Opioids in the Workplace: Framework

The Workplace Integration Working Group is developing and sharing information for employers and workers facing the many work-related challenges related to the opioid crisis.

This team will:

• Develop educational and communication products on the connections between work, employment, working conditions, and opioid use and misuse
• Offer workforce education about risks of opioid use disorder (OUD)
• Produce fact sheets on treatment of OUD, naloxone use in workplaces, and similar topics
• Forge partnerships to better transfer knowledge to our stakeholders to promote effective interventions
• Provide trainings to workers and employers and offer related continuing education
• Spearhead the development of communication products to share research findings and recommendations including NIOSH website topic pages, presentations, standard slide sets, and more

The Extramural Activities Working group serves as a liaison between internal NIOSH researchers and external partners involved in the nation’s response to the opioid crisis. Their vision is to highlight NIOSH grantee and partner efforts in research, education, training, and surveillance to prevent opioid-related incidents and fatalities.

This team will:

• Inform workers, employers, safety and health professionals, the public, researchers, and academic faculty and staff about resources to prevent opioid misuse and overdose in the workplace
• Periodically update the NIOSH Opioids Coordination Team on new partner activities and highlight them on NIOSH webpages
• Share information about funding opportunities for opioid projects to NIOSH external stakeholders

You can now visit the NIOSH OEP Opioids webpage promote external resources in education, training, research and surveillance to prevent opioid misuse in the workplace and highlight resources for workers and employees.

The Data Framework Working Group guides the use of surveillance data to characterize and address the opioid crisis in workers. This includes using surveillance data to describe the burden of opioids on workers and workplaces; examine work-related factors and exposures as risk factors for opioid use; and to evaluate the impact of prevention strategies to reduce opioid-related work injury and opioid misuse by workers.

This team will:

• Analyze data sets, such as the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance (NOMS) system
• Encourage state occupational surveillance and workers’ compensation partners to analyze unique data available to them
• Coordinate data collection and optimization activities within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Determine knowledge gaps identified from surveillance analyses
• Identify and prioritize promising data analyses, data set linkages, new data collection, and surveillance research needs

The Research Gaps Working Group identifies areas of research that require further development to better address the nation’s opioid crisis.

This team will:

• Conduct literature searches covering the six key topic areas below, with a focus on 2008 to present
  • Exposure Assessment
  • Sampling and Analytical Methods
  • Engineering Controls
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Psychosocial Impacts on Workers
  • Use and Misuse of Opioids at Work
• Incorporate findings from NIOSH Health Hazards Evaluations to identify research needs
• Identify research studies of interest to our occupational health partners and stakeholders
• Prioritize and recommend studies to address research gaps
• Serve as a technical resource for NIOSH staff and partners seeking information on research ideas and opportunities for collaboration

The Responder and Worker Safety and Health Working Group aims to improve understanding of work-related exposures and potential health risks among emergency responders and other groups of workers impacted by the opioid crisis.

This team will:

• Identify working populations at-risk of exposure to fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the course of their work. These populations include emergency responders, law enforcement, emergency medical services, firefighters, and healthcare personnel
• Publish recommendations on safe work practices, training, and personal protective equipment when opioids and other illicit drugs may be present
  • See: Preventing Occupational Exposure to Emergency Responders and Preventing Occupational Exposure to Healthcare Personnel in Hospital and Clinic Settings
• Initiate a series of health hazard evaluations (HHEs) in the emergency responder community to better understand workplace exposures and health effects
• Refine guidance, develop training, and identify knowledge gaps to address the opioid crisis from a first responder perspective