Construction workers already had the largest number of deaths in the city of any industry and now they are most likely to die by a drug overdose than workers of any other occupation. This new reality, mainly driven by synthetic opioids such as fentanil, means that, in addition to focusing on typical occupational risks such as falls, heavy machinery and electrical risks, safety directors are considering that they respond to accidental opioid emergencies.
Construction can be a dangerous industry. The workers on the face disproportionately high rates of musculoskeletal injuries, which has been shown to be a predictor of long -term opioid use and opioid use disorder. In addition to that, the construction It is behind most other industries when it comes to paid leave, which can lead workers to push for pain.
“It’s a hard job, it’s physically demanding: they are doing things that the average person would never imagine that he had to do it,” said C. Michael Kinsella, Red -stamp endorsed carpentry, Construction Security Officer and co -founder and executive director of The new PPE, A non -profit that calls for greater access to the nasal Naloxona, a medication of reversal of the overdose of opioids that saves life in the places of construction. He says there are many reasons why workers can trust opioids, whether prescribed or illegal. “They take opioids so that they can continue to work, continue to provide their family and continue to contribute to our economy.”
Good news: Industry leaders are increasing to fight deaths in opioid poisoning. It has become more common in the United States and Canada to provide access to Naloxona in jobs and educate workers about the risks of opioid use.
“Our industry knows how to protect the health and safety of our labor force,” says John O’Hare, co-president of the Industry Security Fund and NYC construction (Security Fund) and CEO of the New York Building Contractorist Association. This year, the security fund introduced a new program that aims to place Narcan® Nasal Spray, the first Narcan® Narcan® Nasal Spray, and to provide workers, contractors and staff with a Kit that includes Narcan® Nasal Nasal Ruzal, along with training in the case of an opioid poisoning emergency. “We do not question the need for proper use of hardhats, harnesses and protection equipment; we should think about the availability of Naloxona in jobs in the same way.”
“Every minute matters when someone encounters a co -worker who has experienced opioid poisoning, especially with the rise of illegal Fentanil,” says Joe Papa, president and CEO of Emerging Biosolutions. The company produces a diverse portfolio of products that treat public health threats, including Nasal Esprai Narcan®Which can help to quickly reverse the effects of opioid poisoning until medical help, as well as wall units and transformation signaling designed for the workplace. “There are not many times you can say to someone:” If you have this, you can help save your life. “
In recent months, more entrepreneurs, unions and groups in the industry have taken actions to deal with the risks of opioid poisoning. Although this progress promises to defenders, stigma is still a barrier to the widespread adoption of security measures, and some security directors are still skeptical that access to Naloxona and training will affect when many fatalities related to opioids after hours occur.
“As soon as I started to take the safety more seriously at work, I started taking the safety more seriously at home,” says Kinsella. “I am not on the top of the scale when I change the light bulbs, I wear security glasses when I am in my workshop. We spend most of the time at work, we learn our behaviors.”
“We know that wider public awareness and increasing access to Narcan® Nasal Spray can help more people ready to respond to an accidental opioid emergency,” says Joe Papa. “That is why we are so focused on working with leaders from all over the industry to get nasal nasal Narcan® in the hands of those who need it.”
He works emerging with security leaders in the industries to implement Narcan® Nasal Spray and help support their larger opioid emergency preparation initiatives. Get more information on the risks of opioid poisoning in your workplace and how Narcan® Nasal Spray can help save lives to Narcan.com/workPlace.
