Construction Safety & Drug Abuse 

• 77% of all illicit drug users are employed, and the construction industry is often identified as having the highest abuse rate

       United States Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA  2003 & Construction Risk Report 2005

• 20%-25% of construction workers have admitted to using illicit drug within the past year, with 15% admitting drug abuse within the past month.

           U.S. Department of Labor/Substance Abuse Information Database/SAID 2008

• 40% of construction fatalities involve substance abuse

            AON 2006

• 71% of union members are in favor of drug testing.

           Gallup Survey/Construction Risk Report 2005

AN EVALUATION OF DRUG TESTING IN THE WORKPLACE

A Study of the Construction Industry 

by Jonathan Gerber (condensed / edited)

In the last 15 years, drug testing in the workplace has gone from ground zero to

widespread universal employer acceptance. This growth is particularly evident

within the construction industry. High rates of drug- and alcohol-abuse in the

construction industry, coupled with the high-risk, safety-sensitive nature of the

industry.s jobs have prompted many companies to implement a variety of drug

prevention strategies . particularly when the safety of workers and the public

hang in the balance.

The present study uses meta-analytic techniques to investigate the efficacy of

workplace drug-testing programs in reducing injury incident rates and workers.

compensation experience-rating modification factors. Empirical analysis suggest

that companies that implement drug-testing programs experienced a 51%

reduction in company incident rates within two years of implementation from a

rate of 8.92 incidents per 200,000 work-hours to 4.36 incidents. The difference

was proven statistically significant when compared to injury incident rates for the

entire construction industry during the same time period. Empirical analysis of

an additional data set supports the finding that companies that drug test

experience a significant reduction in its workers. compensation experience-rating

modification factor.

This report presents the findings of an independent research project at Cornell University.s School of Industrial and Labor Relations directed at studying workplace drug-testing programs in the construction industry. The study, which was conducted in December 1999, had four primary objectives:

(1) to develop an understanding of the factors that influence and inhibit the implementation of workplace drug testing programs in the construction industry;

(2) to determine what impact drug testing has on company performance indicators as perceived by construction industry officials (i.e. owners, human resource managers, safety directors);

(3) to determine the empirical relationship between workplace drug-testing programs in the construction industry and company lost-time injury incident rates; and

(4) to examine the impact of workplace drug-testing programs on the workers. compensation experience-rating modification charged (or credited) to employers in the construction industry.

To meet the study.s objectives two primary research approaches were utilized. First, to explore factors affecting the implementation of workplace drug-testing programs and their effectiveness, an attitude questionnaire was administered to company officials in the construction industry (i.e. owners, human resource managers, safety

directors). Secondly, longitudinal and cross-section analysis were performed to assess the effectiveness of workplace drug-testing programs on reducing company injury incident rates and workers. compensation experiencerating modification factors (MODs). Injury incident rate data needed for the study were obtained from questionnaire responses. Workers. compensation experience-rating modification factors (MODs) were provided by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) for those companies located in states where the NCCI is the official rating bureau. Where possible, the NCCI provided MODs for the years 1995 through 2000.

The results reported are based on scientific analysis of data collected from 71 companies by a voluntary survey faxed to a randomly selected national sample of four hundred five (405) construction companies in December 1999.

The results from this analysis suggest that the effectiveness of drug testing in reducing experience-rating modification factors persists over time and is most effective in the first three years immediately following the implementation of a program.

Drug testing programs are certainly are effective in keeping MODs from rising further, as occurred with companies that do not drug test.

FINDINGS

• Drug testing is notably effective in reducing workers. compensation experience-rating modification factors.

• Over a five-year period from 1995 to 2000, the average company that implemented drug testing between 1994 and 1996 experienced an 11.41 percent reduction in its workers. compensation experience-rating modification factor from a MOD of 0.973 to a MOD of 0.862. This difference was found to be statistically significant.

• Drug testing is most effective in reducing workers. compensation experience-rating modification factors in the first three years following implementation.

• The average company that drug tests in the study sample reduced its injury incident rate 51 percent within two years.

• More than 72 percent of respondents with a drug-testing program in place believe that the benefits of drug testing outweigh the costs.  Only 11% felt otherwise.

• Company officials generally believed that their drug-testing program had a positive impact on all organizational indicators.According to respondents, drug-testing programs made the most positive impact on the overall safety of the work environment, quality of job applicants, and reducing workers. compensation costs.

Employers not only have a right to strive to maintain a workplace free from drug abuse, they have a responsibility to implement a fair, consistent, and equitable drug-abuse prevention program with due consideration of the rights, responsibilities, and interests of all concerned parties.

It is important to understand, however, businesses must not conceive of drug testing as a substitute for effective drug education and rehabilitation. Nor does it constitute as a complete safety and health program when implemented alone.

All drug testing must be conducted as part of a comprehensive drug-prevention program aimed at preventing and managing substance abuse in the workplace. This includes:

(1) acting in accordance with a written corporate policy,

(2) performing confirmatory tests using CG/MS or LC/MS/MS to help assure accuracy before acting upon a positive drug screen,

(3) assuring chain-of-custody and proper documentation for test samples,

(4) maintaining the confidentiality of test results as reasonably and appropriately as feasible, and

(5) utilizing scientifically acceptable confirmatory testing laboratory protocols and procedures to assure accuracy and fairness.

NOTE: Specimen collection must be observed.