The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has pushed back the deadline for comments on the draft of updated fitness for duty regulations that includes revisions related to testing for alcohol, cannabis and illicit drug use. The new deadline is May 30, 2020 due to concerns COVID-19 would impact stakeholders’ ability to respond.
Following the legalization of cannabis, the CNSC introduced new fitness for duty regulations that the Society believes are an unnecessary infringement on members’ Charter rights. More recently, the CNSC put out a draft update to those regulations that raise further concerns. Notably, the proposed testing would go beyond determining whether a person is able to perform in the moment and allow employers to know whether an employee had used particular substances in the past.
The Society believes the nuclear industry has adequate fitness for duty programs at present and that the proposed changes are unnecessary and invasive. The Society is working with the Power Workers’ Union and subject matter experts to prepare a detailed submission outlining its concerns.
Click here to read REGDOC 2.2.4 Fitness For Duty Volume II: Managing Alcohol and Drug Use.
