From NYC DOB:
New data from the NYC Health Department shows that construction workers led occupational groups in overdose deaths in New York City. According to Health Department data, at least 269 construction workers died of an overdose in 2020, by far the most of any occupation included in the analysis.
In that same year, there were a total of eight building construction related fatalities in New York City. Meaning that construction workers in our City are significantly more likely to die from a drug overdose than from anything that occurs on a work site.
DOB is strongly urging contractors, licenses and other construction professionals to talk with their employees about the high rates of fatal overdoses in the construction industry, and the available free programs and services the City offers to prevent overdose deaths. We are also asking that members of the industry consider printing out our English and Spanish language flyers with information about fentanyl and naloxone to hang up at their work sites.
Read NYC DOB’s Press Release For Information About Those Free Resources
From NYC Department of Buildings Commissioner:
Earlier this month, my counterpart at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, shared data analysis from his agency, which alarmingly showed that construction workers led all occupational groups in drug overdose deaths in New York City.
First, I am strongly urging each of you to discuss with your employees and subcontractors the high rates of fatal overdoses in the construction industry. I was troubled when I first learned of this data, and I think many others in our industry would similarly be concerned about this information.
In addition, I am asking you to carve out a few minutes from the morning Tool Box Talks on your works sites to talk with the workers about the dangers associated with fentanyl use, the free programs offered by the City for those struggling with mental health or addiction crisis, and free resources available to the public such as naloxone kits and fentanyl test strips. Even if your work site is not required by the Code to hold these pre-shift safety meetings, I would ask that you take a small amount of time in the day to talk with your workers about this.
Finally, I am asking that you consider printing out these Overdose Prevention flyers (English and Spanish) flyers and hang them up at your construction shanties or other conspicuous location on your sites.
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