Discussion: Cannabis and Workplace Safety - HRES2303

This discussion post analyzes the safety implications of cannabis use in the workplace. It addresses potential risks like impaired judgment, accidents, and injuries, especially concerning heavy machinery. The post explores the balance between accommodating medical conditions and ensuring a safe work environment, as mandated by occupational health and safety legislation. It highlights workers' rights to a safe environment and the employer's obligations to provide it, including insurance and risk mitigation. The post references relevant legislation and the need for clear workplace policies regarding prescription medications like cannabis. The author also includes references to academic sources to support the arguments.

Running head: SAFETY AND HEALTH 1
Safety and health
Name
Institution

SAFETY AND HEALTH 2
Risks involved in taking marijuana at the workplace
The penalty for taking cannabis, a hallucinogenic drug, at the workplace can include up
to termination of a contract. Consideration can only be logical for medicinal purposes. The
concerns of an employee who do that are very valid. Most dangers revolving around taking such
a dangerous drug to revolve around safety and judgement issues. There is the possibility of job
accidents and injury from the heavy machinery that could lead to loss of life. Workplace
accidents and injuries are, therefore, a concern. In addition to that, impaired judgement of a lot of
things can also be dangerous. An alternated sense of time can reflect in the productivity of the
person and fellow employees (Schaufeli & Taris, 2014).
Occupational health and safety scenario
Occupational health and safety is a broad discipline involving specialization. In the
general sense, the workers feel insecure with the heavy machinery that exists in the company
relating to the mental complications that might come due to marijuana usage. They feel their
welfare is therefore threatened. The physical and psychological health of the sick worker is a
concern alongside the social welfare of other employees surrounding the worker during work
time is involved. Most importantly, is the prevention of workers from risks that might result in
adverse health conditions. The accidents that might occur from taking marijuana at work can
lead to an adverse health condition (Lundgren & McMakin, 2018).
The occupational safety law and rights
Workers have the right to be provided with social, mental and physical well-being by the
employer in the work-place environment. The sick patient has to be allowed to take marijuana at
the workplace if that, as prescribed, will help him achieve physical and mental well-being. The

SAFETY AND HEALTH 3
employees are also entitled to safe working environments provided by the employer and are
allowed to decline working if they feel the situation is unsafe. Other workers can, therefore,
refuse to work with their fellow if they think marijuana at work endangers their life (Holt &
Allen, 2015).
Obligations
The employer should provide a safe working environment for all the employees. The
employer should ensure that all employees are insured against any dangerous situation that may
lead to the loss of the employees’ life. The employer is also obligated to cancel any threats that is
hazardous to employee’s health.

SAFETY AND HEALTH 4
REFERENCES
Holt, A. S. J., & Allen, J. (2015). Principles of health and safety at work. Routledge.
Lundgren, R. E., & McMakin, A. H. (2018). Risk communication: A handbook for
communicating environmental, safety, and health risks. John Wiley & Sons.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Taris, T. W. (2014). A critical review of the Job Demands-Resources Model:
Implications for improving work and health. In Bridging occupational, organizational
and public health (pp. 43-68). Springer, Dordrecht.