Text For Citation: 03 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 unprotected contact with patients who were infectious or suspected of being infected with M. tuberculosis in that: a) On or about Feburary 12, 2003 employees transported a patient with a suspected case of tuberculosis. The employer did not take adequate measures to ensure that employees had not come into contact with Mycobacterium tuberculosis through transporting patients and conducting medical procedures that would release the bacteria into the air. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct these hazards would include following the Guidelines set forth by the CDC in 1994 for preventing the transmission of M. tuberculosis in health-care facilities, which would include: 1. Develop, establish and implement an exposure control plan to reduce or eliminate employee exposures to M. tuberculosis and training employees on the plan and; 2. Provide affected employees with annual PPD skin tests to determine if employees had become infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.