WASHINGTON — Lawmakers have once again introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing opioid overdoses and expanding access to overdose-reversal medications in the workplace.
If approved, the Workplace Overdose Reversal Kits (WORK) to Save Lives Act would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop guidance for employers on obtaining, storing and using opioid overdose-reversal medications, as well as training employees to respond to an emergency. The guidance for private-sector employers would be nonmandatory. Federal agencies, however, would be required to maintain overdose-reversal medications and offer voluntary annual training to employees.
Similar legislation has also been introduced in the Senate.
“Opioid overdoses are increasingly claiming lives in the workplace, underscoring how deeply this crisis has embedded itself in everyday life,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who introduced the Senate version of the bill. “This legislation will give workplaces the opportunity to equip employees with access to the training and resources they need to respond to an emergency overdose in the workplace. Ensuring these medications are readily available, and that individuals are trained to administer them, will save lives.”
In the House, the bill has been referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The Senate companion measure has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Similar proposals were introduced in September 2023 but did not advance out of committee.
According to the National Safety Council, 75% of employers report that opioid use has affected their workplace, yet only 17% say they feel well-prepared to address it.
In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. Still, drug overdoses now account for about 10% of workplace deaths, but only 28% of employers report being fully stocked with naloxone at their worksites, according to a recent NSC survey.
“Workplace overdose deaths are occurring at devastating rates, largely fueled by opioids, but the good news is we have more tools available today to save these lives,” said Lorraine Martin, CEO of the National Safety Council. “The National Safety Council commends the sponsors of the WORK to Save Lives Act for championing expanded access to the life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone in workplaces. We urge support for making naloxone a critical component of workplace emergency preparedness to help save a life.”
The National Safety Council offers a free tool to help employers create opioid overdose response plans.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 80,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2024, the majority involving opioids. The odds of dying from an opioid overdose in the United States are now higher than from gun violence, vehicle crashes or suicide.
Emily’s Hope has partnered with several organizations to expand free access to naloxone in South Dakota and Kansas.
