Fentanyl in the Workplace

Why the opioid crisis matters to contractors

By Cal Beyer

laska has been hit hard by the opioid crisis that has plagued the United States since the late ‘90s. Overdose deaths in Alaska have been rising for many years, with only a small decrease experienced in 2022. However, the decrease abruptly ended in 2023. As reported in the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska led the nation in year-over-year increase at approximately 40 percent in overdose deaths from November 2022 to November 2023.

The culprit has been opioids, with fentanyl being involved in approximately 94 percent of all opioid-related overdoses in Alaska. Fentanyl is a strong synthetic opioid that can be used for pain relief in surgical procedures. However, the worrisome fentanyl is illicit—it is being pressed into counterfeit pills to mimic real prescription medications. The Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, reports that at least 70 percent of seized illicit drugs contain fentanyl.

Overdose deaths inflict a toll on families, workplaces, communities, and economies. Parents, grandparents, and every person connected to children and young adults must learn the risks of fentanyl and the meaning of “One Pill Can Kill”—the DEA’s message about the prevalence and danger of fentanyl.

The construction and aggregates industries have been hit hard by opioids due to the high frequency of musculoskeletal injuries.

Fentanyl in the Workplace

Why the opioid crisis matters to contractors

By Cal Beyer

The construction and aggregates industries have been hit hard by opioids due to the high frequency of musculoskeletal injuries.

Opioids and Overdose Deaths IN the Construction Industry

On August 22, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control released a National Vital Statistics Report showing national overdose deaths by industry or occupation. The Construction and Extraction occupation group was shown to have the highest rate with 162.6 deaths per 100,000 workers, nearly 50 more deaths per 100,000 than the next-highest occupation group. Extraction includes oil/gas operations and mining, including surface and dredging of sand and gravel. For the construction industry alone, the rate was 130.9 per 100,000 workers. For extraction, which includes surface mining, the rate was 60.9.

Why It Matters

Year after year, a portion of working aged adults and youth is lost to overdoses. The opioid crisis has shrunk the possible workforce candidate pool for industries like construction, manufacturing, and agriculture.

The opioid crisis has shrunk the possible workforce candidate pool for industries like construction, manufacturing, and agriculture.

paramedics loading a body covered by a sheet into an ambulance

In a presentation to the Construction Financial Management Association entitled “Waging a Counterattack Against Opioids in the Workplace and at Home,” my co-author and I highlighted eight First-Dose Prevention Strategies to decrease the risk of opioids at home and in the workplace. Here are three examples.

Prescription medications for both on- and off-the-job injuries are a potential source of new, persistent opioid use in construction, especially relating to musculoskeletal injuries. With the high frequency and severity of sprain and strain injury rates, it is important to educate employees about alternatives to opioid pain management and the dangers of purchasing illicit medications for pain relief.
Surgery is a leading gateway to new, persistent opioid use. An article that I co-authored, posted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans titled “Optimizing Outcomes and Containing the Costs of Surgery” highlighted that between 8 and 18 percent of patients become persistent opioid users, depending on the type of surgery. Opioid-sparing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, or ERAS, protocols use up to 90 percent fewer opioids than conventional surgical methods.
- It is imperative for employees and dependents enrolled in union- or employer-sponsored health benefit programs to know non-opioid medications exist.
- Become informed and be an advocate for yourself or any other family member scheduled for any medical, surgical, or dental procedures.
Drug deactivation and at-home disposal products help properly dispose of leftover opioid pills after prescriptions for on- and off-the-job injuries and surgeries. Research shows 90 percent of patients receiving pain medication do not properly dispose of the leftover pills. This increases the household risk of overdose deaths due to the diversion of the leftover pills.

Cal Beyer

Educate, Prepare, and Prevent Deaths

Opioids impact every socioeconomic class and demographic status. Opioids are an equal-opportunity destroyer of hope and lives. The construction and aggregates industries have been hit hard by opioids due to the high frequency of musculoskeletal injuries.

Employers are encouraged to teach employees about the risks of opioids and to share resources to help employees and families protect themselves from the risks of unnecessary opioids and the dangers of fentanyl in today’s illicit drugs.

Employers and families are encouraged to stock naloxone in first-aid kits for emergency use in case of an overdose. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist and reverses the effects of an overdose. Free training is available at safeproject.us/life.

Cal Beyer, a certified wellness practitioner, is the senior director of SAFE Workplaces for national nonprofit SAFE Project (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic). Beyer has more than thirty years of professional experience in risk management and safety, focusing on human capital risk and wellbeing consulting. He helped launch the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention in 2016. He serves on the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. He is a frequent presenter at industry events and a frequent contributor to industry publications. Portrait provided by Cal Beyer, feature photos by iStock.

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