MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Alcohol and recreational drug use in construction is an area of growing concern. Workers are often found to have a higher prevalence of such behaviours than workers in other industries. Potential reasons for this are many. The social determinants of health negatively associated with work (the reaso...

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Main Authors: Fred Sherratt, Matthew Hallowell, Marzia Hoque Tania
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UJ Press 2017-12-01
Series:Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/130
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author Fred Sherratt
Matthew Hallowell
Marzia Hoque Tania
author_facet Fred Sherratt
Matthew Hallowell
Marzia Hoque Tania
author_sort Fred Sherratt
collection DOAJ
description Alcohol and recreational drug use in construction is an area of growing concern. Workers are often found to have a higher prevalence of such behaviours than workers in other industries. Potential reasons for this are many. The social determinants of health negatively associated with work (the reasons why people drink or take recreational drugs) can be readily identified in construction work with temporary contracts, long working hours, and a lack of employment security for work within high-pressure and high-hazard environments. The legalisation of marijuana in several states of America has led to concerns from industry that there will be an increase in use amongst the local workforce, but it has also created the opportunity to study this phenomenon without ethical constraints regarding legality that may occur in other countries. This paper, presented for discussion rather than the dissemination of completed work, explores the theoretical issues that surround marijuana use within construction, focusing on its impact on construction site safety. This includes necessary considerations of accident causality, worker impairment, and physiological issues concerning the drug itself, as well as inherent problems with drug testing, and its effectiveness as a means of management control. This critical contextual review has been used to inform the development and proposal of a methodological approach to effectively examine this phenomenon empirically in the field, as part of a future research project to be undertaken in Colorado, USA
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spelling doaj-art-e85b23c43a5b4a50b1a21c4c3dbab7412025-01-08T06:11:41ZengUJ PressJournal of Construction Project Management and Innovation2223-78522959-96522017-12-017210.36615/jcpmi.v7i2.130MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSALFred Sherratt0Matthew HallowellMarzia Hoque TaniaDepartment of Engineering and the Built Environment, Anglia Ruskin University, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, UK Alcohol and recreational drug use in construction is an area of growing concern. Workers are often found to have a higher prevalence of such behaviours than workers in other industries. Potential reasons for this are many. The social determinants of health negatively associated with work (the reasons why people drink or take recreational drugs) can be readily identified in construction work with temporary contracts, long working hours, and a lack of employment security for work within high-pressure and high-hazard environments. The legalisation of marijuana in several states of America has led to concerns from industry that there will be an increase in use amongst the local workforce, but it has also created the opportunity to study this phenomenon without ethical constraints regarding legality that may occur in other countries. This paper, presented for discussion rather than the dissemination of completed work, explores the theoretical issues that surround marijuana use within construction, focusing on its impact on construction site safety. This includes necessary considerations of accident causality, worker impairment, and physiological issues concerning the drug itself, as well as inherent problems with drug testing, and its effectiveness as a means of management control. This critical contextual review has been used to inform the development and proposal of a methodological approach to effectively examine this phenomenon empirically in the field, as part of a future research project to be undertaken in Colorado, USA https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/130construction workforce, drug use, marijuana, safety, methodology
spellingShingle Fred Sherratt
Matthew Hallowell
Marzia Hoque Tania
MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation
construction workforce, drug use, marijuana, safety, methodology
title MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
title_full MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
title_fullStr MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
title_full_unstemmed MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
title_short MARIJUANA USE WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
title_sort marijuana use within the construction workforce theoretical considerations and a research proposal
topic construction workforce, drug use, marijuana, safety, methodology
url https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/JCPMI/article/view/130
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