National Safety Council calls for workplace policies around opioid painkiller use

ITASCA, Ill., July 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council is calling on employers to develop workplace policies around the use of opioid prescription painkillers after reviewing research and court cases showing the negative impacts of these medicines on employee safety and worker's compensation costs. Many workers who have taken opioid painkillers following on-the-job injuries have become addicted, suffered additional injuries or fatally overdosed. As a result, courts have ordered employers and worker's compensation insurance carriers to pay for detoxification, medication-assisted treatment and death benefits to surviving family members.

The findings and synopses of recent court cases are detailed in the Council's new report, Prescription pain medications: A fatal cure for injured workers.

"Employers have a moral and legal responsibility to protect their employees," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "Addressing the use and abuse of prescription painkillers is as important as identifying drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace."

Workers who use opioid painkillers for more than a week to treat on-the-job injuries have double the risk of being disabled one year later.[i] Worker's compensation claims also skyrocket. The average lost time worker's compensation claim for workers using opioid painkillers can total as much as $117,000 - 900 percent higher than the cost for workers who do not take opioid painkillers.[ii]

To help protect injured workers and mitigate liability, the Council recommends employers:

• Educate workers about the risks of opioid painkillers
• Work with insurance carriers to identify inappropriate opioid painkiller prescribing and adopt procedures to manage worker's opioid use
• Ensure medical providers follow prescribing guidelines and use state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, which track prescribing history
• Provide supervisor education focused on identifying impaired employees
• Expand drug testing programs that include testing for all common opioids
• Evaluate employee assistance programs and make sure they include access to treatment

A full copy of the report can be downloaded at nsc.org/workerscomp. Employers are also encouraged to download the free Prescription Drug Employer Kit for resources and tips to develop policies and manage opioid use at work.

About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.

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[i] According to Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
[ii] According to Worker's Compensation Research Institute

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SOURCE National Safety Council