Join Tees IOSH Community for an in-person event on hidden addiction, workplace support, substance testing and safety risks.

This event explores hidden addictions in the workplace and how organisations can recognise and respond to them effectively.

Patrick Ball will share his personal journey to help educate workplaces about alcohol problems and substance abuse, including how people can cover up their addiction and hide it from family, friends and colleagues. The session will highlight the health and safety risks associated with addiction and the importance of recognising the signs early.

The event will also examine the role of employers in creating supportive environments that encourage early intervention, while balancing legal, ethical and safety responsibilities.

In addition, delegates will gain insight into substance testing methodologies used in the workplace, including proactive testing programmes for safety-critical workers and testing carried out following accidents and incidents. The session will cover the different testing methods available, their capabilities and limitations, and how they can be applied appropriately to support workplace safety, risk management and regulatory compliance.

The event will also explore how testing can form part of a broader preventative strategy, helping organisations identify concerns early, promote employee wellbeing, and strengthen policies and procedures that balance support, fairness and safety.

This is an in‑person event. Please only register if you are able to travel to the venue.

This is your opportunity to expand your knowledge and enhance your professional journey. The event will support development across a range of IOSH competencies, including:

technical competencies: incident investigation (technical) and vulnerable workers (technical)

core competencies: diversity and inclusion (core) and planning and implementation (core)

behavioural competencies: communicating effectively (behavioural) and empathy (behavioural)

The event is open to members, all levels of HSE professionals, human resource and people specialists, management and senior leadership teams.

If you have dietary, accessibility, or other requirements, please contact us at communities@iosh.com in advance.

This information will be shared with the venue that you are attending to help ensure staff are ready to assist if you need it.

As part of IOSH charitable objects, we offer this event free of charge. As we have limited spaces, we kindly ask that you inform us as soon as possible if you are no longer able to attend. This will allow us to offer your spot to someone on the waitlist. Please contact us at communities@iosh.com thank you for your consideration.

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Description supplied by the event organiser.