October 3, 2003—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently revised its Safety and Health Topics page concerning Tuberculosis. The page includes links to: applicable OSHA standards and interpretations, information on how to recognize TB hazards, healthcare eTools, general and specific solutions for workplace hazards, and additional resources and training. It also includes a recent NIOSH report: “NIOSH-Funded Study Simulates Hospital Room to Test UV System for Employee TB Protection” (2003, April 29).
Nearly one-third of the world’s population is infected with Tuberculosis (TB), which kills almost 3 million people per year, says OSHA. TB causes more deaths than any other infectious agent in the world. In the mid-1980s, a resurgence of outbreaks in the United States brought renewed attention to TB. An increase in high risk, immuno-suppressed individuals, particularly those infected with HIV, has led to an increase in TB cases. Drug-resistant strains of this deadly disease also contribute to the problem. In 1990, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that nursing home employees are three times more likely to contract TB than any other group of employed adults of similar age, race, and sex.
