Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 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 such as doctors, nurses, nurse's assistants and other health care workers who were exposed to the hazard of being infected with tuberculosis in that all AFB (acid fast bacilli) isolation rooms were not maintained under negative pressure. a)Workers such as doctors, nurses, nurse's assistants and other health care workers were exposed to the hazard of being infected with tuberculosis through contact with patients who were or may be infected with tuberculosis in that: Isolation rooms 3B02 and 3B03 (which were being used for isolating suspected or active T.B. cases) on the third floor of the Bernstein Building were not maintained under negative pressure. ABATEMENT NOTE: Some feasible and acceptable abatement methods for correcting this hazard, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) area: a)AFB isolation rooms, under negative pressure, exhausted to the outside, shall be provided when patients with, or suspected to have, active tuberculosis are present. b)Provide workers, with frequent exposure to patients with TB or are involved with high hazard procedures, the Mantoux PPD test at least every six months. c)Provide training for employees in the mode of transmission of