Prepare for overdose emergencies at work by stocking naloxone
and providing proper training.
ARLINGTON, Va., April 24,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Workplace first aid kits
should now contain naloxone rapidly reverse an opioid overdose,
says the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). ISEA
publishes the ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 standard — which provides
minimum performance specifications for occupational first aid kits
and the supplies they contain.
Providing access to naloxone and
appropriate training at work can protect workers and possibly save
someone's life. We encourage all employers to make this change to
their first aid kits now. - Cam
Mackey
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of naloxone
as an OTC drug gives workplaces access to a lifesaving tool to
reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths. Workplaces can help
prevent overdose deaths by stocking lifesaving medication on site
and equipping employees with proper overdose response training to
help save a life.
This guidance does not appear in the current ANSI/ISEA Z308.1
standard because it was revised before the FDA approved naloxone.
While a new update to ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 is planned for 2025, ISEA
urges workplaces to add naloxone to their first aid kits now rather
than wait for new guidelines.
"We all have a role to play in addressing the opioid epidemic,
including employers," said Cam
Mackey, president & CEO of ISEA. "Providing access to
naloxone and appropriate training at work can protect workers and
possibly save someone's life. We encourage all employers to make
this change to their first aid kits now."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 525 people
died from overdoses at work in 2022.
In a March 2024 statement, the
White House challenged leaders to increase training and access to
opioid overdose reversal medications, keeping the medications in
first aid kits, and distributing the medications to employees and
customers so they might save a life at home, work, or in their
communities.
The opioid epidemic has a significant impact on the labor
market. An estimated 12.6% of the U.S. workforce receives an opioid
prescription each year, and 75% of employers surveyed by the
National Safety Council (NSC) report that they have been directly
affected by opioids. With opioid deaths surging, there's no time to
wait before adopting programs to reduce opioid tragedies in the
workplace.
Some companies and communities are already combatting opioid
overdoses by making naloxone available and committing to more
training. For example, the Chicago Department of Aviation added
Narcan to 96 automated external defibrillator (AED) cabinets at
O'Hare International Airport and 32 at Midway International
Airport. Also, state health officials in California have pushed to expand access to the
medication, distributing millions of kits for free.
In opioid overdose emergencies, bystanders are often the first
to witness or be in the presence of the person experiencing an
overdose.7 Individuals should not be reluctant to come to the aid
of others out of fear of potential litigation. According to NSC, 49
states and the District of
Columbia have enacted laws that provide legal protection to
individuals who administer naloxone in good faith to someone
experiencing an opioid overdose.
Don't wait to take action in the opioid epidemic response.
Prepare now for overdose emergencies by stocking naloxone on site
and equipping employees with proper overdose response training and
resources. For more information about ISEA, visit
http://www.safetyequipment.org.
About ISEA
The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is the trade
association for technologies that keep workers safe. Its member
companies, united in the goal of protecting the health and safety
of workers worldwide, are global leaders in the design,
manufacture, testing, and distribution of personal protective and
safety equipment, which protects more than 125 million workers
across the U.S. Since 1933, ISEA has been a recognized leader in
the development of ANSI-accredited safety equipment standards, in
the United States and around the
world. ISEA works with Congress and government agencies to consult
with policymakers whose decisions affect the industry.
Nationwide, the safety equipment industry supports 345,001 total
jobs and generates more than $71.6 billion in economic activity. In
2020, the safety equipment industry paid $5
billion in federal taxes and nearly $4 billion in state taxes, for a total tax
generation of $9 billion. For more information,
visit safetyequipment.org.
Media Contact
Nicole Randall, ISEA,
703-525-1695, nrandall@safetyequipment.org,
http://www.safetyequipment.org
Kathy Silverstein, On The Marc
Media, 410-963-2345, kathleen@onthemarcmedia.com,
https://onthemarcmedia.com/
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SOURCE ISEA