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1998. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO TUBERCULOSIS

Priority: Economically Significant

Legal Authority: 29 USC 655(b)

CFR Citation: 29 CFR 1910.1035

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: In 1993, the Labor Coalition to Fight TB in the Workplace petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop an occupational health standard to protect workers who care for or oversee patients or others with active tuberculosis (TB) against the transmission of TB. After reviewing the available information, OSHA preliminarily concluded that a significant risk of occupational transmission of TB exists for some workers in some work settings and began rulemaking on a proposed standard. On October 17, 1997, OSHA published its proposed standard for occupational exposure to TB (62 FR 54160). The proposed standard would require employers to protect TB-exposed workers using infection control measures that have been shown to be highly effective in reducing or eliminating work-related TB infections. Such measures include procedures for the early identification of individuals with infectious TB, isolation of individuals with infectious TB using appropriate ventilation,use of respiratory protection in certain situations, and skin testing and training of employees.

Informal public hearings were held in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, and Chicago, IL. The post-hearing comment period closed on October 5, 1998. On June 17, 1999, OSHA reopened the rulemaking record for 90 days to submit the Agency's report on homeless shelters and certain other documents that became available to the Agency after the close of the post-hearing comment period. During this limited reopening of the rulemaking record, OSHA also requested interested parties to submit comments and data on the Agency's preliminary risk assessment in order to obtain the best, most recent data for providing the most accurate estimates of the occupational risk of tuberculosis.

At the request of Congress, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (IOM) conducted a study of OSHA's proposal and the need for a TB standard.

Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
SBREFA Panel
NPRM
NPRM Comment Period End
Post Hearing Comment End
Record Reopening
Second Reopening Comment Period End
Reopening Comment Period End
Third Reopening Comment Period
Extension of Comment Period
Reopening Comment Period End
Comment Period End
Withdrawn		 09/10/96
10/17/97
02/17/98
10/05/98
06/17/99
06/28/99

08/02/99
01/24/02
03/05/02
03/25/02
05/24/02
12/31/03
62 FR 54160
62 FR 65388

64 FR 32447
64 FR 34625


67 FR 3465
67 FR 9934


68 FR 75767


Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes

Small Entities Affected: Businesses, Governmental Jurisdictions, Organizations

Government Levels Affected: Federal, Local, State, Tribal

Agency Contact: Steven F. Witt, Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room N-3718, FP Building, Washington, DC 20210
Phone: 202 693-1950
Fax: 202 693-1678

RIN: 1218-AB46
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