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 employees 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)Physicians, nurses, nurses aides, respiratory therapists, housekeepers, engineers, and other health care providers were exposed to the hazard of being infected with tuberculosis through contact with active or suspect TB patients who were not placed in a negative pressure isolation room: 8th Floor, Room 824 South. (On or about 6/1/94-7/6/94). *Feasible and useful abatement methods for reducing this hazard as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, among others, are: 1)Placement of individuals with suspected or confirmed TB disease in an AFB (acid fast bacilli) isolation room. AFB isolation rooms for persons with suspected or confirmed infectious TB and areas in which high hazard procedures are performed on such individuals must be maintained under negative pressure and appropriately exhausted (either directly to the outside away from intake vents or through properly designed, installed, and maintained HEPA filters). 2)Evaluation and management (at no cost to the employees) of workers with a positive skin test, with a skin test conversion on repeat testing, and those who are exhibiting symptoms of TB, including work restrictions for infectious employees. Workers who experience a TB exposure incident (exposure to a patient or client with infectious TB for whom infection control precautions have not been taken) shall also be managed in accordance with current CDC guidelines. 3)Provide training and information to ensure employees knowledge of such issues as the hazard of TB transmission, its signs and symptoms, medical surveillance and therapy, the pros and cons of prophylaxis, and site specific protocols including the purpose and proper use of controls.