When most people think of issues with a remodeling project they think of delays, unforeseen surprises, or worker injuries. And though these are hot issues for the industry, they are not actually the fastest-growing problem in home remodeling. In fact, there’s another one looming on the horizon that many people wouldn’t expect:
Opioid Abuse.
The nature of the profession is that workers often have insufficient health insurance, few vacation days, and chronic injuries. Because of this, many construction workers have been turning to painkillers such as Oxycodone or Percocet so that they can continue to go to work. It is both the nature of the job, and the ease of access to these medications over the last 20 years that has created such a large impact on the home remodeling industry.
In fact, according to the CDC, from 1999-2017 more than 700,000 people died from drug overdose. In 2017 alone, a staggering 47,600 out of 70,237 drug overdose deaths involved opioids. This number is actually six times higher than it was in 1999. It means that on average, about 130 people die every single day from opioid overdose.
It turns out that this affects the remodeling industry specifically more than almost any other profession. This is because between 2007 and 2012, construction workers accounted for the highest percentage of drug overdose deaths. These were mainly from heroin and prescription opioid-related overdoses. In Ohio specifically, an analysis of deaths from 2010 to 2016 discovered that construction workers are no less than 7 times more likely to die of an opioid overdose than those of varying other professions.
So Why Is This the Case?
A Midwest Economic Policy Institute study also discovered that the injury rate for construction workers is 77% higher than the national average. The reason? The grueling work that these workers endure in their day-to-day routine. The body’s constant exposure to repetitive motions, awkward postures, and dangerous tools increases the likelihood of a chronic injury. Then when the employee seeks medical care, doctors often prescribe an opioid so that the patient can cope with the pain while still being able to function at work. This same study found that nearly 15% of construction workers deal with substance abuse.
This issue affects homeowners just as much as remodeling companies. This is because drug abuse leads to a lot of on-the-job problems, including the following:
- Reduced employee productivity
- Increased risk of mistakes and injuries
- Job delays
- Increased risk of other medical or addiction-related issues
- Workers arriving late or unfit to work
For example, the National Center for Health Statistics states that workers with disorders arising from pain medication abuse miss an average of 29 days per year, compared to 14.9 days for all substance abuse disorders. This is all bad news for the homeowner, because it is their home that is at risk when a remodeler shows up to work on drugs.
Workers on drugs are not only endangering themselves, but all of those around them. This includes their team, and even civilians around the worksite. However, if someone is abusing, it is very difficult to determine whether they have an issue or not. This is because many factors prevent employees from coming forward about their issue. Such issues are fear of termination, jail time, or other negative consequences of bringing the issue to light. “It’s difficult for someone to come in and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a problem’”, says Gary Hill of the Job-Site Safety Institute.
So What Can We Do?
So what can employers do in order to better understand and actively prevent the issues that these workers are dealing with? Here are five ways to battle this issue:
- Educate employees and subcontractors about responsible prescription opioid use.
- Update policies to include regular drug testing.
- Encourage physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medication for chronic injuries.
- Provide health insurance that covers substance abuse and mental health treatment.
- Reward workers with at least two weeks of paid sick leave so that they can heal safely.
And homeowners specifically should take care to make sure that any remodeling company they hire does a thorough drug test. The company should do this upon hiring each new employee, and also actively monitor workers to spot signs of abuse. Homeowners should also always request proof of insurance and Worker’s Compensation up front, as well as ask if the company has had any past issues with drug problems or high rates of injury. These two easy steps can go a long way towards preventing costly problems ahead of time.
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