Update: TB regulations from California

Area of Science:

• Occupational health and safety
• Public health policy
• Infectious disease control

Background:

• Healthcare workers face risks of occupational tuberculosis (TB) infection.
• California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal OSHA) is a key regulatory body.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the full text of Cal OSHA's regulations for healthcare worker protection from TB.
• To provide insight into potential future TB infection control regulations.

Main Methods:

• Review and reproduction of official Cal OSHA regulations.
• Inclusion of the California State Assembly resolution empowering Cal OSHA.
• Selective deletion of non-essential regulatory references.

Main Results:

• The full text of Cal OSHA's TB infection control regulations for healthcare settings is provided.
• The enabling legislation empowering Cal OSHA is included.
• CHEM's commentary on the regulations is appended.

Conclusions:

• Cal OSHA's regulations serve as a potential model for other state and federal OSHA standards.
• The document facilitates understanding and compliance with TB infection control measures for healthcare workers.