II. D. 3. b. Occupational Exposure to Air Borne Pathogens/Tuberculosis
The Department shall develop plans and establish procedures to control occupational exposure to tuberculosis and other airborne pathogens to minimize or eliminate potential exposure by certain categories of faculty members and students in certain high-risk occupational training programs.
Each state Technical College shall have in place a state-approved Tuberculosis Exposure Control Plan designed to minimize or eliminate faculty and student occupational exposure to tuberculosis and other airborne pathogens in certain high-risk occupational training programs.
Requirements under this policy shall be reviewed annually and shall be revised with regard to the U.S. Public Health Service and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendations and guidelines.
An updated plan shall be in place, at each Technical College, by September 1 of each year to reflect changes in the aforementioned requirements and to identify newly approved instructional programs covered by this policy.Each Technical College shall appoint an administrative or faculty staff member to monitor compliance with the college Tuberculosis Exposure Control Plan. This person may be either an administrator holding professional medical credentials or an allied health or nursing faculty member holding professional medical credentials with knowledge of infectious diseases and infection control practices.
The Commissioner shall approve Technical College exposure control plans annually prior to the September 1 effective date.
The Department shall provide copies of appropriate excerpts from the CDC Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and 29 C.F.R. 1910 Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis Final Rule to each Technical College for information and compliance.
Procedures designed to address and ensure compliance with this policy are found in the Administrative Guide.
The general authority for Part 1910.1030 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) is contained within Sections 6 and 8, Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657.
DefinitionsAn occupational exposure to tuberculosis is defined as "exposure to the inhaled or expired air of a person with confirmed or suspected TB disease, exposure to a high-hazard procedure or an individual with suspected or confirmed TB disease and with the potential to generate potentially infectious airborne respiratory secretions."
An occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens shall be any exposure to blood or other potentially infectious body materials by a faculty member of student in either an instructional lab activity or in an occupational-based instructional setting as a clinical rotation or other work-site.
The state-approved exposure control plan shall be a comprehensive written document, which shall include those elements found in the U.S. Public Health Service; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Health-Care Facilities- 1994, as revised and 29 C.F.R. 1910 Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis Final Rule, 2000 (pending). This plan shall govern faculty and student activities when performing tasks or procedures that involve the potential for exposure involving suspected or confirmed TB patients in clinical settings or other OBI activities.
Covered faculty members and students are those identified by the college Tuberculosis Exposure Control Plan as having potential for exposure to persons or patients with suspected or confirmed TB disease in the normal conduct of faculty duties or student instructional activities.
Reference
Created: March 30, 2001
Approved