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Construction companies that test for drugs appear to have a reduction of workplace injuries, according to the study, “Evaluation of Drug Testing in the Workplace: Study of the Construction Industry.” The study, published in the November/December 2001 issue of The Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, examined the effectiveness of drug testing of construction company employees in making the workplace safer.
In the past two decades, workplace drug testing and drug-free workplace programs have grown exponentially. A major contributor to this increase is the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991, which requires drug and alcohol testing of safety-sensitive transportation employees in aviation, trucking, railroads, mass transit, pipelines and other transportation industries. An outgrowth of drug testing employees in these types of transportation positions is the testing of construction workers.
The study looks at the construction industry and the impact a drug-free workplace program has on the reduction of injury incident rates and related workers’ compensation ratings. Statistically, construction and mining have the highest percentage of problem drinkers, with nearly one in seven workers in these fields having a serious alcohol problem. The use of alcohol and other substances while at the worksite greatly influences a person’s ability to perform job functions safely. With a large number of high-risk and safety-sensitive positions within the construction industry, there is an increase in the likelihood for work-site accidents and injury. This increase in injury directly affects a company’s workers’ compensation experience-rating modification factors.
Data for the study was collected through a survey which was sent to a randomly selected national sample of officials at construction companies. The data examined included injury incident rates and workers’ compensation experience-rating modification factors compiled over a five-year period and supplied by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The study shows that the implementation of a drug-free workplace program directly influences a reduction in injury incident rates and workers’ compensation experience-rating modification factors, reducing the amount for workers’ compensation premiums. Other findings of the study include:
- The average company that drug tests in the study sample experienced a 51 percent reduction in its injury rate within two years of implementing a drug-testing program from a rate of 8.92 incidents per 200,000 work-hours to 4.36 incidents. The difference was proven statistically significant when compared to the 14 percent decline in the average construction firm during the same time period.
- As a result of fewer job site accidents and injuries, the average company that drug tests in the study sample experienced an 11.41 percent reduction in its workers’ compensation experience-rating modification factor. Firms that did not drug test experienced no decline. This means that companies that drug test can save substantially on their workers’ compensation premiums.
- Drug testing is most effective in reducing workers’ compensation experience-rating modification factors in the first three years immediately following the implementation of a program.
- The number one reason why employers in the construction industry drug test their employees and job applicants is to promote the safety of their workers and those who use their products and services. In addition, company officials believe that drug testing contributes positively to a company’s image and is an effective deterrent in preventing drug abuse.
- he number one reason why some employers in the construction industry do NOT drug test their employees and job applicants is a concern for increased legal liability.
- Larger construction companies are significantly more likely to test workers for drugs and alcohol. In addition, state laws prohibiting or restricting an employers’ right to drug test significantly hinder the implementation of programs.
DOL also has special initiatives to address substance abuse as it impacts the construction field. Although not required under its regulations, DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) strongly supports drug-free workplace programs that include assistance for employees with substance abuse problems and established an alliance with international labor unions in a collaborative effort to improve worker safety and health in the construction industry through such programs.
The abstract of Evaluation of Drug Testing in the Workplace: Study of the Construction Industry appears online at ASCE Research Library. The full text can be purchased at this site for a fee.
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