Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: TB

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The %% employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that emergency medical technicians were exposed to the hazard of being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis through contact with patients who were or may be infected with tuberculosis in that: a)Emergency medical technicians (EMT), transporting an inmate suspected of having tuberculosis (TB) from Rikers Island were not provided with the Mantoux Skin Test as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC); on or about 4/23/94. b)Emergency medical technicians (EMT), transporting a patient suspected of having tuberculosis (TB) from Holliswood Care Center to St. Joseph's Hospital, were not provided the Mantoux Skin Test as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC); on or about 4/29/94. c)Emergency medical technicians (EMT), transporting a patient suspected of having tuberculosis (TB) from Elmhurst to Lenox Hill Hospital, were not provided the Mantoux Skin Test as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC); on or about 5/6/94. Feasible and useful abatement methods of reducing this hazard, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, among others are: 1.Provide medical surveillance (at no cost to employees) including preplacement evaluation, administration and interpretation of TB Mantoux skin tests, and periodic evaluations. The frequency of the tests must be in accordance with current CDC guidelines. 2.Develop a protocol for the early identification of individuals with suspect or active tuberculosis. 3.Evaluate and manage (at no cost to employees) workers with a positive skin test, or with a skin test conversion or repeat testing, or who are exhibiting symptoms of TB, including work restrictions for infectious employees. Workers who experience restrictions for infectious employees. Workers who experience a TB exposure incident (exposure to a patient with infectious TB for whom infection control precautions have not been taken) shall also be managed according to CDC recommendations. 4.Provide training and information to ensure employee knowledge of such issues as the hazards of TB transmission, its signs and symptoms, medical surveillance and therapy, and site-specific protocols including the purpose and proper use of controls.