October 20, 2026 • News

OSHA FactSheet Offers Workplace Guidance on Opioid Emergencies

The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) recently released a fact sheet on “Opioid Overdose Rescue with Reversal Medications” to help employers respond to opioid emergencies in the workplace. Preparedness strategies suggest employers should: 

• Keep lifesaving FDA-approved opioid overdose reversal medications (OORMs), such as naloxone or nalmefene, on hand. 
• Treat overdose kits like first aid by storing them in highly visible, easily accessible locations.
• Educate workplace responders on how to identify critical symptoms of an overdose, such as slow or stopped breathing, blue lips or skin, pinpoint pupils, or unresponsiveness.
• Train workplace responders to administer the medication, safely position the individual, and provide supportive care while waiting for first responders. 

The USDOL Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance emphasizes that while these medications are critical, they do not replace emergency services; workplace responders should always call 911 immediately if an OORM has been administered.

Download the fact sheet; for more information, see also the USDOL press release.