HHS calls for ‘safety stations’ with naloxone in federal buildings

Washington — Federal facilities should convert their current AED stations into “safety stations” that include naloxone – a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, the Department of Health and Human Services says.

Updated guidance recently issued by HHS and the General Services Administration also calls on federal facilities to add a program such as Stop the Bleed, which teaches how to control bleeding resulting from injury.

This would “enable anyone located within a federal facility to access the necessary tools quickly and easily to respond to an emergency situation,” HHS says in a press release. “Under the new guidance, anywhere that an AED was previously located can and should be converted to a safety station. Each safety station is recommended to include an AED and supporting equipment at a minimum.”

Data from the National Safety Council’s Injury Facts website shows that overdose deaths accounted for around 10% of all workplace deaths in 2022. Since 2011, overdose-related deaths have climbed 619%.

“Far too many lives are being lost to overdose,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the release. “Fortunately, we know what it takes to save people. Safety stations save lives. We must continue to do everything we can to make sure the necessary tools are quickly and easily available so anyone can respond to an emergency situation – anytime, anywhere. It’s about empowering everyone to play a role in saving lives when it counts the most.”