Construction Sector Had Highest Rate of Opioid Deaths in Massachusetts

A report out in August 2018 by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health finds that the opioid-related death rate for construction and extraction workers in the state was six times higher than in other industries between 2011 and 2015.

Furthermore, construction jobs accounted for 97 percent of all opioid-related deaths in the construction and mining category, and 1,096 overdose fatalities, (150 deaths per 100,000 workers), in the industry are linked to opioids, Construction Dive reports, whereas the state average rate was 25 per 100,000 workers. The report says that occupations with high rates of workplace injury and illness are more likely to have fatal opioid overdoses, as well as jobs with limited paid sick leave and lower job security.

As the Massachusetts Department of Public Heath's report indicated, one way contractors can reduce the chance that their employees will become addicted to or abuse opioids or other painkillers post-injury is to prevent the injury from happening in the first place. To that end, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers free online resources for the construction industry that address accident prevention.

Read more