Getting Sky High: Drugs on a construction job

The unfortunate truth is that drug abuse in the workplace is a fact. Illicit drug use among employees means:

• loss of productivity,
• absenteeism,
• theft of materials and equipment,
• health care expenses,
• workplace accidents,
• legal liabilities, and
• high workers’ compensation costs.

The Numbers

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., 70% of the close to 15 million drug users in the United States are employed. Estimates indicate that businesses lose over $80 billion per year due to drug abuse in the workplace.

Based on 2007 findings from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), 3 million full-time workers or 2.6% of the workforce, aged 18-64 years old, met the criteria for illicit drug abuse or addiction; with males twice as likely to meet the criteria.

The 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health summarized that among workers 18 years and older 8% of full-time employees use illicit drugs.

Statistics indicate that among major occupational categories, the food preparation and serving category showed the highest incidence of illicit drug abuse at 17%, with the construction and extraction-related occupations coming in a close second at 15.1%, while the arts, design, entertainment, sports and media group of occupations came in at 12.4%.

The same study concluded that based on major industries, the Accommodation and Food Services Industry showed the highest incidence of drug abuse among employees at 16.9% with the Construction Industry coming in second at 13.75%.

 Drug Abuse in the Construction Industry

The construction industry is a high hazard sector that comprises not only construction, but alteration and repair. Construction workers are exposed to hazards such as the construction fatal four:

• falls,
• struck by object,
• electrocution, and
• caught-in/between.

Illicit drug use in the construction industry is greater due to the nature of the work. Construction workers are exposed to harm not only from their own unsafe behavior but from the actions of co-workers. It is of the utmost importance for them to be able to bank on their competence, skill and fitness to work so they can do their job in a safe manner, thus protecting not only themselves, but their co-workers, as well.

Illicit drug use is a contributing factor in accidents in the workplace, as it reduces the efficiency of a worker; impairing his ability to work and think, which could very well pose risks not only to himself but to others. According to the US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),17% of fatal work injuries in 2013 involved the construction industry and 20.3% of worker fatalities in private industry were also in the construction industry.

Since 1988, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) has signified that construction workers ranked high in illicit drug use. The widespread use of illicit drug use among construction employees could very well be a contributing factor to the construction industry’s high fatal and non-fatal injury rate.

Drug Testing in the Construction Industry

Drug testing is not required under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, thus the majority of employers in the United States are not mandated to drug test their employees unless required by Federal regulations or by the state.

Is illicit drug testing important?

Drug abuse is a factor in 38% to 50% of workers’ compensation claims, 35% of absences in the workplace, 35% of non-fatal and fatal injuries and 40% of theft in the workplace.

A study done at Cornell University titled, An Evaluation of Drug Testing in the Workplace - A Study of the Construction Industry concluded that:

• There’s a 51% reduction in injuries within a two-year time frame for construction companies with drug testing.
• There’s an 11.41% reduction in workers’ compensation claims in construction companies with a drug testing program.
• Large companies are more likely to have drug testing programs.
• Smaller companies without any form of drug testing are more exposed to illicit drug use among employees.

Based on these findings, it makes sense to do drug testing in the workplace.

What kind of drug testing should construction company perform?

Saliva testing is the preferred method for making sure there are no drugs being done on the job site, as drug use will be immediately detectable in saliva (whereas it could take up to an hour to be detectable in urine). Post accident and reasonable suspicion testing is best done via saliva tests. These tests can also be done basically anywhere and eliminate the need for same-sex observers. They are also basically impossible to cheat.

Random drug testing still primarily consists of urine drug tests. Often, construction companies opt for multi-panel drug tests that test for a high number of drugs, sometimes more than a dozen. This is usually done by the companies in high risk areas to weed out people who abuse lesser known drugs.

Many construction companies have also started testing for synthetic marijuana and so-called bath salts and other synthetic drugs, as the popularity of those drugs increases. Some also test for alcohol for incidents that happen on the job site and some also test for nicotine for medical insurance purposes.

See the original posting here