The number of people dying from a drug overdose is at an all-time high, and the main cause of these deaths is opioids. This crisis reaches employees in all industries and occupations, with workplace overdose deaths increasing by 619% since 2011 and overdoses now causing nearly 9.6% of all worker deaths on the job.
Recent FDA approval of naloxone nasal sprays for over-the-counter use gives your workplace a new lifesaving tool to prevent these deaths. Naloxone is a drug that can temporarily stop many of the life-threatening effects of opioid overdose. Including naloxone in your workplace first aid kit or elsewhere onsite, and training employees to use it, is a critical component of emergency response to help save a life. The Respond Ready Workplace program helps employers to address overdose deaths at work by supporting access to naloxone as well as providing related training and resources.
Be Respond Ready
Obtaining naloxone for your workplace and training your employees to use it will give every member of your workforce the skills and resources they need to save a life at work and in the community. Be Respond Ready with options for training your employees and obtaining naloxone for your workplace.
● Obtain NARCAN® Nasal Spray for your workplace
● NSC First Aid Training covers naloxone administration
● Find naloxone near you: community access for individuals or over-the-counter access
● How employers can make a difference
● Take the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose
NSC is Leading the Way
Through its Respond Ready Workplace program, NSC is committed to working with employers, government agencies and other stakeholders to:
● Spread awareness about the importance of incorporating naloxone into workplace emergency
preparedness programs
● Disseminate legal guidance for employers around state Good Samaritan and naloxone access laws and help states improve these laws
● Support the federal WORK to Save Lives Act (H.R. 5420/S. 2948) to ensure workplaces are
equipped with naloxone and employees are trained to use it
● Offer a new online, standalone naloxone eLearning for workplaces
● Increase access to naloxone through support of external distribution opportunities
● Launch the Workplace Wellbeing Hub, a place for actionable tools to address wellbeing-related risk factors for impairment, injuries and fatalities
Learn more about the risks of opioids in the workplace and how employers can make a difference.
