CASUAL WORKERS TEST HIGHER FOR DRUGS

About 18 per cent of prospective casual workers at Port Nelson have tested
positive for illegal drugs since mandatory testing was introduced in
November last year, the port company says.

The results are comparable with two other regional employers, New Zealand
King Salmon and Weyerhaeuser New Zealand, which have reported positive
testing rates from about 10 per cent to more than 20 per cent.

Environmental Science and Research (ESR) said Nelson's positive test rate
was higher than other South Island areas.

But the percentage of people testing positive at the three companies has
declined since testing was introduced.

Port Nelson's testing applies to all new appointments within the company,
including internal transfers.

Higher numbers of positive tests have been found only among casual workers.
Thirteen out of 72 casual staff who have applied since November have tested
positive. Only one out of 41 permanent employees has tested positive since
testing for them was introduced in September 2001.

Workers employed by the company before the introduction of testing have not
been screened. Port Nelson chief executive Jim Williamson said drug and
alcohol testing was introduced because much of the company's work involved
heavy equipment and machinery.

Weyerhaeuser New Zealand harvest operations manager Ian Reade said all of
the company's more than 500 employees were subject to pre-employment,
reasonable cause, post-incident and random drug and alcohol testing.

When testing was introduced, between 20 and 30 per cent of workers were
testing positive. But over the last six months there had been only a 10 per
cent positive rate.

A positive test did not necessarily mean automatic dismissal. Instead
workers were offered a programme of rehabilitation, education and counselling.

New Zealand King Salmon Company chief executive Paul Steere said all new
employees had undergone drug testing since April 2001.

There was about a 15 per cent positive testing rate when it was introduced,
but this had dropped to about 6 per cent.

Sealord spokeswoman Merrill Coke said the company introduced pre-employment
testing in 1997 in response to concerns by fishers "about the potential
effects of drug-taking at sea".

There had been a "significant decrease" in positive testing over the years.

ESR workplace drug testing programme manager Shelli Turner said the number
of positive tests recorded in Nelson was higher than other parts of the
South Island.

This might be explained by Nelson's favourable cannabis-growing climate and
the culture of the area.

- - NZPA