HHS calls for naloxone at federal facilities in updated safety guidelines
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Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and General Services Administration Thursday announced updated guidelines for federal facility safety stations for the first time in 15 years.
The new guidance calls for the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone and hemorrhagic control like Stop the Bleed to be added alongside external defibrillators at federal facilities.
"An emergency can happen in any setting, including our workplaces," HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine said in a statement. "We all need to be prepared to save a life anytime, anywhere."
Naloxone can successfully treat fentanyl and other opioid overdoses while hemorrhagic control can provide immediate injury care in a bleeding emergency.
Safety stations are voluntary at federal facilities and their design can differ depending on the kind of federal facility involved.
They enable "anyone located within a federal facility to access the necessary tools quickly and easily to respond to an emergency situation."
"These updated safety stations can make a critical difference, and help our workforce get home to their families if there is ever an emergency," the GSA's Krystal Brumfield said in a statement.
The safety stations can also include mental health resources.
This updated guidance expands the automated external defibrillators with the safety stations concept.
The goal is to allow anybody in a federal facility to get the necessary emergency response tools to effectively respond in emergencies even before outside first responder help arrives.
