Ontario to mandate Naloxone kits in high-risk workplaces

The Ontario government says it has introduced legislation that will require workplaces that are at risk of a worker opioid overdose to have naloxone kits.

The province says the legislation would also introduce the highest fines in Canada for companies that fail to follow workplace health and safety laws.

The legislation is a part of the Working for Workers Act, 2022.

“Everyone in our province knows someone who has been impacted by the opioid epidemic,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development in a statement. “These are brothers, sisters, mothers and daughters, and we need to do everything in our power to save lives. That is why our government is bringing life-saving naloxone kits to high-risk settings such as construction sites, bars and nightclubs.”

Ontario says approximately 2,500 people died from opioid-related causes between March 2020 and January 2021. Of the victims who were employed, 30 per cent were construction workers. It says bars and nightclubs are also seeing increased opioid usage, which involve recreational drugs laced with deadly opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil.

Naloxone is a medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and allow time for medical help to arrive.

The province says the requirement for businesses in high-risk settings to have naloxone kits on hand would reduce stigma around opioid abuse, raise awareness about the risks of accidental overdose and potentially save hundreds of lives a year.

“While Ontario’s workers have been there to support us before and during this horrible pandemic, it’s just as important that we are there to support them,” said Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in a statement. “By ensuring access to life-saving naloxone kits where and when our workers need them, our government is helping to protect more Ontarians struggling with addiction from preventable deaths and taking decisive action to address the challenges of the opioid crisis.”

The Working for Workers Act 2022 includes changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act to increase the maximum fines for businesses that fail to protect their workers to the highest in the country.

Also included in Working for Workers Two are changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act to increase the maximum fines for businesses that fail to protect their workers to the highest in the country.

The province says officers and directors of businesses that do not provide a safe work environment that leads to a worker being severely injured or dying on the job could face fine of up to $1.5 million under the Occupational Health and Safety Act if convicted. It says charges for other individuals are also rising to up to $500,000.