The new template Drugs and Alcohol Policy is designed to be used across the whole supply chain and has been endorsed by the Construction Leadership Council.

The trade bodies have drawn-up the new guidance following calls for a consistent framework for drug and alcohol testing across the industry.

It is designed for all construction companies to adopt into their own policies and provides rules for employees regarding the use of drugs and alcohol.

Consuming alcohol while at work or on company premises is banned.

The template adds: “Employees who are considered to be on Company business, but not on call, may consume alcohol as part of corporate hospitality or official corporate functions, provided it has been approved.

“Employees should be aware of their own limits and not drink to excess. Any employee considered excessively intoxicated and/or acting inappropriately may be asked to leave a function and/or subject to disciplinary action.”

Workers who have been drinking the night before at an industry event “must ensure they are safely within the legal limits” before resuming their role the following day.

The legal limit as set out in the template is the English driving limit of 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The move could put Build UK on a collision course with industry awards which often sell more expensive tables based on the volume of alcohol provided.

One current industry awards night is selling a table for ten people costing £6,900 including four bottles of champagne, seven bottles of wine, port and a bucket of 20 beers.

One construction director said: “This could spell the end for awards in their current format.

“Booze is pushed at you from the moment you arrive and a lot of awards go on way beyond midnight so loads of people would be over the legal driving limit the day after, plus the minefield on the night of potential problems caused by all that alcohol.

“Boozy awards nights are starting to look a bit out of their time and very expensive in the current climate so we are looking at other ways of team building with staff which are more inclusive and better value for money.”