The Opioid Crisis in the Construction Industry

Ashley Moore, Workforce Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Amy Ambrose, Workforce Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Chris Trahan Cain, CIH, Executive Director, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training

Christopher Rodman, MPH, Opioid Projects Coordinator, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training

Charlotte Harris, Senior Workforce Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

According to CPWR, the construction industry has one of the highest injury rates in the United States and construction workers are significantly more likely to die from an opioid overdose than the average worker due to being prescribed opioids to relieve occupational injuries. Created by North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to address the opioid crisis in the construction industry, CPWR focuses on reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities among construction workers, and has developed resources to combat opioid substance abuse in the construction industry by providing resources and trainings to increase the awareness of opioid use. Guest speakers from CPWR discussed how opioid use among the construction workforce has impacted the construction industry and the preventions the organization is implementing to fight opioid substance abuse.

We welcome you to visit ETA’s National Dislocated Worker webpage https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dislocated-workers/grants and the Dislocated Worker Community of Practice https://dwg.workforcegps.org/ to learn more about the investments made to address the economic and workforce impacts of the opioid crisis. 

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• Posted by: Damon Jones
• Posted in: Global