Medication reporting in the workplace.
Impairment from medication use in hazardous work environments has not been well studied. We analyzed incident events in an explosive manufacturing facility using a retrospective case control study to determine whether medication use was related to safety incidents. Medication use between the incident group and the controls was not significantly different. However, 23% of the incident group had been employed by the facility for less than 1 year compared with 2% of controls. Only 19% of restricted medication use was self-reported. In this study, being employed less than 1 year was a greater predictor of safety incidents than was medication use, and self-reporting did not reflect actual medication use. We conclude that medication use is not directly related to safety events and that a self-reporting program is difficult to justify in the corporate setting.
Hegmann
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K
Hercules Occupational Health Clinic, University of Utah Health Sciences Center.
Greenlee
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P
Johns
R E
RE
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D012650:Self Disclosure; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation