Industry Groups Work to Make Construction Jobs Safer

In 2018, the USG + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index reported that 39% of contractors are highly concerned over the safety impacts of worker substance abuse.

It’s a dangerous line of work without adding drugs to the mix. Yet executives at national trade group Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recognized that many construction companies are small businesses that don’t have the resources to help end opioid addiction and other substance-abuse problems among their employees. So ABC enlisted another group, Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), to help form an industry-wide coalition to push for drug-free construction sites.

Six other big trade groups have since joined what’s now called the Construction Coalition for a Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace (CCDAFW), which offers detailed state-by-state information on drug abuse prevention and treatment.