The opioid crisis has been making headlines for years in the mainstream media. Less known, however, is its having within the aggregates industry. Research shows that extraction workers – which includes stone, sand and gravel workers – is the leading occupation of those who have died from prescription opioids, according to data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). To learn more about the issue, read my article in Rock Products.

The topic of opioids is a difficult one to discuss with your employees, but help is available. Click here to access a free 45-minute training module, instructor’s guide, and participant handout designed for the stone, sand and gravel industry. It can be used in annual MSHA refresher training and meets the requirements of the health training section. Small producers may prefer a narrated version of the training, which can be found here. The training is compiled by Cora R. Roelofs, ScD, a research faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace.