BACKGROUND: Alcohol use is an ever-growing phenomenon in the population, consumption data indicate that 5-20% of the European working population have serious problems related to alcohol. The use of alcohol constitutes a risk to the health and safety of workers as well as to the safety of the general population. The present work aims to address the problem of alcohol intake in occupational settings by comparatively analyzing alcohol consumption behavior within the 27 countries of the European Union.

METHODS: The purpose of this research is to analyze the differences between the 27 countries of the European Union in the application of measures to assess and manage the risk of alcohol intake in occupational settings.

RESULTS: An examination of the legislation and guidelines of the different countries reveals profound differences in the management of the problem of alcohol in the workplace. The discrepancy is very wide that it ranges from the complete absence of legislative restrictions on a national level in some countries to highly restrictive measures with severe sanctions in others.

CONCLUSIONS: It would be appropriate-also for the purpose of ease of movement of workers within the European Community-to find shared management models useful for protecting the health and safety of workers and the general population.

3.1.13. Ireland
There is no legislation in Ireland that requires employers to test their employees for alcohol or drugs in the workplace. It remains the employer’s decision whether to test its employees and in most Irish companies it is not common practice. In fact, according to the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 2005 [54], there are no legally binding regulations that oblige employers to test for drugs and alcohol in the workplace. However, the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) has published voluntary guidelines on drug testing at work. In the case of an employee suspected of intoxication by alcohol or drugs, the employer must assess whether the employee poses a risk of danger to self or to others. It is not required by law to conduct tests, but in the case of danger, the advised action is to remove the employee from the workplace.