The Evolving Drug Crisis in Construction: The Reality and the Risks of Substance Abuse on Jobsites

Given the physical wear and tear associated with construction work, builders are susceptible to opioid abuse. Almost one in six construction workers uses illicit drugs, and industry opioid spend is 5 percent to 10 percent above every other industry. If that weren’t concerning enough, consider the growing national opioid crisis and the full legalization of marijuana in Canada and its rapidly growing medicinal and recreational legalization in the United States. It’s imperative that construction companies aggressively update their drug testing policies and understand the implications of not testing to meet these evolving challenges.

Join HUB’s construction experts to hear what contractors can do to protect their profitability and fight back against the substance abuse epidemic. They will talk through important points like drug and alcohol use prohibitions, workplace training, required drug and alcohol testing for DOT-regulated employers, the laws regulating non-DOT-required drug testing, the pros and cons of drug testing, and the risks of not conducting drug testing—all in the name of retaining workers, reducing incidents of absenteeism, accidents, turnover and theft, and maximizing morale and productivity.

Attendees will gain a greater understanding of:

• Substance abuse costs to the industry, and the impact of abuse on employee safety
• Processes to update drug testing policies that reflect applicable laws governing employees
• The legal exposures of not maintaining a drug-free jobsite