New guidance gives employers a plan; WORK to Save Lives Act would establish overdose response requirements across federal agencies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Safety Council and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator’s Overdose Prevention Initiative applaud the U.S. Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for giving employers practical guidance on responding to an opioid overdose at work. Released on Sept. 24, Save a Life Day, during National Recovery Month, the guidance calls on workplaces to keep opioid overdose reversal medication accessible, prepare workers to use it and call 911 when an overdose occurs.
In an opioid overdose, breathing can stop before emergency help arrives. Medication such as naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids and restore breathing, but it has to be close enough to find and someone has to know how to use it. OSHA’s guidance makes those steps clearer for employers. The new ANSI/ISEA workplace first aid kit standard, developed with NSC participation, also recognizes naloxone as a supplemental first aid supply.
Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman and John Rutherford and Senators Jeff Merkley and Lisa Murkowski have offered a bipartisan way to build on the administration’s action. Their WORK to Save Lives Act would require OSHA to issue guidance for employers and establish rules for federal agencies to maintain opioid overdose reversal medication and train employees annually. Employers can act on OSHA’s guidance now, however the bill would give the federal government a more explicit and durable policy framework.
“With the proper training and naloxone available onsite, opioid overdoses on the job are preventable,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. “OSHA’s practical guidance gives employers a clear and lifesaving playbook to prepare employees. NSC applauds OSHA’s initiative and urges Congress to solidify and strengthen these guidelines with a legislative mandate to protect workers.”
“OSHA has given employers a useful plan, and they should put it to work,” said Libby Jones, associate vice president of GHAI’s Overdose Prevention Initiative. “OSHA’s announcement is an important administrative step that is consistent with — but does not substitute for — the WORK Act's proposed statutory framework. A kit that expired in a drawer helps no one. When someone stops breathing, medication has to be ready and workers need to know what to do.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 410 fatal occupational injuries involving drug or alcohol overdose in 2024. In an NSC employer survey, 28% of respondents said they stocked naloxone at all their worksites. Those figures describe different measures, but both point to the need for employers to prepare before an emergency.
On Nov. 19, GHAI’s Overdose Prevention Initiative will host its annual congressional naloxone training on Capitol Hill, where members of Congress, staff and the public can learn to recognize an overdose and use reversal medication. NSC and GHAI urge Congress to advance H.R. 7479 and S. 3812. The federal government should put into practice the readiness its safety agency now recommends.
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.
About GHAI's Overdose Prevention Initiative
The Global Health Advocacy Incubator's Overdose Prevention Initiative advances federal policies that expand access to addiction treatment, strengthen overdose prevention efforts at the local level, and ensure data-driven solutions reach the communities that need them most.
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With a century-long legacy, the National Safety Council is a global center for safety expertise. Let's work together to align resources. We look forward to learning about ways we can join efforts to expand safety everywhere!
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