OSHA Updates Tuberculosis-Related Health Care Inspection Instructions
The instructions now incorporate guidance from a more recent CDC report.
OSHA has updated instructions for conducting inspections and issuing citations related to worker exposures to tuberculosis in health care, according to an agency news release. The instruction now includes guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report "Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Health-Care Settings, 2005."
Other changes to the instruction include: the introduction of a newer screening method for analyzing blood for M. tuberculosis; classifying health care settings as low risk, medium risk, or potential ongoing transmission; and reducing the frequency of TB screenings for workers.
OSHA said the revised directive does not create any additional enforcement burdens for employers, is merely updates the agency's inspection procedures with the most currently available public health guidance.