[Work and alcohol abuse: the issues].
Law n. 125 "Framework law regarding alcohol and alcohol related problems" came into force in Italy in 2001. According to WHO, approximately 10-30% of work accidents would be alcohol related. Alcoholic beverages at workplace may produce an even remarkable increase of direct risks, because of psychophysical alteration and indirect risks produced by added effect of alcoholic beverages with industrial toxic substances. Even with low alcohol rates, the reaction time becomes longer, error frequency in response to visual or hearing stimulations is higher and hence the risk of accidents becomes sensible. Besides, alcohol-related working performance problems may be caused not only by drinking at work but also by drinking a lot of alcoholic beverages outside working time. In particular, art.15 of L 125/01 in compliance with alcohol use at workplace, forbids consumption or administration of alcoholic and superalcoholic beverages during activities at high risk for safety. In this context, the norm provides power-duty to make alcoholmetric concentration checks only to company physician and prevention and safety occupational health service of national health units.
Persechino
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ISPESL, Dipartimento di Medicina del Lavoro, Monteporzio Catone, RM.
Iavicoli
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D000437:Alcoholism; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*