OSHA TB standard highlights

The first TB standard proposed by OSHA would have the following results:

• Save 130 to 190 lives a year

• Cost $245 million a year to implement

• Prevent 21,000 to 25,000 infections annually

• Reduce occupational exposures by 70% to 90%

• Save up to $116 million a year in treatment and lost-employment costs

The standard covers the following establishments:

• Hospitals

• Long-term care facilities for the elderly

• Correctional facilities

• Homeless shelters

• Hospice facilities

• Labs that handle TB cultures

Also covered are employees who provide the following services in the above settings or in residences where TB patients are housed:

• Social work

• Teaching

• Law enforcement

• Legal work