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Document Woodburn_doc_1991c13275

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Carrying and Administering Naloxone for Employees 1. Purpose To reduce the risk of opioid overdose(s) during duties such as trash pickup, site cleaning, bathroom cleaning, etc. and ensure worker safety. Narcan administration may treat and reduce injuries and fatalities due to suspected opioid involved overdoses and accidental exposure mitigating the effects of opioid exposure and allowing time for advanced medical response by trained Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. 2. Scope This procedure applies to all employees whose positions are determined by Risk Manager to be eligible for naloxone to be issued, usually those positions that are responsible for picking up trash in parks, public spaces, restrooms, and handling trash receptacles. Police Department employees who are first responders are excluded from this policy and follow the policy in their own department. 3. Definitions Opioid: A medication or drug that is derived from the opium poppy or that mimics the effect of an opiate. Opiate drugs are narcotic sedatives that depress activity of the central nervous system; these will reduce pain, induce sleep, and in overdose, will cause people to stop breathing. First responders often encounter opiates in the form of morphine, methadone, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Opioid/Opiate Overdose: an acute condition including, but not limited to, extreme physical illness, decreased level of consciousness, respiratory depression, coma, or death resulting from the consumption or use of an opioid or another substance with which an opioid was combined, or that a layperson would reasonably believe to be an opioid- related drug overdose that requires medical assistance ---PAGE BREAK--- Naloxone: An opioid antidote such as naloxone hydrochloride or any other similarly acting and equally safe drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of drug overdose. Naloxone is a medication which acts as an opioid antagonist and counters the effects of opioid overdoses. It is marketed under the trade name Narcan. Narcan: a single dose nasal cartridge of naloxone 4. Required Training A. Before Carrying naloxone, all employees must: • Complete training on the safe administration of naloxone • Learn to identify the signs and of opioid overdose • Understand safe handling practices for trash and potential drug paraphernalia B. Refresher training shall be done annually. 5. Storage and Access of Naloxone A. The Risk Manager will coordinate purchasing and distribution of naloxone for approved departments. Each participating department and/or facility will establish an inventory control procedure for naloxone. Procedures must include the following: • Suitable locations for naloxone storage must only be accessible to trained personnel. Storage should follow manufacturer’s instructions: exposure to freezing temperatures, extreme heat or direct sunlight may deteriorate the medication and significantly reduce its effectiveness. Vehicle storage is discouraged. • In instances where employees may carry naloxone doses, a check-in and -out procedure that documents employee name, date, time in and out must be used. • On a basis, the facility supervisor must visually inspect all naloxone kits to ensure they are current and unexpired and that all necessary supplies are available. B. Each employee will be issued no more than 2 doses of naloxone in nasal spray form. C. Naloxone should be stored: • In a personal PPE pouch or belt bag, away from extreme temperatures. • In an area easily accessible in case of emergency. ---PAGE BREAK--- • Naloxone should be replaced immediately if expired, used, or damaged. Expired or damaged naloxone shall be disposed of by returning to a drug collection site. Used naloxone shall be disposed of in solid waste containers. 6. Carry Protocol and PPE A. It is strongly recommended, but not required, that employees carry naloxone at all times during shifts involving trash pickup, particularly during: • Restroom cleaning; • Maintenance activities in high-use parks or urban areas; and • Dumpster or garbage can maintenance. B. Employees must wear PPE (gloves, long sleeves, eye protection) when handling trash or cleaning areas. C. Avoid: • Reaching blindly into trash cans or bags. • Handling unknown powders or suspicious containers. D. Use grabbers or tools to pick up trash when possible. 7. Procedures for Administration Only staff trained in the use of naloxone are authorized to carry and administer Naloxone. Procedures for the administration and use of naloxone should follow the Oregon Health Authority’s Training Protocol for Opiate Overdose Treatment. The general response to an opiate overdose may include some or all of the following steps: checking the individual for responsiveness; (ii) calling 911/EMS; (iii) checking the individual’s breathing and if needed, delivering first aid per your level of training; (iv) administering naloxone per the product/manufacturer instructions; and conducting incident reporting and follow-up. 8. Incident Reporting and Follow-up All naloxone administrations or exposure incidents must be documented via the City’s Accident/Incident Report Form. The Risk Manager may request a debrief meeting following incidents to support full documentation of the incident and to identify any improvements to program administration, policy compliance and process improvement. With regard to recordkeeping practices, the mere administration of a naloxone nasal spray to an employee does not automatically make a workplace injury or illness recordable under ---PAGE BREAK--- 29 C.F.R. § 1904. Non-prescription naloxone nasal sprays would therefore not be considered medical treatment beyond first aid as defined by 29 C.F.R. § 1904.7(b)(5). If a trained employee uses naloxone on a co-worker where there is a suspected exposure to opioids, Good Samaritan laws will protect the employee from liability related to emergency aid, provided it was undertaken in good faith. It should also be noted that the naloxone nasal sprays will not harm someone who is given the drug but is not in fact suffering an opioid overdose—the only impact is to reverse an opioid overdose, and it will have no effect on someone who is not overdosing on opioids. 9. Forms City of Woodburn Employee Accident/Incident Report 10. Review of Policy and Procedures This policy will be reviewed every three years or as state and federal regulations are revised and necessitate a change in the policy or procedures. Adopted: May 2025