On January 22, the National Safety Council (NSC) applauded the enactment of legislation in Michigan making opioid overdose-reversal medication like naloxone accessible in state workplaces when training on use and administration is available.
The group pointed out that overdoses account for nearly one in 10 worker deaths on the job nationally and have increased by more than 600% since 2011. The NSC called the new law “a step towards saving lives on the job,” as tens of thousands of people are employed by the state of Michigan.
The NSC has its own Respond Ready Workplace program focusing on three strategies for addressing workplace overdoses: opioid overdose and naloxone awareness, access to naloxone in workplace first-aid kits and other locations, and the adoption of programs to ensure workplaces and their employees are equipped to respond in case of an emergency. The program provides naloxone administration training to workers in an attempt to create safer communities and workplaces. Individuals trained through the program carry their training with them wherever they go.
California, Illinois, and Virginia also enacted workplace naloxone legislation in 2024, according to the NSC.
The NSC is a not-for-profit organization focused on preventing deaths in the home, in workplaces, and on roadways.
NSC, Massachusetts launch distracted driving webinar series
On January 21, the NSC announced a partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards to host a free, three-part webinar series to educate public sector professionals on reducing the risks of distracted driving. The series, developed in anticipation of Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, will be held on February 12, March 12, and April 9.
The series aims to bring together safety advocates and employers for technical training and discussion focused on an urgent public safety issue, according to the NSC.
“Every day, lives are needlessly lost due to distracted driving,” Mark Chung, the NSC’s executive vice president of safety leadership and advocacy, said in a statement. “Through this series, we’re not only addressing the behavioral side of the issue but reinforcing a Safe System Approach—an inclusive framework that considers all factors to reduce and eventually eliminate crashes altogether.”
More than 3,000 people die in crashes involving distracted drivers each year, according to the NSC, while many others suffer life-altering injuries. Such incidents are preventable but continue to occur due to various distractions; mobile device use is a leading contributor to distracted driving, according to the NSC.
The webinar series, led by a live NSC instructor, is built around NSC driver and fleet online certification courses. Participants can complete each online course at their own pace and may receive certification upon course completion.
NSC welcomes OSHA to Road to Zero Coalition
The NSC applauded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) decision to join the safety council’s Road to Zero Coalition, an alliance dedicated to eliminating roadway fatalities.
“The most dangerous thing a person can do on the job is get in a vehicle,” NSC President and CEO Lorraine Martin, also chair of the Road to Zero Coalition, said in a statement. “That’s what makes this partnership so critical. By joining Road to Zero, OSHA strengthens our ability to protect workers both on and off the job. Together, we can create safer roads for everyone–whether they are driving for work or sharing the roads with those who do.”