Who must wear a respirator?
Who must wear a respirator?
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has added two new situations (Nos. 6 and 7 in the list below) in which an employee is required to wear a respirator. The first five are based on CDC guidelines.
According to the proposed tuberculosis standard, health care workers are required to wear a respirator when:
1. entering an isolation room;
2. performing cough-inducing or aerosol-generating procedures on an individual with suspected or confirmed infectious TB;
3. repairing or maintaining air systems that may contain aerosolized M. tuberculosis;
4. transporting an individual with suspected or confirmed infectious TB in an enclosed vehicle;
5. working in a residence where an individual with suspected or confirmed infectious TB is known to be present;
6. transporting individuals with suspected or confirmed infectious TB within the facility if those individuals are not masked;
7. working in an area where an unmasked individual with suspected or confirmed infectious TB has been segregated or otherwise confined (such as those who work in admitting areas).
Source: Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Occupational exposure to tuberculosis; proposed rule. 62 Fed Reg 54,159-54,307 (Oct. 17, 1997).
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.