Council workers in Calderdale could be tested for drugs or alcohol.
The council is thought to be the first council in Yorkshire to bring in alcohol and drugs testing for its employees.
The council has amended its alcohol and drugs misuse policy so council workers who do safety critical jobs, such driving or operating machinery, will be randomly tested.
A refusal by an employee to consent to drugs and alcohol testing will be treated as a positive result and the employee will be referred for disciplinary action.
Cabinet members said this week they believed Calderdale Council is one of the first local authorities to bring in drug and alcohol testing for employees.
A council report says: “Recent cases where council employees have been suspected of being under the influence of drink and drugs have been difficult to progress because managers find it difficult to prove someone is in alcohol or affected by drugs at work.
“Smelling alcohol or drugs on someone, or identifying unusual behaviour is very subjective and not always a correct indicator.”
The council says testing costs for an initial breath alcohol test is £1.50 or £7.20 for a saliva drug test.
But there is a second stage of testing, which will cost between £350 and £450 per year via an independent company.
The council spokesman said: “Stage two tests are likely to be very rare and employees who get to this point will be facing gross misconduct and termination.”
The local government workers’ union Unison has supported the proposal, but has asked the council to set out clearly action it will take about continued employment where council workers fail such a test.
The union also wants consideration to be given to employees who take prescribed medication on a regular basis. And it has asked for employees to be allowed union representation in meetings relating to testing.
