Dive brief:
- New York City agencies are taking proactive steps to address the alarming trend of overdose deaths among construction workersaccording to a statement from the New York City Department of Buildings.
- Health and Construction department personnel will visit construction sites to educate workers about substance abuse, the dangers of fentanyl, the proper use of naloxone for overdose prevention, and general workplace safety .
- At least 269 construction workers died of an overdose in 2020, by far the most of any occupation included in the analysis, the release said. The initiative aims to provide critical information directly to construction workers to improve their safety both on and off the job site.
Diving knowledge:
The decision to target the construction sector follows data showing that construction workers had the higher number of overdose deaths between different occupational groups.
This reflects national trends, as construction workers remain particularly susceptible to fatal overdoses, according to the US Centers for Disease Control. The construction industry’s 162.6 deaths per 100,000 workers were significantly higher than the 117.9 in food preparation and service occupations, which had the second highest rate, according to the CDC.
“We know that a construction site injury is sometimes just the first chapter in a tragedy, and together with our partners at the Department of Health, we are committed to promoting the safety of our fellow New Yorkers, both inside and outside the construction site.” said DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. “Through mandatory drug and alcohol awareness classes to qualify for site safety training cards and direct outreach to key workplaces, we’re letting the industry know that help is out there.”
The DOB requires all construction workers on New York City’s largest and most complex jobsites to complete at least 40 hours of site safety training courses provided by a DOB-approved training provider. The training also requires construction workers to take a two-hour drug and alcohol awareness class, in order to learn about the harms associated with chemical dependency and how it can negatively affect lives.
To date, a total of 335,244 people in the construction industry have taken the drug and alcohol awareness class as part of their mandatory safety training requirement. DOB will also be reaching out to contractors and city site safety professionals, asking construction companies to include drug and alcohol safety information during morning meetings.
