To acknowledge the Agricultural Society Inc. responsibility and duty for the wellbeing of its employees, members, associates, tenants, tenant patrons and other authorised users of Society property.

To provide practices at its property which reduce risks associated with alcohol and drug use.

To provide a venue free of discrimination, with clear guidelines which take into account the Society’s social and legal obligations.

1. Identify practices and tasks which pose a risk.
2. Prevent alcohol or drug misuse on the showground property.
3. Gain employee / member and tenants’ commitment to working together to achieve a safer and healthier showground.
4. Raise an awareness by employees / members / patrons / tenants and tenant members and patrons in need of help or advice in a confidential and sensitive manner without prejudice.

This policy applies to all employees / members / patrons / tenants and tenant patrons and any organisation or person authorised to use the property.

BAC – Blood Alcohol Concentration

0.05 - 0.05 grams of alcohol in every 100ml of blood. It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle with a BAC over 0.05.

0.00 BAC – zero grams of alcohol in the blood. All probationary drivers and certain truck drivers must have zero BAC.

Drugs (including prescription drugs) – any substance which may adversely affect a person’s judgement and ability to perform duties safety or in accordance with legal requirements.

Substance abuse – harmful or dangerous use of alcohol or other drugs.

Society premises – all property, land and buildings, owned and operated by the Society and all property, land and buildings owned and leased, rented or used by payment of a fee, owned or controlled by the Society.

Under common law and statute law it is the duty of the Agricultural Society to protect its employees, members, tenants, patrons and any authorised persons using the showground from damage or accident caused by anyone affected by alcohol or other drugs.

Alcohol, drugs and combinations of these substances can seriously impair a person’s motor skills. Some drugs remain active in the body for days. Alcohol consumed at night can still be detected in the drinker’s blood stream the next day.

There is no way of speeding up the elimination of alcohol from the body. A little is excreted in urine, sweat and breath but most (about 90%) is broken down by the liver. It is a slow process. It takes the liver about one hour to break down one standard drink, longer in some people. Nothing will sober a drinker up quickly.

There are many factors other than what a drinker consumed that affect the BAC level. They include:

• A person’s weight
• The state of a person’s liver
• Whether or not a person is a regular drinker

Women need to be especially careful. Given the same amount of alcohol, their BAC levels normally read higher than men’s.

1. All employees / members / tenants and tenant employees / contractors and staff and any authorised persons using the showground are to be below the legal BAC while performing their duty.
2. The Society will not allow alcohol to be provided to its patrons, by its tenants to their patrons, or by other persons, not so licensed or authorised.
3. Under no circumstances is an employee / Society member, tenant / tenant employee during paid working hours and meal breaks, to consume alcohol unless at an approved function and then only in moderation and in compliance with legal requirements. Employees and tenant employees and authorised showground users governed by certain legal requirements must not consume alcohol under any circumstances. Where alcohol is consumed, the Society encourages low-alcohol-content beverages and provision of non-alcoholic beverages.
4. The Society requires all employees, members, patrons, tenants, tenant employees, patrons and any person using the showground to take all possible care for their own safety and wellbeing and the safety and wellbeing of all others and to comply with the requirements of this policy.
5. The Society recognises that its awareness of any employee / member / tenant or tenant employee or authorised persons using the showground property having a drinking or drugs status / problem places it under a positive duty to take all reasonable precautions to remove the affected person from reasonably foreseeable accident situations while maintaining the highest degree of confidentiality.

Alcohol storage and consumption

1. Alcohol may be stored on Society property (properly controlled directly or indirectly including property of lessors or contractors or other authorised users).
2. The Society approves distribution of alcohol by employees or members it authorises, by tenants licensed to do so, or by other approved persons as it sees fit to duly authorise in accordance with legal requirements and this policy.
3. The Society emphasises at all times to tenant / tenant employees and other showground users that it is totally unacceptable and inappropriate for excessive amounts of alcohol to be made available or provided to consumers either as guests or paying consumers.
4. The Society does not condone the excessive use of any drug, prescribed or legal, and will not accept the use of illegal drugs or the excessive use of prescribed or legal drugs on its property, property leased by lessors or used by other authorised users.
5. Society employees, tenant employees, contractors or any other persons who are persons being paid to perform a duty on Society property or property controlled whether directly of indirectly (tenanted) must not be in any condition that is influenced by the consumption of alcohol or drugs, to the extent that their judgement or work performance is impaired.
6. Employees, contractors, tenants or tenant employees or any other persons so affected and engaged in performing paid duty on or within Society property will be asked to take sick leave or unpaid leave, or absent themselves for the remainder of the day.

Driving vehicles
Employees, Society members, tenants / tenant employees and other persons under direct control of the Society or lessors must not drive a motor vehicle unless they are below the relevant BAC or while they are under the influence or effect of an intoxicating liquor or drug, to the extent their ability to competently and safely drive a vehicle may be impaired. Society employees and tenant employees performing a paid duty under such circumstances should be provided with alternative method of transport.

Plant/Machinery
The Society requires plant and equipment on its property whether owned by the Society or tenants or tenant employees or other persons, such as plant or equipment powered by electricity, petrol, diesel, motors, which has potential for physical danger, be operated by persons with a 0.00 BAC and nil drug consumption.

Consumption
Patrons of the Society or its tenants, or any other persons on the showground property considered to have exceeded the relevant legal limit of alcohol consumption, should be rendered assistance by their colleagues or other persons responsible, with alternative transport.

Medication
Employees, contractors, members and any other person performing a task on showground property, including property controlled by tenants, and who believe prescribed medication may adversely affect their ability to perform duties safely, or in accordance with legal requirements, are required to advise the Society or their employer.

Accident or injury
Persons employed by the Society or lessors of Society property (tenants) who are involved in an accident while under the influence of alcohol/drugs or who have consumed alcohol/drugs while undertaking a duty as part of their employment or contract should be aware that Workcover benefits may be nullified.