The National Safety Council just sent out an article about drugs in the work place. It states that for the first time in the last 10 years, the percentage of positive drug tests have increased. Scientists have reviewed over 8 million drug tests from urine, saliva, and hair. The results show an overall increase in identified drug use of 3.5% between 2012 & 2013.
Marijuana use has risen as well. Over 6% in the overall workforce. It’s even higher, over 20% in states that have legalized recreational marijuana use.
What does that mean for the safety professional? Most construction jobs have transient workers. These workers travel from state to state and job to job. Some of these workers might not be able to hold a regular job and have a background in drugs. In the workplace, drug testing is common. Even if a worker passes a drug screen, there is still a large percentage of workers that will find their way back to drugs.
With known drug use on the rise, we must be aware of the possibility of drug use by our employees. We also can not forget about supervisors and management. Keep a watchful eye on all of your workers and be viligant to maintain a drug free workplace.
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Published by Shawn S.
Shawn has been in the safety field since 2005. After his 10 year career as a Steelworker First Class Petty Officer in the United States Navy Seabees, he continued working in safety. He is currently a Safety Engineer with Syncom Space Services for the Synergy-Achieving Consolidated Operations and Maintenance (SACOM) contract at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, LA. The main manufacturing plant is one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world with 43 environmentally controlled acres under one roof.
His professional portfolio includes working with several well-known clients: Department of Homeland Security, US Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Navy (NAVFAC), BP, Huntsman Advanced Chemicals, Benteler Steel Tube, Voestalpine Steel, Valspar Paint Coatings, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co, Atkinson Construction, and Syncom Space Services.
His core training includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Safety & Health along with US Navy Safety Inspector School (NEC 6021), OSHA 500 Train the Trainer, MSHA Part 46 Surface Mining, and a vast amount of misc. training.
He is an advocate of training for all employees and supports a strong coaching environment that supports production while keeping occupational safety a top value. Enjoy the site!
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