Hartford Business Journal

12 Hartford Business Journal • September 4, 2017 • www.HartfordBusiness.com Safety Check Construction industry stays vigilant against opioid abuse By Matt Pilon mpilon@HartfordBusiness.com W orking in construction is rough on the body, par- ticularly as workers age. That's one reason the industry is more susceptible to opioid use and/or abuse. Twenty percent of the spending from construction-related worker's compensa- tion insurance claims filed in 2015 was for opioid prescriptions. That was double the percentage of other industries, according to property casualty insurer CNA, which said the manufacturing industry was also notable for its opioid spending. Managers at Torrington-based general contractor C.H. Nickerson, which special- izes in building wastewater plants, are well aware that physical labor can make a work- force more susceptible to opioid addiction. "If you go out on a job site and witness what these guys do day in and day out, it's pretty rough on their bodies," said Connie Tynan, C.H. Nickerson's director of human resources and compliance. "They're going to get these hurts and these strains and things, so their likelihood of becoming ad- dicted is pretty high." That becomes a potentially dangerous problem when heavy machinery is involved. "One person who's incapacitated and not functioning at their full abilities because they are impaired by drugs … could kill someone," Tynan said. That concern is why the company has been requiring pre-employment and random drug testing of its tradesmen and women since the 1990s. It's a choice. The company is not under any legal mandate to do so, said Tynan, who added that not all construction firms in the area require drug tests. While Connecticut doesn't track the number of employers drug testing in a given year, data from Quest Diagnostics, which conducted 100,000 tests in the state last year, indicates an upward trend. On any given work day, C.H. Nicker- son employees, which currently number around 125, could arrive to the job site and be handed an envelope instructing them to report immediately to a nearby testing site for a urine screen. If they fail the test, they are either let go or can participate in a treatment program, which could eventually lead to them re- turning to work. The company can also order a drug test for an employee suspected of being under the influence. Managers received special training to recognize symptoms, which gives them probable cause under state law to test, Tynan said. Connecticut law authorizes employ- ers to conduct random urine tests on any employee deemed to be in a "high-risk, safety-sensitive" position. Many construc- tion jobs fit that bill. "We were probably one of the first con- tractors to do randomized testing," said C.H Nickerson President Jon Miller. That decision has cost the company a few employees over the years. Miller recalls some workers leaving when the policy was first instituted, simply because they dis- agreed with it. He didn't suspect they were using drugs. For the company, which is always in search of skilled laborers, the downside of the rigorous testing policy is that an otherwise productive worker — perhaps one who smokes marijuana outside of work hours — could fail the pre-employment test or a random screen. "Sometimes I think it's a limiting factor in getting labor, but it's just something you've got to deal with," Miller said. It's the price the company is willing to pay to weed out employees who use drugs on the job site. While C.H. Nickerson has long tested its union workforce and own employees, several years ago it decided to pony up for a more comprehensive screen. A standard urine drug test is known as Re-Evaluating Drug-Free Workplace Policy & Drug Testing According to the National Safety Council, drug-free workplace programs are effective programs that will help employers save money and keep their employees safe. Effective programs should consist of these components: A clear, written policy Employee education Supervisor training An employee assistance program Drug testing C.H. Nickerson is leading a $57 million wastewater plant project in Farmington. C.H. Nickerson Vice President Dan Radasci stands at a Farmington job site, where the construction firm can serve workers with random drug-testing notices. HBJ PHOTOS | STEVE LASCHEVER

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