Safer Solutions: Naloxone belongs in worksite first aid kits

In 2022, the National Safety Council found that emergency medical services (EMS) teams responded to more than 42,000 potential opioid overdoses in workplace settings. These first responders used naloxone—the opioid overdose reversal medication commonly referred to by the brand name Narcan—on 66 percent of these calls.

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, naloxone is highly effective and safe to use (even when given to a person who is not experiencing an overdose). It’s also relatively low-cost, especially for businesses that might stock it in the workplace; simple to administer, with nasal spray and injectable forms; and effective long past its expiration date. Some versions are even available over the counter.

That’s why immediate access to naloxone, including in workplaces, is so important. While EMS does essential work in responding to suspected overdoses, time is of the essence in these cases. Quick access can save additional lives, making naloxone as much of a safety tool as a defibrillator or first aid kit. In short, employers should consider naloxone a standard part of their emergency readiness and worker safety resources. Industry promotion of naloxone access can create secondary benefits as well, signaling to workers that employers support their journey to better health while raising awareness about what naloxone is and how to use it, even outside of the workplace.

Industries with the highest risk profile for opioid overdose are an obvious starting point for promoting workplace access to naloxone, and the construction field is a major one. More than 15,000 construction workers in the United States died of a drug overdose in 2020, with opioids present in the majority of cases. In fact, significantly more construction workers die from overdoses than from workplace injuries (1,000 per year) and suicides (6,000 per year) combined. The hospitality and transportation industries aren’t far behind, making them additional candidates for leadership on naloxone.

It’s important to note that, because many overdose deaths among construction workers and workers in other fields don’t occur on the job, workplace access to naloxone is not a silver bullet. Community-based and retail access is essential; however, some overdoses do occur at work—and the scale of the overdose crisis demands that we bring every tool to bear. The good news is that the policy landscape is favorable to employer action on naloxone access. All 50 states have laws in place to improve access to naloxone by laypeople, and almost all have passed laws to ensure that people who administer naloxone in good faith are protected from civil and criminal liability. With a foundation of good policy in place, this low-risk, high-reward tool has earned its place in American workplaces.