The National Safety Council (NSC) is intensifying its efforts to combat overdoses in the workplace by launching a series of new initiatives. The organization aims to address the ongoing opioid epidemic, which remains the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States and accounts for nearly 10% of all workplace fatalities.

NSC’s new initiatives will include a free opioid overdose e-learning course, an online Workplace Wellbeing Hub, and the option for employers to purchase NARCAN Nasal Spray in bulk. NARCAN is a medication used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.

The free e-learning course is designed to equip employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to respond to a suspected opioid overdose. It covers the impacts of opioid overdoses in the workplace, signs and symptoms of an overdose, and the proper administration of opioid overdose reversal medication. The course will also provide an introduction to hands-only CPR.

In addition to the e-learning course, NSC will launch the online Workplace Wellbeing Hub. The hub will provide educational resources and tools for workplaces to address wellbeing-related causes of impairment, injuries and fatalities. The hub will initially focus on substance use and will include sections on policies, benefits, employee training, and data collection and analysis.

To increase access to NARCAN Nasal Spray, NSC has partnered with the medication’s manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions. Employers will now be able to purchase the overdose reversal medication through the NSC website and have it delivered directly to their workplace.

“Workplace overdose deaths are occurring at devastating rates, and we know more can be done to save lives,” said Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of NSC. “By providing essential tools, resources, and education, we can empower workplaces to be prepared, resilient, and ultimately save lives. We implore employers to join NSC in stocking these medications at all worksites.”

NSC is also urging employers and government agencies to commit to the White House Challenge, which aims to increase training on and access to opioid overdose reversal medications.

Overdose deaths have been on the rise in recent years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting a record high of over 100,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. for the 12-month period ending in April 2021.