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AFSCME Pushes For Stronger TB Protections

AFSCME urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to adopt stronger worker protections before finalizing its Guidelines for Preventing Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health Care Settings, 2005. On issues involving insufficient data to make precise determinations on tuberculosis (TB) exposure and infection control measures, AFSCME urged the CDC to err on the side of being more protective. Most of AFSCME’s criticisms were related to guidance in the respiratory protection area.   

The CDC guidelines will be especially important because, at the end of 2003, the Bush administration decided to withdraw its proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) TB standard. Compliance with CDC recommendations is voluntary. TB remains a serious threat to health care and other workers. After decades of steady decline, the number of TB cases in the United States increased during the years 1985-92. While the number of cases has been slowing again each year since ’92, the decrease has not been uniform across the country. The number of TB cases remained the same or increased in 20 states from 2002 to 2003. 

AFSCME also argued that these guidelines will have applications beyond TB. Recent events have demonstrated that the principles of TB control are a foundation for infection control for other pathogens spread via an airborne route.  During the SARS outbreak, TB infection control measures became, by default, the starting point for protecting against the disease until more became known about the transmission of this new pathogen. 

The comments submitted by AFSCME and others can be viewed on the CDC website. Final rules are expected this year.

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