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OSHA drops proposed tuberculosis rule

Hospital Safety Connection, June 5, 2003

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on May 27 dropped plans to require hospitals to protect against the spread of tuberculosis (TB) and other infectious diseases.

OSHA withdrew the TB rule from its semiannual regulatory agenda published in the May 27 Federal Register. OSHA cited the 43% drop in reported TB cases since 1993, as well as the fact that many workplaces already use TB guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The rule would have required hospitals to set up negative-pressure isolation rooms, which stop air from circulating into outside hallways, and set standards for protective respirators and training.

"OSHA believes it is more appropriate at this time to focus its resources on regulatory efforts that are likely to have greater impact on workplace safety and health," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw in a prepared statement. "For example, the agency is pressing ahead on 28 items, including regulations to address exposure to hexavelant chromium, silica, and beryllium, and to improve protection factors associated with the use of respirators."

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