Aerosol Transmissible Diseases - Laboratories
Cal/OSHA recently adopted a new standard, CCR T8 § 5199, regulating employee exposure to aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs). These diseases can be spread through the air in the form of small particles or droplets. Influenza, tuberculosis, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are just a few examples of aerosol transmissible diseases. The standard became effective August 5, 2009. There is a Loss Control Bulletin covering the entire standard entitled Aerosol Transmissible Diseases – Summary.
CCR T8 § 5199 applies to laboratories where procedures capable of aerosolizing Aerosol Transmissible Pathogens – Laboratory (ATPs-L) are performed. (If lab employees have direct contact with cases or suspected cases, additional provisions apply).
- Aerosol Transmissible Pathogen – Laboratory. A pathogen that meets one of the following criteria:
- The pathogen appears on the list in Appendix D of CCR T8 §5199.
- Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) recommends biosafety level 3 or above for the pathogen,
- The biological safety officer recommends biosafety level 3 or above for the pathogen, or
- The pathogen is a novel or unknown pathogen.
Laboratories subject to the standard perform procedures capable of aerosolizing ATPs-L. (If lab employees have direct contact with cases or suspected cases, additional provisions apply).
The standard requires the laboratory to perform a risk assessment according to BMBL methodology and establish a Biosafety Plan to minimize exposures. The plan must entail:
- Identifying a biological safety officer with the necessary knowledge, authority and responsibility to implement a Biosafety Plan
- Determining which job classifications and/or tasks have occupational exposure
- Making a list of the ATP-Ls most likely to be a problem and their biosafety measures
- Requiring incoming materials potentially containing ATP-Ls to be treated as wild type or virulent pathogens until laboratory procedures have verified that the organism has been deactivated or attenuated
- Identifying and describing feasible engineering and containment controls to be used to minimize employee exposures to ATPs-L
- Establishing safe handling procedures
- Establishing decontamination and disinfection procedures
- Identifying and providing appropriate personal protective equipment
- Identifying when respirators must be used
- Establishing procedures that reduce the risk of transmission of ATDs. These procedures could include:
- Establishing emergency procedures for uncontrolled releases to include reporting procedures
- Establishing a medical services program consistent with CCR T8 § 5199 subsection (h).
- EXCEPTION: Research and production laboratories not working with materials containing M. Tuberculosis need not provide surveillance for LTBI.
- Establishing communication procedures to include training consistent with CCR T8 § 5199 subsection (i).
- Establishing a procedure for keeping the Biosafety Plan up-to-date that:
- Includes affected employees in the review process
- Includes procedures for the biological safety officer to review plans for facility design and construction that will affect control measures
- Includes procedures for regular (at least yearly) audits of this plan and facility inspections
- Implementing recordkeeping in accordance with subsection (j).
Employers are encouraged to refer to the regulations and any guidance documents Cal/OSHA may have available at www.dir.ca.gov/dosh. You may also contact your State Fund Loss Control Consultant and ask for an industrial hygiene consultation.
References:
The above evaluations and/or recommendations are for general guidance only and should not be relied
upon for legal compliance purposes. They are based solely on the information provided to us and relate
only to those conditions specifically discussed. We do not make any warranty, expressed or implied, that your workplace is safe or healthful or that it complies with all laws, regulations or standards.
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