and CIOB does not report measured reductions in incidents among companies using it.
It cannot replace professional review
Before launch, an employer should have the wording reviewed by an appropriately qualified HR or employment adviser and, where testing or medical information is involved, an occupational-health and data-protection specialist. The review should consider collective agreements, existing contracts, client requirements, agency labour, subcontractors and the locations in which the company operates.
How to put the template into practice
- Map the risk profile. List the activities in which impairment could cause serious harm: driving, plant operation, lifting, work at height, confined spaces, electrical work and safety-critical supervision. Record whether workers are employees, agency workers, subcontractors or visitors, and identify who has authority to stop work.
- Read the CIOB file in full. Check every definition, responsibility, testing reference and consequence against the company’s existing handbook and site rules. Do not assume that a heading in the announcement represents a specific clause in the downloadable document.
- Decide who owns each decision. Name the people who can remove someone from a safety-critical task, arrange medical help, contact occupational health, authorise a test, preserve confidentiality and start a formal investigation. Provide an out-of-hours route for projects that operate nights or weekends.
- Set a safe response to immediate concerns. The policy should tell supervisors what to do when someone appears impaired: protect the person and others from danger, stop or reassign safety-critical work, arrange a safe way home where appropriate, record observable facts and escalate promptly. It should not instruct a supervisor to diagnose addiction or confront a worker aggressively.
- Define testing boundaries. State the circumstances in which testing could be considered, who may request it, how consent and information notices are handled, what happens if a worker declines, and how an initial result is confirmed or challenged. Obtain specialist advice before committing to a process, because the release does not set out jurisdiction-specific testing rules.
- Build a fair investigation process. Separate immediate safety action from the final employment decision. Give the worker an opportunity to explain medication, illness, a disputed result or other relevant circumstances. Keep records factual, limit access to those who need it and apply the same process consistently.
- Add support and signposting. Tell workers how to seek help voluntarily and how managers should respond to a disclosure. Support may involve occupational health, an employee assistance service, a GP or an addiction specialist. A supportive route does not remove the need to control an immediate safety risk.
- Consult and train. Explain the policy to employees, supervisors, agency providers and subcontractors before it takes effect. Use short site briefings, induction material and manager training based on realistic scenarios, such as suspected impairment before a plant shift or disclosure of prescribed medication.
- Review after implementation. Set a review date and monitor near misses, concerns raised, test administration, training completion and feedback. Change the policy when law, contracts, work methods or the substances presenting a risk change.
Making the policy workable for site managers
Construction policies fail when they are written for an office but applied on a noisy, dispersed site. The final version should be available in the formats workers actually use and should identify a named contact. A supervisor should be able to find the immediate-safety instruction quickly without searching through several pages of legal text.
Train managers to describe behaviour rather than make medical judgments. “You are unsteady and have nearly fallen twice” is an observable account; “you are intoxicated” is a conclusion that may be wrong. Managers should document time, place, witnesses, instructions given and the person’s response, while avoiding unnecessary details about a worker’s health.
Consider how the policy interacts with subcontractor and agency arrangements. The principal contractor may control site access, while another employer controls discipline and pay. Contracts and site rules should say who can remove a person from a task, who informs the worker’s employer and how information is shared lawfully.
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Prescribed medicines need careful treatment. Some medicines can affect alertness, but workers may be entitled to privacy and may fear discrimination if asked to disclose medical information. The policy should focus on fitness for specific work and obtain professional advice on what information is necessary, who may see it and how long it is retained.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Testing, privacy and fairness
CIOB says the template addresses how drugs and alcohol testing can be managed, but the release does not state which tests, detection windows, cut-off levels or laboratories it recommends. Employers should not add a testing regime merely because a template mentions testing. They need a defensible reason for testing, a reliable provider, clear consent and information arrangements, and a process for confirmation and review.
Testing is not the same as proving impairment at the moment of an incident. Some substances can remain detectable after their effects have ended, while a negative result does not establish that a person was fit for every task. Policy wording, manager training and professional interpretation should reflect that distinction.
Confidentiality should be designed before the first test or disclosure. Decide where results are stored, who receives them, how they are transmitted, when they are deleted and how a worker can challenge an inaccurate record. These are operational and legal questions that the short CIOB announcement does not answer.
Consistent treatment matters. Apply the same safety standard regardless of job title, employment status or seniority, while allowing a proportionate response to the facts. A policy that promises automatic dismissal may discourage early reporting and may conflict with the employer’s contractual or legal duties.
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Support should sit alongside enforcement
CIOB’s stated intent is not limited to punishment. Ben Powell said the policy is intended to help companies set clear expectations, carry out appropriate checks, act when problems arise and properly support anyone struggling with addiction. Matthew Hoddinott, director at built-environment and wellbeing consultants Olyi Ltd, described the initiative as combining clear expectations with compassionate and appropriate support to address underlying issues, reduce stigma and help prevent dangerous incidents.
Those are attributed views, not measured results from companies using the template. Employers should nevertheless decide what support they can genuinely provide before promising it. A policy can include confidential self-referral, occupational-health assessment, a return-to-work plan, temporary changes to duties and signposting to external services. It should also state what happens when a person cannot safely perform the role or declines a reasonable safety instruction.
Managers need boundaries: they can listen, record concerns and refer, but they should not attempt counselling or investigate a medical diagnosis. Training should explain how to respond to a disclosure without making promises about secrecy that the employer cannot keep.
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Use the CIOB webinar as implementation guidance
CIOB’s announcement identifies a webinar featuring Ian Blake from Drinkaware and CIOB panel members Ben Powell and Charlie Folger. The webinar is presented as practical implementation guidance. Employers can use it alongside the template to discuss how expectations, checks, consequences and support might work on their own sites.
Because the announcement does not provide the webinar’s full content, treat it as supplementary guidance rather than as a substitute for reviewing the policy, checking current law or obtaining professional advice.
Questions to answer before issuing the policy
- Which tasks on each site are safety-critical, and who can stop them immediately?
- Does the policy cover employees, agency workers, subcontractors and visitors in a way that matches the company’s contracts?
- Are alcohol, illicit drugs, prescribed medicines, possession, supply, use and impairment defined clearly enough for managers and workers?
- Can the company actually operate the proposed testing, confirmation, record-keeping and review process?
- Who sees medical or test information, where is it stored and when is it deleted?
- What support can the employer provide, and what happens when support is declined or a person remains unsafe to work?
- Has an HR, employment, occupational-health or data-protection adviser reviewed the final wording for the jurisdictions in which the company operates?
- How will the policy be explained, translated or made accessible to the workforce?
- What evidence will be reviewed at the next policy date to see whether the process is being followed?
Bottom line for construction companies
CIOB’s free template gives construction employers a credible starting point for a drugs and alcohol policy, especially where SME leaders have been unsure how to address impairment risks. Its stated coverage—definitions, employee and manager expectations, testing arrangements and consequences—matches the main decisions a site policy must address.
Download it, compare it with your existing rules, adapt it to your operations and have the final version reviewed by the right specialists. Use clear safety controls and fair procedures, and pair enforcement with realistic support. The template is a practical resource, not proof of legal compliance or a guarantee that incidents will be prevented.
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