August 11, 2004—The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), issued voluntary guidelines on June 4, 2004, for employers using autonomous detection systems (ADS) to detect, in approximate real time, the release of airborne Bacillus anthracis spores in their workplaces.
The guidelines provide recommendations to help employers work with local public health and responder agencies in planning strategic response efforts for protecting employees if the anthrax-causing spores are detected in air samples during ADS monitoring.
The guidance was published in “Responding to Detection of Aerosolized Bacillus anthracis by Autonomous Detection Systems in the Workplace” in CDC’ s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Recommendations and Reports, 53(RR07); 1-12. The report is available on line from CDC. The voluntary guidance is part of CDC’s ongoing effort to help strengthen emergency preparedness.
