- respiratory protection is indicated to assure, to the extent possible, the prevention of transmission. This personal respiratory protection is necessary to reduce the risk of health-care-facility workers becoming infected with tuberculosis due to their inhalation of droplet nuclei.
- NIOSH concludes that the use of isoniazid chemoprophylaxis as a substitute for primary prevention of occupational transmission through all administrative, engineering, and personal respiratory protection controls is not consistent with the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
The following personal respiratory protection recommendations are intended specifically for a limited range of specific hazardous locations and procedures in health-care facilities. These locations primarily include rooms or areas where confirmed or potential tuberculosis transmitters are present. These locations also include any clinical and laboratory areas where certain procedures that could produce infectious airborne materials are performed on: (A) confirmed or potential tuberculosis transmitters or (B) tissue or fluids potentially containing tubercle bacilli. Specific examples are given in Table 3 starting on page 40. These NIOSH recommendations represent the Institute's best judgment as to what is necessary to achieve effective and reliable personal respiratory protection against droplet nuclei for workers in settings where this protection is indicated.
- NIOSH recommends that any confirmed or potential tuberculosis transmitters (10,15) in health-care facilities be rapidly identified with an Admissions Screening Plan, as discussed in section V.B starting on page 37, so that employers can determine whether personal respiratory protection may be indicated for health-care-facility workers.
- NIOSH recommends that, when confirmed or potential tuberculosis transmitters are present or potentially present at hazardous locations and procedures indicated as "medium" in Table 3 starting on page 40, NIOSH-certified, powered, halfmask respirators equipped with high-efficiency particulate powered, (HEPA) filters be used in
