Use of Opioid Medications for Employees in Critical Safety or Security Positions and Positions with Safety Sensitive Duties
Abstract
Employees who work in safety-sensitive occupations or handle sensitive items must conduct operations in a safe, secure and reliable manner. A safety-sensitive position or function means any job position or work-related function or job task designated as such by the employer, which through the nature of the activity could be dangerous (unsafe, hazardous, can cause harm) to the physical well-being of or jeopardize the security of the employee, co-workers, customers or the general public through a lapse in attention or judgment. Some examples of safety-sensitive duties include driving vehicles, using heavy equipment, working around explosives or weaponry; performing patient care activities; performing essential job duties at heights; performing essential job duty tasks which require high levels of cognitive function and judgment; and performing personnel reliability program duties. Any medical issue that can potentially impair the way these workers function while on the job must be thoroughly evaluated by a competent healthcare provider and fitness for duty must be determined. Treatment with opioid medication, or other CNS depressants such as benzodiazepines, and the condition for treatment are medical issues that can cause potential impairment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 30, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1027866
Entities
People
- Raul A. Mirza
Organizations
- United States Army Public Health Command