A new bipartisan bill introduced in Congress says workplaces need an opioid overdose plan. Don’t wait for Washington to tell you twice.
Opioid overdoses don’t clock out when your employees do.
They can happen in warehouses and break rooms, in hotel corridors and restaurant bathrooms, on loading docks and office floors. And when it does, the person closest — a coworker, a manager, the security guard doing their rounds, has maybe a few minutes to make a difference.
Congress just acknowledged that reality with a new bill. The question is: will you act before it becomes law?
The WORK to Save Lives Act and What It Says
On February 10, 2026, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Workplace Overdose Reversal Kits (WORK) to Save Lives Act — a bipartisan bill that directs OSHA to issue formal guidance to employers on opioid overdose reversal medication: how to get it, how to store it, and how to train workers to use it.[1]
This is bipartisan legislation. In today’s climate, that doesn’t happen often. It happens when the data is undeniable, and the human cost is too high to ignore.
The National Safety Council found that 75% of employers report that opioid use directly affects their workplace — yet only 17% say they are well-prepared to respond to an overdose.[2]
Three out of four. And fewer than one in five are ready.
That gap isn’t a policy problem. It’s a preparedness emergency problem, and it’s happening at your facility right now.
Don’t Wait for OSHA. Don’t Wait for a Mandate. Don’t Wait.
The truth about overdose emergencies is that they do not wait for guidance documents.
If an employee collapses, there is no time to look up a memo from the Department of Labor. There is no time to call HR for training. There is no time to wait.
Senator Merkley said it plainly: “Naloxone saves lives, and ensuring workplaces have access to it is an important part of what needs to be a multi-pronged effort to tackle opioid overdoses.”[3]
He’s right. But workplaces that wait for OSHA to finalize guidance will spend months — possibly years — in limbo. And every one of those days is a day your facility is unprotected.
The good news: you don’t have to wait.
Your Workplace Can Be Ready Today
ODRescue™ was built for exactly this moment.
The ODRescue™ Box mounts directly on the wall of your facility — visible, accessible, and ready in seconds. Inside: naloxone (sold separately), gloves, a breathing shield, and clear step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow, with or without medical training.
No certification required. No medical background required. Just a person willing to act. A person in the right place, at the right time, with the right tools.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bystanders are present in over a third of opioid overdoses.[4] The WORK to Save Lives Act exists because Congress knows that, too.
Sometimes, the difference between a tragedy and a save is preparation. ODRescue puts that preparation on your wall, within arm’s reach, before the moment demands it.
What Preparedness Looks Like in Practice
Here’s what forward-thinking employers are already doing, before any federal mandate requires it:
- Mounting an ODRescue Box in high-traffic areas: break rooms, lobbies, loading docks, restrooms
- Training employees using ODRescue’s educational materials — no medical background necessary
- Creating a response culture where staff know where naloxone is and aren’t afraid to use it
This isn’t complicated. It doesn’t require a new hire or a six-figure safety program. It requires a wall mount and the will to be ready.
The businesses that do this aren’t just checking a compliance box. They’re telling their employees: We see you. We’re prepared for you. Your life matters here.
The Legislation Will Likely Pass. The Question Is What Happens Before It Does.
Libby Jones of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator called the WORK to Save Lives Act “a practical step Congress can advance quickly to help keep workers safe.”[1]
Practical. Quick. Overdue.
When OSHA issues its guidance if the Bill passes, as is predicted, employers across the country will scramble to get naloxone on their walls and training on their calendars. Supply will tighten. Timelines will stretch.
Or you can be the employer who is already ready.
Arm your workplace now. The ODRescue Box is trusted by organizations nationwide — because when an overdose happens, the only thing that matters is having naloxone within reach.
Be the business that was ready before it was required.