TOPIC: CAL OSHA AEROSOL TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASE STANDARD
ORGIN: Moldex Technical Services Department
DATE: August 17, 2009
REVIEWED/UPDATED: MARCH 2010
Overview
On August 5, 2009 a new regulations called the Aerosol Transmisible Disease (ATD) standard became effective in California. It is a regulation that is designed to protect employees who are likely to come in contact with aerosol transmittable diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, influenza and other pathogens spread by coughing and sneezing. The regulation will be under the California Code of Regulations Title 8, Section 5199. It covers healthcare and related workplaces that treat, diagnose, or house individuals who may infected with a transmittable disease.
The new regulation also covers paramedics and emergency responders, who often are the first point of contact for infected individuals. It also covers law enforcement services that are anticipated to be exposed to cases or suspected cases of aerosol transmissible disease. Also covered are facilities, services or operations that perform aerosol-generating procedures such as pathology laboratories, medical examiners, coroner and mortuaries, and also laboratories that perform procedures with materials that contain or are reasonably anticipated to contain aerosol transmissible pathogens or zoonotic aerosol transmissible pathogens.
The regulation requires the use of N95 filtering facepieces as a minimum unless the employer’s evaluation of respiratory hazards determines that a more protective respirator is necessary.
Effective September 1, 2010 the employer must provide a powered air purifying respirator or (PAPR) with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters, or respirators providing equivalent protection or greater, to employees who perform high hazard procedures on Airborne Infectious Disease (AIrID) cases or suspected cases and employees who perform high hazard procedures on cadavers potentially infected with Aerosol Tranmissible Diseases . The one exception to this is that Paramedics and other emergency medical personnel in field operations may use a P100 in lieu of a PAPR.
For more information refer to http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/.
WARNING: The information contained in this Tech Brief is dated and was accurate to the best of Moldex’s knowledge, on the date above. It is not meant to be comprehensive, nor is it intended to be used in place of the warning/use instructions that accompany Moldex respirators. Outside of the USA, check with all applicable and local government regulations.
©2003-2010 Moldex-Metric, Inc. All Rights Reserved.