Video offers prevention tips for occupational exposure to fentanyl, other drugs

Posted April 2, 2019

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a video aimed at helping emergency responders understand the risks and communicate what they can do to protect themselves from exposure to illicit drugs. The video shows what happens when an officer is exposed to fentanyl and provides recommendations on how other officers and responders can prevent it from happening to them, including:

• Do not eat, drink, smoke, or use the bathroom when responding to an incident.
• Do not touch your eyes, mouth, or nose.
• Avoid performing tasks or operations that may aerosolize the illicit drugs.
• Wash hands with soap and water immediately after a potential exposure and after leaving the scene. Do not use hand sanitizer.
• Know when and how to use personal protective equipment (PPE).

NIOSH developed the video in collaboration with the Fredericksburg, Virginia, police and fire departments.

J. J. Keller's Personal Protective Equipment: Employee Essentials training program provides employees with the PPE information they need to know to protect themselves and stay safe on the job.

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