Nearly all construction workers will have at least one work-related injury in their lifetime and have a greater risk of dying prematurely, concludes new research from the Center for Construction Research and Training, which is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.
Researchers conducted the study by using multiple years of data from national sources, including the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Over a 45-year career, a construction worker has a 75 percent likelihood of experiencing a disabling injury and a 1-in-200 chance of being fatally injured on the job, according to data presented Oct. 31 by CCRT researchers at the American Public Health Association’s 139th Annual Meeting.
An individual who begins construction work at 20 years old and survives until the age of 85 has a 15 percent chance of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and an 11 percent chance of developing dust-related parenchymal chest X-ray changes, the researchers concluded.
According to the National Safety Council, more than 70,000 construction workers are injured every year in the US with back injuries and hand injuries being the most common.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that construction workers are being prescribed a lot of opioids to treat the pain caused by these injuries.
Usually, workers receive compensation during the time that they are injured but it is often not enough to make up for lost pay. Therefore, many injured construction workers are using opioids to get back to work faster.
According to data, construction workers are 7 times more likely than any other workers to die from an overdose. Additionally, it is well known that long term use of opioids can lead to serious addiction and can be fatal. CDC Statistics indicate that 1 out of 4 people prescribed opioids to treat long term pain, developed an addiction. In 2016, 42,000 people died in the US from opioid overdose and more than half of them had previously sustained an injury at work.
Recently, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) published new resources to help fight this epidemic. Employers and Contractors can download a one-page hazard alert featuring advice for construction workers to fight opioid deaths. Construction workers who are injured should talk to their doctor about the risk of getting addicted and how to find help if they are already suffering from addiction. Doctors and construction workers should find out if other less addictive medications could help and also if other forms of pain management such as acupuncture or physical therapy might help as well.
Employers need to be doing everything in their power to educate their workers and encourage them to seek help in dealing with opioid addiction.