OSHA considers rule to protect healthcare workers from infectious diseases

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to issue a public report before the end of the year with guidance on protecting healthcare workers from infectious diseases.

In June, the agency announced plans to convene a review panel to provide insights into possible regulation. If moved forward, the rule would affect hospitals, ambulatory-care centers, long-term and home health facilities, laboratories and other relevant workplaces.

The panel will receive input from small businesses, local governments, not-for-profits and other industry representatives, and then provide a report to OSHA that summarizes the comments and makes recommendations. An OSHA spokesman said in an e-mail that the agency hopes to send out materials to the select group of representatives in early October and a teleconference is tentatively planned for November among that group. A public report could be issued by the end of December.

During the release of its regulatory agenda this summer, OSHA said employees in healthcare and other high-risk environments face long-standing infectious disease hazards. The federal agency tasked with assuring safe work conditions said it is “concerned about the ability of employees to continue to provide healthcare and other critical services without unreasonably jeopardizing their health.”

The report, which points to hazards such as tuberculosis, chicken pox, SARS and influenza, says there may be a need for a standard to ensure employers establish comprehensive infection-control programs.

When OSHA in January launched a new online resource to help hospital leaders protect healthcare employees from a series of common workplace hazards, safety advocates said the effort was a step in the right direction, but encouraged further action through regulation and standard-setting.

But not everyone agrees the efforts are needed. In 2010, OSHA received more than 200 comments when it published a request for information to help characterize the extent of the hazard of infectious diseases among healthcare workers and announced it was considering the development of a program standard.

“There is no need for an additional standard,” responded the American Hospital Association in a letter. Hospitals and healthcare systems already have effective and comprehensive programs that protect both patients and healthcare workers, the AHA said.

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