Naloxone in the Workplace legislation effective June 1, 2023

On June 1, 2023, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Sec. 25.2) will require workplaces at risk of a worker opioid overdose to have at least one naloxone kit available onsite and have staff trained in its use.

An associated regulation, Naloxone Kits (O. Reg. 559/22) also comes into effect, which prescribes the contents of a naloxone kit, and sets out additional requirements related to the kit’s provision and maintenance.

Understanding the responsibilities of your workplace

Although not every workplace will be required to have naloxone onsite, every business should understand the legislation so that they are better equipped to make decisions around this legal requirement.

Free Training & Learning Resources

WSPS offers the following free resources to help businesses understand this new legislation:

• Naloxone Awareness (Free eCourse)
• New naloxone requirements: Do you need to comply? Your top questions answered (article)
• Naloxone Kits in the Workplace (Safety Tip Video Series)
• Naloxone kits and addiction in the workplace: balancing privacy with responsibility (article)

Posted May 31, 2023