For the first time in U.S. history, a person is more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than from a motor vehicle crash. The numbers don’t lie – in 2017, more than 72,000 people died of drug overdoses. More than 47,000 of those deaths involved opioids. More than two million Americans suffer from an opioid use disorder.
The opioid crisis has clear, defined impacts on employers and employees. It continues to present new, complex situations for employers to navigate.
The National Safety Council has created a toolkit to help employers address opioid use by employees. It includes sample policies, fact sheets, presentations, safety talks, posters, white papers, reports, videos and more, so you can implement a workplace program on opioids.
These materials will help you understand how opioids impact the workplace, recognize signs of impairment, educate employees on the risks of opioid use, develop drug-related HR policies and support employees who are struggling with opioid misuse.
Click here to access the toolkit via the National Safety Council website.