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:: Thursday, July 10, 2008 ::

Jim Cabay: Tackling Drug And Alcohol Abuse In The Oilfields - By Mike Byfield, Nickle’s Daily Oil Bulletin
Jim Cabay joined Bonnyville Welding two years ago as its operations manager. The company, more than 30 years old, fabricates steel structures, pipe, tanks, and performs related oilfield tasks. Risk is inescapably present in such work. As his first line of defense against on-the-job intoxication or drug dependency, Cabay personally interviews and trains his field supervisors. 'The applicant has to be knowledgeable and safety conscious. If I don't feel comfortable enough to send my own kid to his jobsite, I won't send anyone else's kid either,' says the blunt-spoken manager.

In the field, each supervisor holds a morning meeting, informing his personnel of project changes that affect safety. For instance, an electrical grid could have been powered up or a pipeline might now be onstream. 'I tell my supervisors never to sit down during that meeting,' Cabay says. 'Keep moving around. Get within three feet of every individual. Sniff the guy's breath. See if anyone's eyes look unusually dilated or vacant.' If a worker does come under suspicion, he is removed from site for an indefinite period of time. Alternatively, a drug test will be taken promptly. In that case, the employee will not work for the three days required for processing the sample but will be paid for the time if his test proves negative.

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