As I wrote in this publication last summer, illicit drug use among construction workers is on an upward trend (see “Current Safety Trends in Construction,†ISHN Contractor Safety, July 2003). In recent studies by the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of Applied Statistics, workers reported that the construction trades ranking is among the top three abusing industries (along with retail trade and professional and related services).
When I was writing that article, MAPIC (Mechanical and Plumbing Industry Council) was in the midst of final negotiations on a substance abuse testing and treatment program for the union plumbing and pipefitting industry in the Greater Cleveland area. You’ll notice I used the word “industry,†because the program affects not only the labor force but management as well. What I learned through that negotiation process is that preparation, counseling and communication are necessary to establish a drug testing and treatment program.