Our country’s opioid crisis is no secret.

For the first time in U.S. history, a person is more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than from a car crash. What’s more, in 2017, an estimated 70,000 Americans died of a drug overdose, with nearly 70% of those deaths involving opioids. While these are startling statistics, the opioid epidemic isn’t just crippling the health and well-being of those who struggle with opioid use disorder and their families—it’s also impacting businesses in every industry, including those in construction.

The crisis has clear, defined effects on American workers. In 2017, 95% of the almost 50,000 Americans who fatally overdosed on opioids were of working age. When looking at the construction industry, there’s one of the highest injury rates compared to other industries, as opioids are often prescribed to treat the pain caused by those injuries. In fact, between 2010 and 2016, Ohio reported that construction workers were seven times more likely than other workers to die from an opioid overdose. But while the National Safety Council (NSC) reported that 75% of all employers say they’ve been directly impacted by opioid misuse, just 17% feel extremely well prepared to address it.

From impaired job performance to absenteeism and arrests, there are several negative side effects of opioid abuse that impact a construction service firm and its supervisors. With the humanitarian and HR aspects to the crisis, it begs the question: What are some proactive steps we can all take at work help curb this epidemic?

Consider legalities of workplace drug policies

Construction leaders should consult legal counsel and carefully consider the legalities of workplace drug policies when they suspect an employee is suffering from opioid abuse. From confronting employees who may have a prescription drug problem to implementing drug testing policies and understanding the state by state labor laws, there are several important legal issues to consider so that companies do not put themselves at risk for litigation.

Another reason to consider a workplace drug policy is the potential loss of revenue involved. Workers struggling with substance use disorders miss nearly 50% more work days than their peers, which equates to up to six weeks annually in lost productivity due to absenteeism. Additionally, in 2016, large employers paid $2.6 billion to treat opioid use disorder and overdoses, up eight-fold since 2004. The cost of the opioid epidemic topped $1 trillion from 2001 through 2017, and the sustained loss of labor productivity is projected to cost another $500 billion through 2020 unless substantial action is taken through policy.

Educate and promote medication collection

Opioid prescriptions—and access to them—are multiplying at an outstanding rate. While the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has collected and destroyed close to 12 million pounds of unwanted drugs since take back days began in 2010, there are still more than 240 million prescriptions being written for opioids each year—this is more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills.

Firms must actively help prevent opioid misuse and addiction in the workforce. This can be done by taking the following actions:

• developing a culture of health and wellbeing that reduces stigma, supports recovery and is embraced by the highest levels of leadership;
• Implementing opioid misuse policies and procedures includes educating workers about opioid risks and signs of misuse;
• working with in-house or outside counsel to develop guidelines for contractors who may need to take opioids;
• establishing a support program for those in recovery who plan to return to work; and
• educating workers on proper disposal of medications through options such as take back programs in their community or mail back programs employers can provide, so employees can safely dispose of unused or expired medicines.

Mail back programs offer employees a convenient and environmentally friendly way to dispose of unused and expired prescriptions through medication mail back envelopes. These pre-paid, pre-addressed envelopes remove medications from employees’ homes and prevent opportunities for prescription drug abuse. Employers provide the employees with the envelopes and employees take them home to gather up their unwanted medications, place the unwanted medications in the envelope and place them in the mail.

Learn the warning signs

From drowsiness to slurred speech or even sudden absences from work, there are several signs employers should be aware of when determining if an employee is abusing opioids. However, the NSC survey found that just 13% of employers claim to be very confident that their workers could identify signs of opioid misuse in a colleague. The same survey found that despite of all of this, only 24% said they offer employee training on this topic.

Consider hiring an expert to conduct a workshop or searching for employer “toolkits” to educate HR professionals and employees on the signs to look for when evaluating if a colleague appears to be misusing opioids. The National Safety Council created the Opioids at Work Employer Toolkit with content for HR professionals, safety professionals, executive leadership and employees, whose buy-in is essential to implementing any successful workplace policy.

The data-driven reality of what was once a hidden workplace issue presents new and complex challenges for all types of employers, including construction companies. Rather than waiting for legislation and administrative agencies to set the precedent, or worse yet having something tragic happen at your workplace, it’s time for businesses to act. Now, more than ever, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to take a common-sense approach to protecting our people, productivity and profits.