The Biden administration announced that it is recommending opioid overdose reversal agents, like naloxone, be included onsite for emergencies at all federal facilities going forward.
Guidelines for Safety Station Programs in Federal Facilities is the administration’s latest attempt at “a whole-of-society effort to prevent fatal overdoses, reduce stigmatization associated with addiction, and save lives.”
This guidance led the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration to expand the concept of an automated external defibrillator (AED) program by introducing a “safety station” that includes both an AED and a “bystander-empowered opioid reversal agent or hemorrhagic control component, or both.”
In short, the guidance for federal worksites calls for the addition of an overdose reversal agent at any safety station that currently houses an AED.
NSC: Naloxone is first aid when there’s an opioid overdose
The National Safety Council (NSC) “is thrilled” with the new guidance, stating that there “is no question that naloxone is first aid when someone is experiencing an opioid overdose, and this updated guidance is a historic step towards increasing the accessibility of naloxone anywhere people gather, including workplaces.”
The NSC pointed out that this new guidance follows just a few month after bipartisan legislators in Congress introduced an act requiring that opioid overdose reversal medications be available and accessible in all federal buildings and encouraging private businesses to do the same.
For more information on combatting the opioid epidemic at work, the NSC has the Respond Ready Workplace program, which focuses on three critical aspects:
- opioid overdose and naloxone awareness
- access to naloxone in workplace first aid kits and other locations, and
- adoption of programs to ensure workplaces and employees are equipped to save a life.
