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Substance abuse on construction work sites is a serious issue.

However, multiple construction trade organizations believe some contractors either lack abuse policies or don’t know how to enforce them. That’s why the , and three other major trade organizations have teamed to create the .

The coalition will encourage contractors to sign a pledge to not only establish policies against alcohol and drug abuse on jobsites, but also encourage others within the industry to follow suit. In addition, the group will provide a recommended set of policies and information regarding drug tests.

鈥淭he coalition formed because we wanted to address this before it became an epidemic,鈥� said Chris Williams, national safety director for ABC. 鈥淲e want to make sure the employees that come to our jobsites 鈥� every single one of them 鈥� know that they’re not going to be injured based on one of their co-workers being under the influence.鈥�

A 2008 U.S. Department of Labor report showed that 25 percent of construction workers had admitted to using an illicit drug in the previous year, including 15 percent that month. And according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 38 to 50 percent of all workers’ compensation claims are related to substance abuse. These statistics are higher than for most other industries, according to Williams.

Despite these statistics, the CCDAFW claims that some contractors, primarily smaller ones, don’t implement drug tests and disciplinary procedures. In a safety training evaluation process completed by ABC last year, 15 percent of the organization’s members admitted that they did not have any policies in place.

The coalition has created recommendations based on U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. The policies include preliminary and random drug tests and a list of disciplinary procedures; for example, the coalition recommends firing a worker who commits a second offense within 60 days.

Additionally, the coalition’s website states where drug tests can be conducted and what sort of drugs should be tested for. The coalition recommends that contractors sign a pledge as a commitment to understanding the issue better.

鈥淭here are a number of contractors out there that aren’t aware of the full scope of resources available,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淲e want to give them the resources so they are aware of what’s out there and to make it easier to implement policies that are effective and ensure safety.鈥�

has rules regarding substance abuse. However, assessment and regulation is tough when it comes to drugs, said Ron Haverkost, compliance specialist at OSHA. As a result, the organization has no data or information indicating whether substance abuse is a significant problem on construction sites in the state.

鈥淵ou’re not talking about people showing up and falling down at work like when they’re drunk,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or us to go out and do a survey to see how many people are on drugs on the jobsite, it would require the government to take blood samples, which is a warrant-level requirement.鈥�

Haverkost said the issue of substance abuse in construction comes up primarily when a fatality occurs on a jobsite; however, he said drug- and alcohol-related fatalities are not as frequent as some people may believe.

Many local contractors have strict policies. and , for instance, both have no-exception rules regarding substance abuse on work sites. Similarly, Doug Hull, owner of , a small Central Oregon company, said 鈥渋t’s one strike and you’re out.鈥�

But each of those contractors admitted that drug and alcohol abuse on the jobsite can still be a problem. And the coalition believes a standardized set of guidelines could benefit even the companies with strict policies.

鈥淭his is an effort to get the many different groups represented to review sample policies and come to an agreement on one single, improved policy that could be adopted by the industry as a whole,鈥� said Kevin Cannon, national safety director for AGC.

According to the coalition’s website, so far only a few contractors have signed the pledge 鈥� and none is from Oregon. Also, when asked about the coalition, representatives of trade groups’ local chapters admitted to not knowing much about it. But Cannon noted that the coalition is relatively new and that more companies will join because it’s the right thing to do.

鈥淭his is a problem that needs to be addressed,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e don’t really feel a need to justify it, because it’s good practice for everyone to implement such policies.鈥�