For Immediate Release Contact: Diane Hurns, 847-768-3413, dhurns@asse.org
American Society of Safety Engineers State Support for Bill Aimed at Protecting Workplace Safety at Hearing on Medical Marijuana Use
Salem, OR (March 18, 2009) — Oregon members of the 98-year-old American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) attended today’s state House Business and Labor Committee hearing on medical marijuana use in support of legislation ensuring an employer’s right to deal with workers affected by marijuana in the workplace.

Also, in a letter sent to Oregon Chair of the House Business and Labor Committee Representative Mike Schaufler this week, ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM, said ASSE is supports the workplace-related provisions of HB 2497 and HB 3052 which expand the ability of an employer to prohibit use of medical marijuana in the workplace.

ASSE has 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members located worldwide. They are committed to protecting people, property and the environment. ASSE members include safety professionals, industrial hygienists, hazard material managers, educators, engineers, ergonomists, occupational health nurses and more, all of whom work to prevent workplace deaths, injuries and illnesses. ASSE has more than 800 members in Oregon belonging to the Cascade Chapter in Eugene, the Southern Oregon Chapter in Medford and the Columbia-Willamette Chapter in Portland.

At the hearing, ASSE members noted the importance of making sure a workplace is safe for all as they work day in and day out to make sure those employees who come to work leave work injury and illness free and return home safely. They support the provisions contained in HB 2497 and HB 3052 that would help guarantee an employer’s right to protect workplaces and other workers from those who consume or are impaired by marijuana. In their jobs, ASSE members are given the responsibility to help ensure workplace safety and health.

ASSE members noted a worker’s use of a drug like marijuana makes a workplace unsafe and drives up costs of doing business. According to the results of a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-sponsored survey, drug-using employees are 3.6 times more likely to be involved in a workplace incident, five times more likely to file a workers’ compensation claim, 2.2 times more likely to request early dismissal or time off, 2.5 times more likely to have absences of eight days or more, and three times more likely to be late for work.

Brown noted in his letter to Rep. Schaufler, “Thank you for your leadership on this issue. Oregon’s employers and our safety and health professional members need the assurances provided by HB 2497 and HB 3052 to help them keep workplaces safe.”

U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that a total of 5,488 people died in the U.S. as a result of on-the-job injuries and millions more suffered illness and injury in 2007. The leading cause of on-the-job deaths is transportation, falls and workplace homicide. In Oregon there were a total of 69 fatal work injuries in 2007. Twenty-nine Oregonians lost their lives from a workplace transportation incident, nine from an assault or violent act, 13 from contact with objects or equipment, 13 from falls and four from exposure to harmful substances or environments. In 2006 87 Oregonians died from on-the-job injuries.

Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members lead, manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor, health care and education. For more information please go to www.asse.org.
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American Society of Safety Engineers • 1800 East Oakton Street • Des Plaines, Illinois • 60018-2187
Phone 847.699.2929 • Fax 847.296.3769 • www.asse.org